The much-anticipated Wye Valley asparagus season is well underway with the first bunches arriving at wholesale markets across the country this week.
One of the first boxes to be dispatched from Cobrey Farms, Wye Valley, sold out in an hour last Friday morning, at £6 a bunch from Bristol wholesaler The French Garden.
The company was one of three recipients selected by grower Chris Chinn for the first of this season’s crop, famed for its early start.
Only three boxes of 12 bunches were available for sale on Friday, although more has followed throughout this week. The other two recipients included French Garden at New Covent Garden Market and a wholesaler in the North West of the country.
Excitement for the first deliveries has been high in the wholesale twitter world, with many tweeting pictures of asparagus displays celebrating British origin.
The Wye Valley asparagus crop is notoriously difficult to grow and so early season volumes are typically low and much in demand.
Ben Bloodworth, operations manager at The French Garden Bristol, said despite starting off with low numbers, Wye Valley asparagus will soon become more commercial.
He credited the company’s long-standing relationship with the Chinn family as to why they were one of those selected for first delivery.
“They are real innovators, and have found ways to extend the season. The first Wye Valley crop will be available from now until the end of July, and then they have another variety that will arrive in Autumn.'
“There will be purists who say that English asparagus should only be available from April until June. But it’s really changed. The Chinn family have managed to grow fantastic English asparagus outdoors in January.'
The French Garden Bristol supplies retailers, artisan producers and the high-end restaurant trade in Bristol, Bath and around the South West via a catering supply arm.
Wye Valley Asparagus is the earliest of the English asparagus crop, hand-harvested every morning and cooled to two degrees centigrade. The Chinn family supplies asparagus from February until July with a second autumn crop available from August to November.
