GREENHITHE chef Martin McNair knows food. He has worked at Michelin-starred restaurants, five-star hotels and cooked on tour for The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton.

Now he runs his own catering firm, A Question of Thyme.

Here are his seasonal summer cooking tips:

This seasons favourites, peas and broad beans are great freshly picked and mixed with summer herbs such as mint, chives and chervil and are a base for a risotto primervo. 

Courgette and fennel, chargrilled and dressed with a lemon vinaigrette whilst still warm  and left to marinated for a couple of hours make a vibrant salad for a piece of grilled fish such as mackerel or lemon sole.

Romney salt marsh lamb produced by traditional grazing on the salt marshes of Romney in Kent has its season from now till October.

It is well worth looking out for this amazingly tasty meat.  Especially tasty are the leg steaks; why not try them on the barbecue?

Really this time of year is all about the fruit: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and cherries are ripe for the picking.

How about a summer pudding with clotted cream or a classic cherry pie?

Try this version of a berry Eton mess:  crush meringues, whipped cream with vanilla, chopped berries and, for a decadent finish, a shot of strawberry liqueur or Eau de Vie; gently mix and serve in a glass topped with strawberries and cherries.

It is always worth checking out your local farmers’ markets for the best of seasonal ingredients.

Go to aquestionofthyme.co.uk