logo
Bumper crop of asparagus and rhubarb after record March sunshine

Bumper crop of asparagus and rhubarb after record March sunshine

Times23-04-2025

The sunniest March on record has contributed to a bumper early harvest of British asparagus and rhubarb — and sales data shows that consumers are taking full advantage.
Met office figures show that England enjoyed more sunshine this March than any year since records began in 1910, many individual counties topping their sunshine duration records.
Farmers said the prolonged unusually warm weather created the perfect growing conditions for both crops and was a welcome boost after the wettest 18 months on record.
The British asparagus season typically starts in late April and many use as the starting gun St George's Day — traditionally on April 23 but this year falling next Monday due to the late Easter. But the unexpected warmer weather has brought this forward.
The season ordinarily lasts only for about eight weeks and retailers are reporting that shoppers have been quick to take advantage of plentiful early supplies. Data from Ocado, the online supermarket, shows British rhubarb sales up 88 per cent year on year and sales of asparagus up 12 per cent month on month. Online recipe searches for rhubarb crumble were four times higher last week than a month earlier, according to Google Trends.
The Vale of Evesham in Worcestershire is the most renowned asparagus-growing area in England. Met Office data shows the county received 160 per cent of the average number of sunshine hours in March. Cambridgeshire, also known for its asparagus crop, received 170 per cent of its usual hours.
West Yorkshire's 'rhubarb triangle' — a small area between Wakefield, Morley and Rothwell — is the most famous region for rhubarb cultivation, particularly for the production of Yorkshire forced rhubarb. This type of rhubarb is grown in the dark to produce tender, sweet and vividly pink stalks, quite different from the tougher, greener outdoor varieties.
While greater sunshine does not directly benefit forced rhubarb, the crop benefits from warmer temperatures, which encourage vigorous leaf and stalk growth, improving overall yields. The Met Office said West Yorkshire received 160 per cent of its normal sunshine in March.
Martha Springham, trading manager at Ocado, said: 'The long winter provided a tough backdrop for British farmers but their produce is among the best in the world and it's fantastic to see shoppers supporting them now that the sunshine is here.'
Chris Chinn, a partner at Cobrey Farms in south Herefordshire, which grows Wye Valley-branded asparagus, blueberries and rhubarb, said: 'Being able to show off the best of British is still as exciting as ever. We hope to continue the early momentum for the rest of the season with sunny weather.
'British produce quality remains very high and seeing positive reviews and a growing customer base makes all the effort of the whole team worthwhile.'
The fast start to the asparagus season should help the country boost production this year. Last year 4,400 tonnes of the crop were sold, a fall of 7 per cent on the previous year. At present, 125g of Wye Valley asparagus tips costs £3, as does 400g of pink forced rhubarb.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

UK weather: mini heatwave to bring highs of 24C, says Met Office
UK weather: mini heatwave to bring highs of 24C, says Met Office

Times

time25-04-2025

  • Times

UK weather: mini heatwave to bring highs of 24C, says Met Office

The UK will see a mini heatwave next week, as temperatures soar to up to 10C above average for this time of year. Those running the London Marathon on Sunday afternoon could experience temperatures of up to 21C, potentially making the feat more difficult. The capital could see highs of 24C on Tuesday, with much of England and Wales also seeing temperatures above 20C. Temperatures could be as much as 10C above the late April average and long-term forecasts suggest they could remain high until May 2. Simon Partridge, a Met Office meteorologist, said: 'The average temperature for this time of year is about 13C to 14C, so for a lot of central and southeastern England on Monday and Tuesday, there is quite possibly the

Bumper crop of asparagus and rhubarb after record March sunshine
Bumper crop of asparagus and rhubarb after record March sunshine

Times

time23-04-2025

  • Times

Bumper crop of asparagus and rhubarb after record March sunshine

The sunniest March on record has contributed to a bumper early harvest of British asparagus and rhubarb — and sales data shows that consumers are taking full advantage. Met office figures show that England enjoyed more sunshine this March than any year since records began in 1910, many individual counties topping their sunshine duration records. Farmers said the prolonged unusually warm weather created the perfect growing conditions for both crops and was a welcome boost after the wettest 18 months on record. The British asparagus season typically starts in late April and many use as the starting gun St George's Day — traditionally on April 23 but this year falling next Monday due to the late Easter. But the unexpected warmer weather has brought this forward. The season ordinarily lasts only for about eight weeks and retailers are reporting that shoppers have been quick to take advantage of plentiful early supplies. Data from Ocado, the online supermarket, shows British rhubarb sales up 88 per cent year on year and sales of asparagus up 12 per cent month on month. Online recipe searches for rhubarb crumble were four times higher last week than a month earlier, according to Google Trends. The Vale of Evesham in Worcestershire is the most renowned asparagus-growing area in England. Met Office data shows the county received 160 per cent of the average number of sunshine hours in March. Cambridgeshire, also known for its asparagus crop, received 170 per cent of its usual hours. West Yorkshire's 'rhubarb triangle' — a small area between Wakefield, Morley and Rothwell — is the most famous region for rhubarb cultivation, particularly for the production of Yorkshire forced rhubarb. This type of rhubarb is grown in the dark to produce tender, sweet and vividly pink stalks, quite different from the tougher, greener outdoor varieties. While greater sunshine does not directly benefit forced rhubarb, the crop benefits from warmer temperatures, which encourage vigorous leaf and stalk growth, improving overall yields. The Met Office said West Yorkshire received 160 per cent of its normal sunshine in March. Martha Springham, trading manager at Ocado, said: 'The long winter provided a tough backdrop for British farmers but their produce is among the best in the world and it's fantastic to see shoppers supporting them now that the sunshine is here.' Chris Chinn, a partner at Cobrey Farms in south Herefordshire, which grows Wye Valley-branded asparagus, blueberries and rhubarb, said: 'Being able to show off the best of British is still as exciting as ever. We hope to continue the early momentum for the rest of the season with sunny weather. 'British produce quality remains very high and seeing positive reviews and a growing customer base makes all the effort of the whole team worthwhile.' The fast start to the asparagus season should help the country boost production this year. Last year 4,400 tonnes of the crop were sold, a fall of 7 per cent on the previous year. At present, 125g of Wye Valley asparagus tips costs £3, as does 400g of pink forced rhubarb.

LTA bid for £75m to make tennis accessible whatever the weather
LTA bid for £75m to make tennis accessible whatever the weather

Times

time21-04-2025

  • Times

LTA bid for £75m to make tennis accessible whatever the weather

For much of the year, playing tennis and padel in the UK is at the mercy of the weather. A lack of indoor courts means that most people who play these two popular racket sports are crossing their fingers that rain does not disrupt their plans. This could no longer be a concern for thousands of recreational players in the coming years if the national governing body of tennis and padel manages to persuade the government to back its ambitious plan for a national network of covered courts. On Tuesday the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) will present its bid to obtain funding for a £75 million project in which 40 community sports hubs would be built across the nation by 2030. It has long been a complaint in British tennis circles that there are not enough indoor facilities in a country with an average of 150 days of rainfall. The UK has about 1,600 registered indoor tennis courts for a population of 69 million, compared with France's 9,700 courts for a population of 68 million. Reasons for this shortfall are said to include historical underinvestment in indoor venues and planning challenges. To address this, the LTA is proposing a new generation of sports centres that would use light-weight canopies rather than fully-enclosed structures. These would provide a year-round overhead cover for the courts without incurring the large expense of an indoor centre and would be strong enough to withstand high winds despite the sides being left open. The courts are regarded as more cost-effective in the long term than the 'bubbles' — air-supported structures or domes — that are used at some tennis venues. The canopies would be made from high-performance cloth, which allows up to 60 per cent of natural light through, reducing running costs for floodlights during the day. Lightweight steel would be used for the beams and posts, with the option for partial side mesh at more exposed sites to reduce the effects of driving wind and rain. Increased building costs and inflation have led the cost of a traditional indoor centre to more than double. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, a three-court bricks and mortar centre would come to £1.5 million. This now comes in at a cost of between £3-4 million. In an attempt to further tap into the fast-growing appeal of padel, the LTA has created plans for a combination of tennis and padel courts to sit alongside each other under the canopy. An adjacent multi-sport court could be used for basketball, netball or other sports. There is a significant demand in the UK for more padel courts in particular. The sport, which is played on an enclosed court, is expected to increase its number of annual players from 129,000 last year to 400,000 by the end of 2026. Between 2019 and 2024 the total number of courts in the UK grew from 50 to 770. The LTA is intensifying its efforts to secure funding before the government's spending review in June. Scott Lloyd, the LTA's chief executive, has the opportunity on Tuesday to lay out its case when he takes questions from the culture, media and sport committee as part of an inquiry into the health of sport in local communities and schools. One selling point that will be put forward is a pledge to position the centres in underserved areas with high levels of obesity and inactivity. This would help the Get Active strategy launched by the previous government in 2023, which aimed to increase physical activity for an additional 2.5 million adults and one million children by 2030. • Other proposals by the LTA include free community sessions, female-only classes and sessions for disabled people, in addition to standard bookings open to all members of the public. Partnerships would be formed with schools and GP surgeries, with the latter enabling a form of social prescribing — non-clinical referrals that help to support the health and wellbeing of patients.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store