The first crop of British seasonal asparagus is due to arrive at New Covent Garden Market (NCGM) in the first week of May with a number of celebrations at Lond markets planned.
British Asparagus Week will take place at NCGM on 3-8 May, to promote the new British season with recipe cards, grower profiles, nutritional and other information available for buyers throughout the week.
On 6 May from 2am until 10am, The British Larder’s Madalene Bovini-Hamil will demonstrate the versatility of asparagus with a range of traditional and novel recipes.
Borough Market is also set to put a focus on the product with three cooks taking on early season asparagus from the Wye Valley on 16 April.
The recipes prepared will be from the British asparagus website and grower John Chinn will be there to talk to consumers directly at the event between 11am and 3pm.
The increasing trend for seasonal, locally grown produce has seen the British asparagus market grow dramatically year on year, with growers planting more asparagus crowns every year to try keep up with demand.
In 2008, £16.5 million was spent on asparagus, with two-thirds of this sold through the retail sector.
