A restaurant's asparagus menu caused some discussion online. How much can asparagus cost? Several users are defending the courts.
Meckel – With spring comes the asparagus season. Some love him, others hate him. But the fact is: fresh asparagus is the most sought-after seasonal vegetable from April to June. According to the Federal Center for Nutrition, 1.6 kilograms of fresh asparagus were consumed per capita in Germany in 2021/2022. An inn in Meckel (Rhineland-Palatinate) definitely attracted attention online with its asparagus menu. Several commenters had to defend the restaurant.
Inn publishes asparagus prices – guests are up in arms
Like many restaurants, the Gasthaus Herrig apparently relies on seasonal food - and of course asparagus is a must at the moment. “Fresh asparagus – a real treat!” the restaurant happily announces that it has a new menu on Facebook. A photo shows the listed (asparagus) dishes along with prices, such as an asparagus cream soup with croutons and chives for 6.90 euros as a starter. Or lukewarm asparagus in a vegetable vinaigrette for 13.90 euros. The main course is 500 grams of asparagus with buttered potatoes and hollandaise sauce for 23.90 euros - if you want Eifel salmon trout with it, you pay 32.80 euros.
“I lost my appetite”: Guests upset about new restaurant menu
The Gasthaus Herrig explains its method of preparation and where the ingredients come from: “Our asparagus comes from the Palatinate and is cooked sous vide, it has never seen water. The hollandaise is of course homemade in the traditional way.”
However, not all potential customers can apparently relate to the final wish, “Have fun with it”. “Are you still pretty cool!” writes an angry guest. Someone else adds: “When starters are now offered at the price of the main course, I lose my appetite.” A man writes indignantly: “Then I invite a few friends and prefer to cook myself...”
Guests defend restaurant from nasty comments
The restaurant responds to the outrage with a detailed explanation of how the prices are determined: “We inns are there for people who want to spend a few sociable hours with friends without any preparatory work. Nobody is forced to enter an inn. But hitting hard-working innkeepers and complaining is always possible.”
With so much headwind, several commenters jumped straight into the fray for the restaurant: “It's a real shame that posts like this always turn into bashing. This is a really great menu with beautiful dishes made from good products. Gasthaus Herrig, don’t be put off,” writes one user. And further: “If someone is not prepared to pay the advertised prices, then it will not be your guest. Everyone else will enjoy it.”
Someone else added: “You guys are doing a great job. Don't let yourself be put off! Anyone who doesn’t appreciate your work doesn’t have to come to you.” Of course, that also pleases the owners of the inn. “We see it the same way,” they reply.
Regional asparagus is most expensive in April
The purchase price for asparagus is traditionally highest in April; local asparagus is still expensive and less available. According to
agrarheute.com
, first-choice regional asparagus, like from the restaurant menu,
currently costs around 19.90 euros/kg in supermarkets in Berlin and Brandenburg. The goods from Greece, Peru or Spain are therefore offered significantly cheaper at 5.98 euros/kg.
In 2023, according to the Federal Statistical Office, asparagus costs 34.6 percent more in April than in May. According to the Agrarmarkt Informationsgesellschaft, asparagus cost an average of 8.58 euros/kg in 2023. Producers expect similar prices for 2024.
(jh)