THE OFFICIAL start of the Vale of Evesham asparagus season was marked on Tuesday with a morning of colourful and quirky celebrations at the historic Fleece Inn pub in Bretforton.
The St George’s Day launch saw a large crowd gathered to witness the traditional honouring of the first cut round of Vale gras with songs, speeches, poems, and Morris dancing.
The saint himself was even on hand to add some patriotism to the big day.
It also signalled the beginning of the British Asparagus Festival which runs until June 21 with the promise of an abundance of the so-called food of Kings for sale in farm shops and asparagus-themed events.
Asparagus grown in the Vale of Evesham is renowned as some of the finest in the world. The green spears known locally as ‘Asum Gras’ is a protected delicacy, achieving the culinary prestige of being awarded PGI European protected food name status in 2015.
From April to June it brings in visitors eager to sample the unique flavour and texture of Vale gras due to the area’s micro-climate. This benefit is felt by a range of eateries and sellers including Tom Cumberland, the proprietor of Wayside Farm Shop in Wickhamford who took on the role of Gus the Asparagus Man for the first time.
He said he feels the immediate impact the famed Vale gras season has on his business. “Our turnover doubles in the shop and stays that way for six weeks. It brings people to the area, so economically it’s so important.”
The National Trust-owned Fleece Inn has a longstanding link with and has held asparagus auctions since the mid-20th Century. Under leaden skies that threatened rain, its current landlord Nigel Smith welcomed visitors, including the Mayor of Evesham, Councillor Robert Raphael to Tuesday’s festivities.
He spoke to the Observer about the significance of the day. He said: “Asparagus is the king of vegetables and grown in the Vale of Evesham for nearly 200 years.
“It represents the great growing tradition we have here. Horticulture has been so important to the Vale over this time so celebrating it with the asparagus is definitely the way forward.”
When asked how morning went, Angela Taylor, director of the British Asparagus Festival CIC, said ‘the celebrations went fantastically’.
Angela added: “The celebrations went fantastically, the weather could have been a little bit kinder to us, but we’ve had amazing Morris dancing, singing with the asparagus song, and the classic cars. It’s been brilliant.”
The morning, which featured English eccentricity at its finest, finished off with the group – including Gus and St George – commencing the ‘asparagus run’ which entailed being taken to Honeybourne Railway Station in a convoy of classic cars. From there the merry crew jumped aboard a train to London to deliver the first hundred of gras to the Japanese Embassy.
This symbolic gesture celebrates both the PGI recognition recently granted in Japan and the growing international interest in Evesham asparagus.
