Marco starts his journey to find the best British food he can by exploring the idea of serving fresh game as a main course at the Great British Feast.

He goes lamping for rabbits with a gamekeeper. He says: “When I was a boy everybody ate rabbit. It was delicious. Today people think they’re pretty little things.”

Back in the kitchen Marco shows how to make a stockpot using rabbit and vegetables.

Next, he travels 400 miles to the Scottish Highlands to visit Bill Cassell’s farm, and see for himself the pure Highland cattle which are one of Britain’s oldest native breeds.

Marco meets the herd and then goes to Bill’s kitchen to fry a steak and taste the meat.

Bill is relieved to hear Marco says: “Really good. I can’t remember the last time I had beef as good as this.”

Next he visits a Norfolk pig farm.

“I’m a big fan of pork. Old fashioned taste. One of those things I grew up on. there’s nothing nicer than good cracking. I like fat,” he says.

Farmer John Kenney specialises in old-fashioned British pigs including the British Lop and Middlewhites which are on the endangered list.

At the local butcher he then gets the chance to chop a pig’s carcass in half.

Despite enjoying the beef he feels the pig has the edge - so pork will join rabbit on the shortlist for the feast. Marco then reveals his secret for the perfect crackling and cooks honey roast pork.

Next Marco visits Dorset where he goes fishing. He catches a pollock and a conger eel. He also indulges on fish and chips.

“Every time I go to the seaside I always have fish and chips because I love the romance of it all,” he says.

Marco then returns to the kitchen where he rustles up a fish pie which only takes 15 minutes to cook and he describes it as “aggravation free”.

Marco’s options for the main courses all have a link to his past so he finishes this leg of his journey with a trip to Yorkshire where he grew up.

For his main course taste testing session with the public he wants to provide a starter to sweeten them up and wants to use Yorkshire rhubarb with scallops.

He visits Janet Oldroyd Hulme who is one of only a handful of producers who force their rhubarb to grow, out of season, in darkened sheds.

Having sourced the ingredients it’s decision day at Marco’s Yew Tree Pub – he reveals his three options for the feasts main course to a group of diners.

They will pass judgment on his fare and if he agrees the chosen dish will then form the centrepiece to the feast.

Hell’s Kitchen maitre d’ Nick Munier is running the front of house for the day and the diners are asked to fill in a card with their opinions.

After the diners have been fed it’s down to Nick to deliver their verdicts to Marco.

They choose fish pie as their top choice and Marco agrees.

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Wednesday, 2 July 2008, 9:00PM - 10:00PM