Vol 47, No 2 Autumn/Winter 2011 - Finlays

Spearheading
a new Season:
Asparagus in Autumn
Ian Michell, GM Finlays Fresh Produce, introduces a
welcome newcomer to the autumn table.
British asparagus is the queen
of vegetables, available for a
limited season in spring and
early summer; its unique flavour
is not replicated by any other
asparagus. This truism, one with
which many foodies would agree,
is now no longer accurate.
Thanks to the work of John
Chinn and the team at Cobrey
farms, one of Finlays Fresh
Produce preferred partners, you
can now enjoy British asparagus
in the autumn.
Cobrey Farms is the family run business
of John Chinn, his wife Gay and their
sons Henry and Chris. They own 395ha
near Ross-on-Wye and, in addition, rent
another 600ha around Herefordshire,
Gloucestershire, Monmouthshire and
Suffolk.
The main farm enterprises are asparagus,
blueberries, potatoes and broiler
chickens and the rotation also supports
crops of cereals, oilseed rape and
herbage seed. They have, on the main
farm site, a pack-house for grading and
packing asparagus and blueberries into
customer-specific, retail-ready packaging.
Cobrey Farms has a long history in
the application of science, and continues
to invest heavily in the research and
development of new crops, varieties and
growing techniques. This R&D activity
leads to innovation on a commercial
scale, delivering improved produce,
quality and flavour, increased
sustainability, reduced produce costs and
increased season length. The asparagus
project is one example of their innovative
approach.
Outlook bright: John (r) and son Chris Chinn with the new season’s crop.
08 Autumn/Winter ’11