Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR) has again celebrated the Vale of Evesham’s crop of asparagus spears with its annual steam-hauled ‘Asparagus Express’.

The train departed from the railway’s Broadway station on Saturday, 18th April, at 12.50, accompanied by Gus the Asparagus Man, St. George, music, and dancing from the Elemental Border and Asum Gras Morris teams, and with plenty of asparagus being served in the on-train buffet.

The special train was organised by the British Asparagus Festival Community Interest Company (CIC) in conjunction with the railway to celebrate the long history of the UK’s premier asparagus growing area, and was supported by Worcestershire’s Vale & Spa.

Many years ago, fruit and vegetables from farms in the Vale of Evesham were transported to market by train one time. Toddington station once had a large packing shed where fresh products such as asparagus, soft fruits, plums, apples, cherries and pears were packed and labelled, ready to be loaded into special freight vans.

At Bretforton, Nigel Smith, Chairman of the British Asparagus Festival CIC and landlord of the Fleece Inn, which is owned by the National Trust, sold rounds of asparagus grown on local farms. On the train, bacon and asparagus rolls were available from the buffet car, while at Toddington Station, asparagus dishes were served at The Cotswold Halt Café.

Two years ago, the Asparagus Express from Broadway to Cheltenham Racecourse ran on St. George’s Day, 23rd April.

“On St George’s Day, the official start of the British Asparagus Festival, the first ‘hundred round of gras’ is auctioned in aid of charity and taken on a different promotional trip each year. A few years ago, this included a journey on the GWSR’s steam trains, which was so popular that we have decided to make this an annual special celebration. “Steam trains and asparagus are equally popular. This is a great way to celebrate both and to promote this very special crop and encourage people to make sure they buy British.”

Nigel Smith, Chairman of the British Asparagus Festival CIC