For April’s Chopping Club, we visited Formby to enjoy the asparagus trail that runs along the coast, and stopped off for a picnic in the sun.
Couldn’t join us on the day? Experience the day by listening to our conversations and learn about the history of asparagus in the podcast below, created by Producer Laura Yates.
Formby are renowned for their asparagus, being an important crop in the area before the Second World War. Local growers used the port of Liverpool to export their crop around the world by ship.
From 1848, when the railway line that ran from Southport to the growing metropolis of Liverpool was completed with convenient stops at Formby and Freshfield, these local crops could be easily transported into bustling Liverpool by train.
In the heyday of the 1930s, local farmer Jimmy Lowe won prizes at the prestigious Asparagus competition, still held annually in Worcestershire’s Vale of Evesham. Formby Asparagus won top class!
If you can, jump on the train and stop off at Freshfield to experience this incredible historic trail. On route you can refresh at the local farmer shop and pick up your very own Formby asparagus!