People are travelling hundreds of miles to buy asparagus as supply is hit by seasonal shortages and the Coronation, traders say. The vegetable is selling at record high prices as unusually high demand drives up costs - with people travelling long distances to buy it.
Farm shop owner Tom Cumberland, 40, says he's met people travelling from as far as Stoke on Trent and Bristol to his shop in the Vale of Evesham in Worcestershire. Tom, who has run Wayside Farm Shop & Cafe for eight years, says demand for fresh asparagus is the highest he's ever seen it due to the Coronation Bank Holiday.
Tom said: "Due to the short seasonal window for asparagus, I think everyone just wants to have some fresh seasonal veg. People have been making the asparagus pilgrimage for the last week. I've seen people travelling from Cheltenham, Bristol, even north of Stoke on Trent.
"Just to Stoke on Trent and back they'd have to travel well over 100 miles. People have even been saying they were buying punnets for their neighbours, and we've had to raise the price from £3 to £4 to accommodate.
"I think a large part of it is that supply of asparagus can really vary. In one area, vale of Evesham asparagus might be growing perfectly at seven degree and wet conditions. Just five miles down the road though, another producer may be dealing with 12 degree and dry conditions - and that affects supply.
"We're quite lucky here that we have a very large producer who we have a good relationship with, so we've had a steady supply - but it's been flying off the shelves."
The farm shop owner says that the asparagus, which typically is in season between the months of April and July, should have been included in the King's coronation themed meal. Britons have celebrated the coronation with a 'coronation quiche', including delicate flavours of spinach, broad beans and fresh tarragon.
Tom added: "I think King Charles made a real error on the Coronation quiche this year though by adding broad beans to the recipe - they should have picked an asparagus quiche. Broad beans are out of season at the moment, so we're having to import them from Italy to meet demand.
"It should have been an asparagus quiche."
