News that will divide the nation: Sprout season begins a MONTH early It is news that will strike fear into the hearts of vegetable-dodgers everywhere. Perfect growing conditions have led to the earliest ever British crop of Brussels sprouts. Brussels have arrived a full month ahead of schedule - and it's set to be a bumper year. It is, of course, great news for sprout lovers - and also their growers who after enduring a very wet season in 2012 are now optimistic that the yield this year could comparatively be up by as much as 30 per cent. The early arrival of British sprouts may displease much of the general public who detest their bitter taste The early arrival of the vegetable this week on British high streets will also benefit retailers as it will mean reducing the need for more costly imports. Tesco chilled vegetables buyer Lance Canavan said: 'The early arrival of British sprouts is great. They're considered the best tasting in the world. It means we can offer them all year round instead of having to rely on imports. Usually during the April to August off season, UK retailers import sprouts from South Africa and Morocco and it means they can offer them all year round. One of the UK's biggest growers of sprouts and other brassica are TH Clements who are based near Boston in Lincolnshire. They said that this year's 'perfect growing conditions' and early arrival will help make up for last year when heavy rain hampered growing and resulted in a poor yield. One of the UK's biggest growers of sprouts, TH Clements who are based near Boston in Lincolnshire Sprouts, high in vitamin C and iron, have been part of our staple ¿meat and two veg' since World War II Chris Gedney, managing director of TH Clements said: 'The conditions are absolutely ideal especially with the recent rain that has followed a good month of sunshine. If the spring had not been so cold the sprouts would have arrived even earlier.  Sprouts, which are high in vitamin C and iron, became part of our staple "meat and two veg' diet during and after the Second World War mainly due to rationing but in the 80s and 90s their popularity was affected by changes in our eating habits and increasingly exotic diets. The conditions are ideal, especially with the recent rain that has followed a good month of sunshine They also bore the brunt of schoolboy jokes which helped dampen the enthusiasm of an entire generation that led to general sales outside of the Christmas market falling into decline through the 90s. However sprout popularity rose again during the Noughties as a result of them often being used in recipes and TV cookery programmes by celebrity chefs. It's estimated that as much as 80 per cent of total British sprout sales take place in the two week Christmas and New Year period. Sprout recipe: Bakewell Brussels Slice your brussel sprouts lengthways into two or three pieces so that the leaves start falling apart By Tamara Abraham My mother hates Brussel sprouts and refused to let me serve them at Christmas until I came up with this recipe. Now she not only eats them, she has seconds too. So this is for all the haters - prepare to be converted. Serves four as a side dish 500g Brussels sprouts • 50g flaked almonds • 50g dried sour cherries • Butter or oil to cook • a pinch of salt to season Slice your Brussel sprouts lengthways into two or three pieces so that the leaves start falling apart. This will help them cook quickly. Put your almond flakes in a dry pan and toast until golden - keep a close eye on them, they can go from raw to burnt in a split second. Set aside. Throw your Brussels into the now-empty hot pan with some butter or oil and pan-fry until they start to soften and brown at the edges. Add your dried sour cherries and cook for one more minute or until they are warmed through. Toss in the toasted almonds, season and serve while hot. TIP: This is such an easy recipe to adapt and make your own. Try mixing your sprouts with chestnuts and pancetta or dried chilli flakes and sweet soy sauce. Just use your imagination and get creative!