A HEREFORDSHIRE farm is to be featured in a new television advert.

John and Chris Chinn, who operate Cobrey Farm, near Ross-on-Wye, are to star in M&S' latest Farm to Foodhall campaign advert.

The family-owned business has worked with M&S for than 15 years and produce king asparagus, grown exclusively for M&S.

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Farm to Foodhall is fronted by Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge and is the retailer’s biggest ever marketing campaign. It follows Kerridge as he visits the retailer’s Select Farms across the UK to tell the stories behind a range of products.

The campaign, which spans TV, in-store and online advertising as well as social media from today (May 9), will see the father and son share more information on what makes their asparagus so special – from being handpicked at first light, hydrocooling every single stalk down to two degrees Celsius within the hour to lock in flavour and freshness – to delivering to M&S stores in as little as 48 hours.

"We’re thrilled to be taking part in M&S’ Farm to Foodhall campaign," said Chris Chinn.

Ledbury Reporter: Chris Chinn co-runs Cobrey Farm in the Wye ValleyChris Chinn co-runs Cobrey Farm in the Wye Valley (Image: M&S)

"We planted our first asparagus crop at the farm back in 2003 and we take great pride and care in every single stalk we grow. It’s a great opportunity to share more of our story but also encourage more people to eat seasonally – and show off the beautiful Wye Valley we’re lucky to farm in.”

In March, M&S became the first UK supermarket to stock 100 percent British asparagus for customers – sourced from the Chinn Family. The farm’s location creates a microclimate that allows the farm to produce the earliest produce of the season. And by introducing cold-resistant polytunnels, crops are less impacted by the weather.

Harry Wilder, senior agronomist at M&S, said: “Our relentless focus on quality is what sets us apart at M&S – and it’s shared by the farmers we work with.

"As a predominantly own-brand retailer, we benefit from longstanding relationships with our Select Farms, meaning we can work together to find innovative ways to lengthen the season, so we can keep offering our customers fantastic fresh British produce.

"We’re incredibly excited to share the work Cobrey Farm in the Wye Valley is doing to deliver the most sweet and tender King Asparagus – and I’d encourage every customer to give it a try.”