THE asparagus season is under way in the Vale of Evesham, which means a hectic few weeks for Graham Brown and his staff at the Round of Gras, Badsey.

The pub is at the heart of the asparagus-growing area and some years ago its name was changed from the Royal Oak to the Round of Gras to reflect the popularity of the vegetable. "We had the first gras of the season last week and we generally continue to serve the speciality until my birthday on June 28," Mr Brown said. "By then, we shall have cooked about two tonnes for diners."

Mr Brown sources all his asparagus from local growers because the flavour of the Vale of Evesham crop is generally acknowledged to be the best. "We get people coming from as far away as Lincolnshire to the only pub in the country named after asparagus because they appreciate the unique flavour of the asparagus," Mr Brown said.

Mr Brown has seen the popularity of asparagus growing since he became landlord of the Round of Gras in 1998. "People were saying then that asparagus was dying out," he said, "and while there might not be so many small growers today, there are more growing the crop on a bigger scale and it is certainly making a big comeback."