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What is more appealing than a bowl of juicy cherries on a summer's day or a cherry tart still warm from the oven, served with a generous dollop of ice cream or whipped cream?

Saturday 17 July marks British Cherry Day - a time to celebrate the delicious little fruit and buy a punnet of British cherries.

Launched in 2008, the day is held to make more people to find out about CherryAid. The campaign aims to save the British cherry, which is in serious decline.

90% of Britain's cherry orchards have been lost in the past fifty years and we import around 95% of the cherries we eat from abroad.

So why not have a go at making these sinfully good chocolate-dipped cherries with a bowl of fruit from your local farmers' market?

Easy chocolate-covered cherries

Calculate how many ripe cherries you'll need for each person - aim for around ten each if you're serving them after a meal. Wash them well, leaving the stems on, and dry well with a paper towel.

You can leave the stones in (make sure to warn your guests!) or slit one side with a sharp knife and gently push out the stone. Melt the chocolate of your choice in a bain-marie (a bowl placed over some hot water).

Gently dip the cherries into the chocolate until they are completely covered. Push one end of a toothpick into the cherry and push the other end into a halved grapefruit. Place in the fridge and allow to harden. Repeat the process if you'd like a thicker layer of chocolate on each cherry.