Isle of Wight Asparagus

This month, we are showcasing the asparagus grown by the Brown family on the Isle of Wight.

The flavour is remarkable, with a distinctive character from the salty sea air. All is grown outdoors, rather than tunnels. The farm, blessed by some of the best sunlight levels in the UK, has been run by the same family for 80 years.

The family is constantly trialling new varieties, although some of his fields are still productive after 18 years. Right now, varieties include Gynalim, Backlim, Asplim and Erasmus, a new purple variety. (Here's a fact for you - all varieties with the suffix -Lim have been bred by a Dutchman called Professor Lim, a master of his trade.)

The asparagus is picked early morning - normally before sunrise - then cooled and graded on the ferry to the mainland and with us by midnight.

Here's a photo of the asparagus ferns - the engine room for the plant. They convert sunlight into energy which is stored in the 'crown' or root system of the plant - the fuel needed to fire out the spears which end up in your kitchens.

And the final product? It’s the best around. Frankly, we can’t get enough of it.