In direct contrast, Killingworth Castle's four course Asparagus Feast at £35 a head was an absolute triumph. A showcase for new executive chef Sonya Kidney, we started off the night in the pretty garden, moving inside as the temperatures grew chillier.

Unsure how The Killy could come up with four enormously differing dishes, I was looking forward to the culinary line-up.

And yet the asparagus panna cotta with a parmesan wafer was an absolute gift of a dish, the fragrant, subtle taste of the spring veg and perfect consistency, set off by the salty crisp tuille of a parmesan crisp on top. Absolute heaven.

The rest of the meal passed in a hazy blur of deliciousness - warm asparagus with a crispy egg, shallots and a bearnaise sauce came next, framed with chervil, and cooked just the right side of al dente. Then asparagus with veal, where the veg played a minor part, the roast loin with St George mushrooms taking centre stage, and finally the most intriguing course - chocolate asparagus.

I thought Sonya would just coat them with chocolate and serve, but no, instead she moulded strawberry chocolate into an asparagus cast which tasted like the moreish waxy white mice you buy in newsagents. This was then served with the lightest strawberry mousse ever and little tastes of white chocolate to finish it off. Unbeatable, fun and interesting all rolled into one top-notch evening. You see, good cooking is out there if you know where to look.

Go to www.thekillingworthcastle.com or ring 01993 811401 for further details on future events.