Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Marcus Wareing embraces a slower pace of life down at his Sussex smallholding. Setting out to expand the range of produce and bring in new livestock, his first additions are some new pigs, but he needs to choose animals that will provide him with the best possible meat.

He heads to North Yorkshire to meet the rare Mangalitza pigs, who are famed for their deep flavour and fun personalities. But he also takes on the challenges of day-to-day life on the smallholding – preserving some rhubarb and sharing it with the locals at a smallholder get-together, harvesting his apples and extracting their delicious juice, and cooking up a feast inspired by a firm family favourite from his childhood.

To get some insider tips on veg growing, Marcus heads to one of his old stomping grounds, Gravetye Manor. He explores their grand kitchen garden, before returning to his smallholding to help local farmer Stuart with the hay bailing.

As he takes on the day-to-day challenges of farming life, gardener Anatoli shows him how to plait his garlic, before Marcus heads to a local artisan to get some of it smoked. This delicious addition, combined with his new crop of summer veg, forms the basis for a stunning feast that is a celebration of all things summer.