UK supermarkets are battling to be the first to sell British-grown asparagus this year, a full two weeks before the start of the traditional but notoriously short season.
Tesco and Sainsbury’s areworking to get the stocks on shelves this week, after the recent spell of cold and rainy weather delayed arrival in stores.
A new high quality, early season variety called Jubilee - which has won plaudits from foodies for its distinctive sweet and nutty flavour - will be on sale exclusively at Tesco from Friday.Sainsbury’s shoppers will be able to buy British-grown asparagus tips from this week, and can expect the supply to be 100% British by the end of April.
Airmile-laden products from Peru – still the world’s largest exporter of asparagus – have traditionally bolstered British supermarket shelves because of the unpredictability of UK weather. The short-lived British season typically only enjoys a two-month harvesting season, which starts on St George’s day (23 April).
Supermarkets have been working closely with growers to develop new varieties while improving quality. Jubilee asparagus, for example - launched in 2012 and grown exclusively for Tesco on a family-owned farm in Herefordshire - is an early season variety grown outdoors. Last year it caused demand to rocket by 150% compared with the year before. This year, supplier Cobrey Farms plans to double the amount it currently grows.
“Asparagus is one of the UK’s most weather-dependent crops,” said Cobrey’s Chris Chinn. “While the UK enjoyed a warm November and December followed by an average February and March the recent cold and rainy weather has put back the launch of Jubilee.”
Sainsbury’s said its first British asparagus tips, grown by Lichfield-based New Farm Produce Ltd, had been harvested by hand and were now being delivered to selected stores.
Marks & Spencer was first off the blocks with the earliest ever British asparagus in time for Valentine’s day in February - but grown in polytunnels rather than outdoors. It hopes to have entirely British in store by mid-April.
