This year’s UK asparagus season mostly hit the mark thanks to a comprehensive PR campaign, which helped boost sales throughout the domestic window.
It is the fourth year the British asparagus has enjoyed dedicated national promotion, and this year’s campaign generated £1.4 million worth of print coverage alone, reaching a readership of 55m consumers.
The market value of asparagus is reported to be up by 7.4 per cent this year, and volume sales increased 7.8 per cent on 2005.
Purchasing frequency was measured at 2.4 per cent and penetration of asparagus into UK households during the season showed steady growth on the previous year - up six per cent to 12.4 per cent overall.
Volumes peaked around the third week of May, with increased levels on last year.
The campaign, funded by six major UK producers, and managed by Pam Lloyd Associates, saw asparagus featured in printed media, and various radio and TV shows.
However, despite this success, growers and packers attending the yearly review in London this week said the unseasonably cold spell in early June marginally impaired the season’s performance, with British crops being supplemented by imports during supply shortages.
This led to retailers pulling back on promotions during June, and weaker sales figures in the second half of the season.
“We could not have foreseen the weather problem,” Chris Kitchen of Kitchen Garden Produce, and campaign spokesman, said. “The weather stopped us and had that not been there, I think we would have been pushed forward with demand.”
Growers noted that while volumes, purchase frequency and penetration all increased, prices per spear were lower this year. However, James Hallett from Mack Multiples added that the increased sales provided a vital source of investment for new plantings and stability for the sector over the coming years.
