Asparagus is enjoying a surge in popularity across the UK, with sales rising faster than any other vegetable, according to Sainsbury’s.

The retailer claimed sales of the vegetable had shot up by a staggering 290 per cent, while pack sales doubled from 700,000 to 1.4 million compared with last year.

Part of the growth is being attributed to the retailers current advertising campagn, with Jamie Oliver highlighting asparagus in one advert.

Sainsbury’s trading manager, John Maylam said: “The demand for asparagus has been astonishing. It seems that our customers are becoming more adventurous where fruit and vegetables are concerned, and the asparagus market is now certainly growing at a rapid rate with our asparagus flying off the shelves.”

Volume of homegrown gras has not been enough to meet demand, said Sainsbury's high-strreet rival Tesco, although it did rise by 30 per cent year-on-year.

Topics