The night Janet Street-Porter ate horse meat

Ms Street-Porter, who cooked the meat and tasted it, was also seen at Cheltenham during Gold Cup week offering passers-by samples and asking for their opinions about such a dish.

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She later engaged in a studio exchange with the chef, who remarked that horse meat tastes "quite gamey" and is packed with protein.

The program received a swift backlash from animal activists: demonstrators dressed as horses from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Europe dumped a tonne of horse manure on the pavement outside Ramsay at Claridge's in central London.

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Anita Singh, of PETA Europe, accused the chef of mounting a ratings-grabbing stunt.

She said: "Ramsay has really landed himself in deep dung with his latest ratings gimmick.

"Will it be a family dog next? Chickens, pigs, cows and horses all suffer fear and discomfort when they are robbed of their lives for nothing more than a fleeting taste or a TV rating."

A statement issued on behalf of The F-Word said: "As part of the current series of Gordon Ramsay's F-Word, Channel 4's food magazine show, Janet Street-Porter features in a regular topical strand in which she presents her views on diverse food-related issues.

"Within this weekly feature on May 15 she will be exploring the viability of sourcing an alternative red meat food source - horse meat - and its relative nutritional merits compared with meat more traditionally favoured by consumers in the UK.

"Although perfectly legal to eat horse meat in Britain, the usual method of obtaining good quality product is to order from abroad.

"While the item includes a visit to rural France where sales of horse meat are rising, it does not extend to a discussion on animals being transported beyond their country of origin.

"Neither does it seek to suggest anything other than the paramount importance of the ethical welfare of any animals bred for consumption."