Marcus Wareing’s Tales From A Kitchen Garden is back for a second series of weekly episodes on BBC2. It again sees Michelin-starred chef Marcus at his East Sussex home, with some new additions — 10 squealing piglets and flapping geese! So how will they fit in with the sheep and chickens he already keeps there?
Following last year’s first season of Marcus Wareing’s Tales from a Kitchen Garden, in which Marcus attempted to rear animals and grow vegetables for the first time in his 65-acre small holding, this latest 20-part series charts his ambitious plans for growth. Series Two sees Marcus visiting local farmers for advice on expanding his now-flourishing kitchen garden and orchard, hoping to add wasabi and pumpkins to his specialities, plus beekeeping. He’ll also be rustling up some tasty treats to make our mouths water.
"I bought this place to slow down and unwind but it made me discover Mother Nature,’ reveals Marcus who's also judge of BBC1’s MasterChef: The Professionals. "It’s given me a whole new lease of life. I’m busier and more active than I was a year ago, but in a good way as I’ve found a new passion. I’ve gone back to nature. Now I’m cooking over fires, mending fences, growing pumpkins and chasing pigs – it’s mental! ‘There’s so much I want to do,’ smiles Marcus, 53, a Michelin-star restaurant owner, who here, tells us more…
Here's everything you need to know about Marcus Wareing’s Tales from a Kitchen Garden series 2 including more of our interview with him....
Marcus Wareing’s Tales From A Kitchen Garden season 2 release date
Marcus Wareing’s Tales from a Kitchen Garden series 2 runs weekly on BBC2 starting on Monday August 28 at 8pm. Each episode will also become available on BBCiPlayer.
Interview: Marcus on what happens in Marcus Wareing’s Tales From A Kitchen Garden season 2
Your kitchen garden looks glorious in the first episode, Marcus! You’ve clearly been busy over the last year…
Marcus Wareing says: "It’s been a very steep learning curve! The first show involved me being told how to do things from scratch, and in this second series I visit local growers and farmers to dig deeper into becoming better. What makes things grow better? Taste better? For me, it’s all about the plate of food: you can’t be a good cook without great ingredients so I need to up my game!
You tackle tomato growing in the first episode – any tips?
Marcus says: "I visit some wonderful growers called Rosanna and Signe who grow loads of varieties at The Knepp, a market garden in Horsham. The smell when I walked in was incredible; my mum used to pick tomatoes in the summer holidays and the smell took me right back to my childhood. Their tip was to grow as many types as possible and don’t overwater! It just makes them swell. I use some of their tomatoes to make charred gazpacho in the garden with my daughter, Jess.
You also have some noisy new arrivals to help with your duck pond, don’t you?
Marcus says: "I bought some Pekin ducks last year, but they don’t fly and don’t live on the pond, so it’s no wonder they were eaten! I’ve got new chicks that need protecting from foxes, so Farmer Stuart brings me some guard geese – which aren’t as effective as they sound. They look the boss but it’s all fur coat! He also suggests a scarecrow, so I make one…
…and how does that go?!
Marcus says: "I based it on Worzel Gummidge and thought it was pretty good until I entered Framfield’s annual scarecrow contest – and then realised how bad it was!
You had trouble with your bees last series — any developments since then?
Marcus says: "We lost the lot, all the colonies - we think due to crop spraying in local fields. This series I visit The Newt in Somerset for some beekeeping advice and head home to plant lots of pollinating wild flowers, like lavender, to attract them. We have a new Queen bee so I hope to rebuild our bee population.
You were quite fond of the Mangalitza pigs you bought last year – will they be making another appearance?
Marcus says: "I used to talk to them, but mostly shout now as they’re aggressive bug*ars and charge at me for food! You’ll see them and also some new additions as Farmer Stuart and I buy 10 piglets, which we let loose in the woodland – it’s absolute madness! Stuart’s fencing isn’t as good as he thinks, so we lose the lot. I’m like the Pied Piper - walking around, shaking buckets of food, to entice them back!
What’s happening on the growing front?
Marcus says: "I’ve lots of potatoes, carrots, rhubarb, a herb garden and this year I try my hand at pumpkins. Top tip – grow pumpkins if you want to supress weeds in your garden as they’re covered in massive leaves which cover the soil and stop sunlight getting through! I also look into wasabi and visit a hidden farm that grows the shade-loving plant. The place was covered in black tarpaulin – it felt like I’d stumbled across a drugs den!
Any other highlights we should look out for in series 2?
Marcus says: "I’ve got into rewilding and it’s shown me that country life shouldn’t be perfect. I thought the perfect garden involved keeping the wildlife out, so had fences to stop the foxes, badgers and deer coming in, but recently I’ve been taking them down to see what happens. The other morning I woke up to see wild deer nibbling in my garden – it was stunning. Give them a sense of freedom and space and they’ll respect the land. It’s totally changed the way I think – much to the horror of my gardener, Anatoliy, who doesn’t want to lose all we’ve grown!
What’s cooking is series 2? Any sumptuous new recipes?
Marcus says: "Flame grilled beef ribs, salt marsh lamb, sticky pork sandwiches, coal-roasted beetroot and a whole trout and crabs which I catch myself whilst fishing. Everything is cooked on fire. It’s not something I do in my day-to-day job cheffing in London, so I love using fire here. I learn how to cook in the ground, which I’ve seen in South America but never tried. There’s a whole technique to ‘seasoning’ the damp ground - like you season a wok, before putting charcoal in. It’s brilliant. I need to get my boy scout trousers out again!
Country life definitely suits you, Marcus! Are you ever tempted to give up your cheffing life in London and devote yourself to farming and growing?
Marcus says: "No. The day I do that is the day I hang up my chef whites and I’m not ready to give up city life and my work. What I am ready for is continuing this fabulous journey exploring the countryside. I love having one foot in both camps and really hope this series will inspire people to grow something themselves, even if it’s just herbs in a window box. Chuck them in your cooking and the sense of achievement is wonderful!
Is there a trailer for Marcus Wareing’s Tales From A Kitchen Garden season 2?
The BBC has yet to release a trailer for Marcus Wareing’s Tales From A Kitchen Garden season 2. If one arrives we'll definitley post it here.
