Marks & Spencer has received the first harvest of the British asparagus season from a local Herefordshire supplier.

The retailer sourced the asparagus from the Chinn family of Cobrey Farms in Ross-on-Wye and is the first store in the UK to stock a limited-edition selection of the crop.

M&S has worked with Cobrey Farms for 17 years, where the team has been adapting various techniques to adapt in the UK to deliver the first crop within the market.

Each asparagus stem is hand-harvested and hydro-cooled down to guarantee maximum freshness and flavour, according to the business.

Additionally, the team also closely keeps track of soil temperature, taking advantage of the Wye Valley microclimate.

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Harry Wilder, senior agronomist at M&S, said: “Cobrey Farms is a fantastic longstanding partner, and they keep raising the bar.

“Not only do they deliver the best possible quality produce, but it’s fantastic to be working closely with them on innovation and sustainability. If any customers are looking for some asparagus inspiration, we have plenty of recipe ideas on our website.”

The supplier is one of the 200 farms participating in the M&S Farming for the Future initiative to encourage sustainability at a farm level.

The programme is a part of the £7m investment by M&S in its Plan A for Farming strategy business plan, which was announced last year.