A taste of summer, home-grown asparagus, regarded by many growers as the "King of Vegetables," has gone on sale.And Norfolk farmer, Andy Allen, who is chairman of the Asparagus Growers' Association, has opened his farm outlets with fresh-cut produce.

A taste of summer, home-grown asparagus, regarded by many growers as the "King of Vegetables," has gone on sale.

And Norfolk farmer, Andy Allen, who is chairman of the Asparagus Growers' Association, has opened his farm outlets with fresh-cut produce.

Mr Allen, who grows about 200 acres, started cutting spears grown under polythene about four weeks ago, and said: "The taste is amazing this season because the crop has been growing so slowly. We've had several days of frost and the week before last had to wait for the ice to melt off the tunnels because we could start cutting. It has been very cold at nights.

"When the crop grows slowly, it really has even more taste. We don't get great tonnages but the consumer gets a really tasty crop."

His shops will are now open at Portwood Farm, Great Ellingham, (8am to 5pm, seven days a week) and also Old Hall Farm, Attlebridge, near Norwich, off the A1067, 10am to 6pm Monday to Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 5pm.