First British Asparagus Of The Season Lands At M&S Hereford

A local Herefordshire supplier has provided the first harvest of the British asparagus season for M&S Hereford customers to enjoy.

Thanks to the Chinn family of Cobrey Farms in Ross-on-Wye, M&S Hereford is the first store in the UK to stock a limited-edition selection of the initial harvest of the British crop.
M&S has worked with the family-run Cobrey Farms for 17 years, with the farm spanning 3,500 acres.

The Cobrey team has been a pioneer of early season asparagus production for many years, looking at different techniques to adapt in the UK to deliver the first crop in the market. 

Natural heat from the sun is captured in cold-resistant polytunnels which also protect the asparagus crop from the colder weather across November and December. The team also closely monitor soil temperature, taking advantage of the Wye Valley microclimate. 

Each asparagus stem is hand-harvested and hydro-cooled down to two degrees celsius within the hour, to guarantee maximum freshness and flavour.

Chris Chinn, Partner at Cobrey Farms, said: “It’s a real tradition for us to kick off the season by hand-delivering the first boxes of the harvest and it’s fantastic to see the first batch exclusively on the shelf at M&S. Our team works incredibly hard to deliver the very best taste, texture and flavour for customers. We are well ahead of the official start of the season in late April and our early asparagus is just the thing to brighten up this gloomy January”.

Cobrey Farms is one of 200 farms taking part in M&S’ Farming for the Future initiative to tackle sustainability at a farm level in partnership with Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF), Soil Association Exchange (SAX) and Sustainable Soils Management (SSM). The programme is part of a £7million investment by M&S in its Plan A for Farming strategy announced last year.

Harry Wilder, Senior Agronomist at M&S, added: “Cobrey Farms are a fantastic longstanding partner and they keep raising the bar. Not only do they deliver the best possible quality produce but it’s fantastic to be working closely with them on innovation and sustainability. If any customers are looking for some asparagus inspiration, we have plenty of recipe ideas on our website.”

Asparagus grown by the Chinn family will reach the shelves of more M&S stores gradually over the next six weeks, ahead of a wider rollout in mid-March.

ENDS