Celebration of asparagus

Where: The Plough Inn, Ford, Glos

How it works: Since taking over the Plough Inn in 2002, Craig Brown has continued the pub's 40-year tradition of hosting an annual celebration of locally-grown asparagus.

The English asparagus season runs between the end of April and the beginning of June and with its Cotswold location, the Plough is close to one of the main asparagus-growing areas, the Vale of Evesham. Last year, the pub served up 1½ tonnes of the vegetable in 12 weeks, with Craig and his chefs putting asparagus with every dish on the menu during that period.

"We serve it on its own, with our fish, with our steaks, with beef strips, in a pie and as a soup," says Craig, who has firm views on how to source and cook asparagus. But he won't divulge where he gets his, saying only that it's "very local" and boasts: "Because of my contacts, we get it before Harrods."

Dishes at the Plough Inn this year

include: Roquefort cheese salad with

crispy bacon and asparagus; fillets of sea bass with asparagus and a chive and white wine sauce, and chicken, ham and asparagus pie.