ASPARAGUS has tickled the taste buds to such an extent this season that sales of the queen of vegetables have risen faster than any other vegetable.

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has promoted gras for Sainsbury's where sales are up by a staggering 290 per cent on last year.

The supermarket's trading manager John Maylam said: "Demand has been astonishing. It seems customers are becoming more adventurous where fruit and vegetables are concerned and the asparagus market is now certainly growing at a rapid rate with our asparagus flying off the shelves."

Vale growers, who produce the finest tasting asparagus in the World, have also benefited from the demand.

Paul Haydon, of Birlingham, who grows an acre of asparagus under glass for the early season and two acres outdoors, said: "We have had a good year. We just couldn't grow enough of it to meet the demand."

He attributed the upsurge in interest to the campaign run by the British Asparagus Growers' Association, the Jamie Oliver ad and Jamie Oliver raising awareness of healthy eating.

"Another plus for local growers was the poor quality of imported asparagus compared to British."

Nick Coley, of Harvington, said: "The season has gone very well. I think the overall yield is down due to the cold weather in May but the quality has been very good and demand excellent."

He added: "I have moved everything I grow without a problem through the farm shop and expect to finish the season at the end of this week."

Gary Andrews, of Evesham, said generally speaking he was quite satisfied with this year's results, apart from the problem with thefts from the beds in Abbey Road.

Asparagus is one of the most nutritionally well balanced vegetables available, as well as being hailed an aphrodisiac, low in calories, low in sodium, contains no fat and is rich in vitamin C, folic acid, iron and potassium.

The British Asparagus Season Campaign, funded by a number of larger growers and packers across the country, said the harvest had increased by about 30 per cent this year to meet demand.

"British asparagus growers have had their best year on record for volume sales," a spokesman for the campaign said.

Jamie Oliver suggests griddling the asparagus spears on a hot griddle pan for a couple of minutes, turning a couple of times.

When nicely charred and cooked, dress with salt, pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of oil.

Then serve with freshly grated Parmesan.