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T.V. chef John Burton Race offers 30 different asparagus dishes at his restaurant, The New Angel in Dartmouth . "These asparagus dishes fly out of the door," he says. "There is now an air of expectancy before the new season. In England it is terrific; don't buy out of season from around the world, because it is tasteless."
Ramon Farthing, owner of 36 on the Quay agrees adding, 'It's the distinctive crisp homegrown freshness that makes it a world beater of vegetables. It was a real coup for us to offer the first english asparagus and we developed a new dish to celebrate - 'English asparagus in puff pastry spiral with Parmesan and balsamic dressing.'
Nathan Dellicott, Farms Director at Barfoots, says "Asparagus is becoming much more commercially available and demand around the UK is growing. It used to be a rich man's vegetable but now it's another food that people can put on their plates. It has an eagerly awaited British season and the best growing areas are on the leeside of the Isle of Wight and in the central South because the Isle of Wight's land mass breaks up the clouds to create higher sunshine levels and this allows asparagus to be earlier here than elsewhere in the UK."
"Extending the asparagus season by a few weeks is not only a master stroke but is a great example for the other British produce growers to follow," said Ben Newmarch, the Asparagus Buyer at Tescos. "Thanks to better production methods, British fruit and vegetable farmers can now prolong their growing seasons to boost sales and reduce the need for imports."
British asparagus is also widely reputed to be an aphrodisiac. There is actually a lot of truth behind the legend that asparagus 'stirs up lust in man and woman,' (Nicholas Culpepper 1616-1654, a legendary figure in the field of herbal medicine). Its broad base of nutrients including potassium and vitamin A provide general well being which ultimately stimulates the glandular and metabolic function, boosting sex drive. | 
