The demand for British asparagus has grown so much over the last decade that the vegetable with a posh reputation as confined to the middle classes has made significant strides into the mainstream.

This demand is reflected in the fact that U.K. producers of the protein-packed plant have almost tripled in Britain since 2004, according to industry experts. At www.freshfruitportal.com,we hear from multinational retailer Tesco to take a look into the latest asparagus trends amongst its U.K. shoppers.

The window of opportunity to buy British grown asparagus is a small one. Every year spring is signaled by its arrival on supermarket shelves.

According to data from the British Asparagus Association, U.K. demand for the vegetable has gone up by 540% over the last 10 years.

During this time, U.K. farmers have increased cultivation of asparagus from 788 hectares in 2005 to 2,178 hectares in 2014, an increase of 176%, according to Tesco.

"Asparagus, particularly the home grown variety has become one of the U.K's trendiest vegetables," Tesco asparagus buyer Adam Morris said in a statement.

"A lot of that is down to seasonality and the short-lived British season which only lasts for roughly eight weeks from mid-April to mid-June.

"“In the past, British growers were reluctant to give over field space to such a niche product but now there is great clamor for the home grown variety as experts say it is the best in the world because of our perfect climate."

On top of this, the demand for different varieties has also grown with white asparagus becoming a popular trend amongst Tesco's customer base. In the past U.K. growers were reluctant to grow white asparagus which was traditionally perceived as a gourmet niche food with a limited market.

Until last year, Tesco was importing it from the continent but the shift in demand has led to the retailers partnering with Britain’s largest grower at Cobrey Farm in Herefordshire - the first U.K. producer to grow the white variety on a commercial scale.

"Last year we trialed white asparagus which was popular with shoppers and this year we have doubled the amount we have on our shelves," Morris added.

White asparagus is produced from the same plant as the green variety but has its roots buried deeper under the soil. As the spears grow the absence of light does not allow photosynthesis to happen and the spears remain white. The skin is also more fibrous and needs to be peeled before being cooked.

In March we also reported how Marks & Spencer was the first British retailer to stock this year’s asparagus because a very mild winter led to an early harvest from its partner grower who had also being using new methods to grow the vegetable.

Photo: www.shutterstock.com

www.freshfruitportal.com