British Asparagus to Reach Record Prices

A round of British asparagus is expected to reach up to £50 at auction, after bad weather affected the yield of the vegetable

The world-famous asparagus auctions take place in Bretforton, Worcestershire on 27th May, in the renowned asparagus-growing area the Vale of Evesham.

This year's heavy rain has resulted in a scarcity of the vegetable, and the British Asparagus Festival had to be cancelled earlier this month due to a lack of availability. This has led to a huge increase in interest in the asparagus auctions and organisers are expecting record bids this year.

Colin Jelfs, an auctioneer at the event, said, “In a normal year, we expect to sell 30 rounds of asparagus at around £6 - £25 each. This year, asparagus is difficult to get hold of so we're anticipating sales to reach record levels of potentially £50 a round.”

Many of the events that had to be cancelled with the festival will now take place alongside the auctions, including cookery demonstrations and producer stands offering asparagus products.