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n John Hugo and Ian Gibbs with cut asparagus and a finished dish at the Coventry Arms, Corfe Mullen Picture: GRAHAM HUNT/HG3555

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ENGLISH asparagus is the first sign of spring," smiles John Hugo, proprietor of the Coventry Arms in Corfe Mullen and co-founder of the Dorset Asparagus Festival, which takes place at the pub from tomorrow to May 11.

It is true. The appearance of asparagus in our shops and on our plates is always a cheering sight, heralding warm weather and the beginning of al fresco eating. We hope.

Head chef Ian Gibbs says: "As with all new season vegetables, the flavours are superb when freshly cut or dug. Asparagus, new potatoes and the first English strawberries are worth waiting for and it is a delight to taste them as the new season starts."

How did the festival at The Coventry Arms start? John explains: "We try to use local, seasonal produce; while the foreign asparagus like the Peruvian, the Californian and Spanish is good stuff, it's not quite the same. Practically everything on our menu is sourced locally and here in Dorset we have got a farm that sells the asparagus just down the road.

"The festival started last year and it was very successful, something a little bit different. We go to Langton Nurseries every day and get the asparagus in the morning.

"It's picked between 10 and 10.30am and when the customers walk in at midday, the asparagus on their plates will be cooked within a couple of hours of being picked."

He adds: "The British asparagus season is a definite highlight in our food calendar, and after the success of last year's festival we couldn't wait to celebrate it all over again. It's great fun thinking of all the ways you can serve asparagus, especially when you combine its delicate flavour with the other fabulous local flavours produced right on our doorstep. As the British asparagus season is so short we wanted people to enjoy it for as long as possible so a week-long event seemed just right."

How long is the season, I wonder? "The season lasts between six and eight weeks," said John. "They like to be watered, but they come on when the frosts have gone. Last year it was early because we had a very hot April, this year is a bit later."

The asparagus at Langton Nurseries is grown in special beds dedicated to the vegetable within a walled Victorian garden.

In total, the nursery has two acres that yield 150lb of asparagus a week.

Caroline Frew and her brother Tony Abbott have owned the nursery for about 15 years. "It's amazing how it grows," says Caroline. "In a day of broad sunshine you can notice a difference during the day.

"When we harvest it, we cut it with a sharp knife like a pocket knife and very close to the ground."

As for how they will be serving the asparagus at The Coventry Arms, the festival menu, which will be changed daily during the week, will include a huge variety' of dishes, says John. "We incorporate asparagus into a lot of our dishes and we sell it in bunches over the bar," he says.

Ian explains: "We have been trying things out for a while. It will be a combination of new dishes and tried and tested dishes.

"Each dish will be prepared fresh on the day. It's so easy to use asparagus."

What are Ian's top tips for cooking asparagus? He advises: "Take a pot of boiling salted water, shave the base of the woody end of the asparagus and literally put the asparagus in for two or three minutes until it's tender. Serve it with melted butter, it's the classic way, or with Hollandaise sauce."

"And drink a glass of champagne with it," adds John. "The other thing that you can do is to deep fry it in tempura butter like the Japanese dish and the other thing we both love is the samphire."

Samphire, which is otherwise known as sea asparagus, is an imaginative addition to the menu. "It is grown on the mudflats and also has a very short season," says Ian. "These festivals give me the chance to play around, and, if we can use some white asparagus as well, we will."

Another food in which the pub specialises is fresh fish from along the coast; it will hold a lobster, oyster and seafood extravaganza later in the year. The combination of seafood and asparagus, John says, is a winning one such as in the pub's iced asparagus, lemon grass and rock oyster soup served with Parmesan straws. He says: "Chilled asparagus soup makes a really good summer meal. It's also great as a garnish with fish."

Before I go, Ian has cooked up a light meal of Langton asparagus with tomato and basil chutney and crisp pancetta. The sweetness of the chutney and the saltiness of the meat both complement the delicate taste of the asparagus.

"I believe we have a food culture in Dorset which equals many well respected food producing regions of France and Italy," says Ian, "and I am as proud to serve our freshly cut Dorset asparagus as a French chef is to serve truffles from Provence."

To book a table at The Coventry Arms during the Dorset Asparagus Festival, call 01258 857 284 or for more information go to www.coventryarms.co.uk

9:21am Monday 5th May 2008

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