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SPRING

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2024

Hogwash THE SEASONAL DISPATCH

BEST BUDS

Our homegrown vineyard Proper fish pie Why we all need more seaweed (and spa treats)

+ hotel guide + news + outings + recipes HOGWASH \ SPRING

PIGGY BITS

FOR AG ER’S PICKS... All our hotel kitchens love to make the most of wild, seasonal produce. Over the years, we’ve built relationships with a network of brilliant foragers, who bring us the best goodies hiding on our doorstep. These picks are from Giuseppe, our master forager at THE PIG-on the beach.

We’re retreating Need a breather? If there’s anyone who wouldn’t benefit from the self-care of some good food, gentle exercise and time in nature – possibly with a few cocktails and spa treatments thrown in – we haven’t met them yet. THE PIG-at Harlyn Bay is delighted to be offering limited places for its Ground & Grow retreat weekends, in collaboration with our friends at Cabilla Cornwall. As well as enjoying the hospitality and food of THE PIGat Harlyn Bay, guests will be welcomed to Cabilla Cornwall’s unique retreat destination for activities including a meditation and yoga class (with a soundtrack of live classical music), a guided tour of the extraordinary temperate rainforest on the grounds and a chance to plant a tree yourself. You’re also invited to go wild swimming at Harlyn Bay and OUR warm up in the sea sauna. NEW PIGS After-dinner speakers, More PIGs are coming soon. We an evening cocktail are so excited about them – and will be and Potting Shed working hard to create places that we know you’ll love. Look out for more news spa treatments help soon about… to complete the offering. Sounds like THE PIG–on the farm, Stratford-upon-Avon, opening at the end of 2024 the perfect way to stay THE PIG–at Groombridge, grounded. Tunbridge Wells, opening in The next retreats take place summer 2025 19-21 January and 8-11 March; thepighotel.com

JANUARY Douglas fir has an orangey smell and is great to infuse with gin, add into ice cream or serve with game – a port and Douglas fir sauce goes well with venison. Sea spinach can be either stir-fried or wilted to go with fish. It’s also excellent on breakfast toast, with smoked salmon and poached eggs. Alexanders are plants that taste good simply boiled, served with a knob of butter.

FEBRUARY Wild chives are useful for infusing oil or chopped as a garnish. Three-cornered garlic works with fish, meat or vegetables. Its vibrant green colour makes it pretty to use with butter for garlic bread. Wild violet has an amazing aroma. Make a syrup and use in desserts such as panna cotta or as a garnish for cocktails and ice cream.

MARCH Gorse flowers have a delicate, coconutlike smell and can be used to make liquor or syrup. Wild garlic can be used in the same way as three-cornered garlic or to colour pasta dough. You can also blanch the wild garlic flower buds for a minute and serve them with a drizzle of olive oil. Rock samphire has an aniseed flavour; pickle it to serve with fish.

LOCAL GUIDE: TURN TO THE CENTRE PAGES FOR EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO ENJOY YOUR STAY. ALL YOUR ESSENTIAL

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artichokes, Jerusalem

☞ How it all started

artichokes

Here at the PIGs, we love sourcing delicious things that aren’t easy to get your hands on elsewhere. So, when our friend Ben Smith, a talented winemaker, told us of some unclaimed pinot noir on a nearabandoned Sussex vineyard in 2022, we were intrigued.

WE'RE WE AND WE'RE PLANTING… Leeks, spring onions, cabbages, tomatoes, aubergines, peppers and even more winter

☞ Roll out the barrels

salads!

Under Ben’s supervision, the wine was aged in Burgundy oak barrels to enhance its texture and complexity. Regular tasting by Ben and the PIGs’ wine team helped determine the perfect time for bottling and release.

Notes from the Kitchen Garden Our Kitchen Garden supremo Ollie shares a spring update harvest between November and February. These produce masses of small tubers with a crunchy texture and a nuttiness not dissimilar to water chestnuts – it’s crucial to put a few aside for replanting in March. March is also when we turn to our rhubarb and sea kale crowns, which require “forcing” later in the month and into April. This cultivation process includes time spent growing in total darkness, which produces pale, tender shoots that are sweeter than those grown in summer. Sea kale grows on many shingle beaches in the UK and has long been enjoyed by foragers. An absolute delicacy to those in the know, it is now in demand from top chefs all over the country – including ours. Our gardening teams are always happy to show you what’s new, so if you’re at a PIG, come and see what we’re up to. Meet you by the veg beds!

patches, peek into the polytunnels and even say hello to our four-legged friends. There’s always plenty to see and we’ll be venturing out rain or shine, so pull on your boots and join us. thepighotel.com/events/walled-garden-wanderings

☞ Ready to drink The team describe the ﬁnished result, a wine we’ve called Abandoned Pinot Noir, as having “an elegant and pure nose – it’s a basket of ripe, wild berries underlaid by a savoury and subtly earthy backdrop”.

☞ Try it yourself The hand-numbered bottles are being sold exclusively across the PIGs at £75. There are just 250 available – and once they’re gone, they’re gone. But watch out for more “abandoned” wine, from our vineyard at THE PIG-at Groombridge later this year.

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Enjoy a free guided tour of our Kitchen Gardens at THE PIG-at Combe, THE PIGnear Bath and THE PIG-at Harlyn Bay, every last Friday of the month at 11am. Our kitchen gardeners will help you explore the veg

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The story behind our limited edition Abandoned Pinot Noir

colder months, Chinese

Join us in our Kitchen Gardens

ONE OF A KIND WINE

gap”kales, such as Red Russian, that grow in

It’s an exciting time in the Kitchen Gardens and beyond, as we prepare for the 2024 growing season. Our central nursery in the New Forest, where we do all of our propagation, is in full swing. We completed the first sowing in late December, and more trays of seedlings are being sown every week. Towards the end of January and into February, we’ll sow over 2,000 tomato, pepper and aubergine plants to grow in our greenhouses and polytunnels over the summer. In the Kitchen Gardens, we’ll continue to harvest our winter salads, leeks and brassicas daily, until the last produce in April. As each of these beds finish, we’ll start to plant our seedlings, ready for some early harvests to bridge the “hungry gap”: the period when winter crops have ended, but the new season’s plantings aren’t yet ready. Our crops in the colder months include Chinese artichokes (aka crosne), which we

RIGHT NOW, WE RE HARVESTING… WE' WE'RE Winter salads,“hungry-

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HOTEL INFORMATION, ROOM GUIDE, POTTING SHED TREATMENT MENU, THE BEST OUTINGS, LOCAL HEROES AND THINGS TO DO.

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subtlety and finesse. When you use smaller barrels, the imprint of the barrel can be much more noticeable.” Named after the vineyard’s previous occupants (and hence why the soil is so well fertilised), Alpaca Block (2023) will be a still rosé combining pinot noir, pinot meunier and gamay grapes from the vines at THE PIG-in the South Downs with seyval blanc from the vineyard at Groombridge Place, our next PIG opening. “Gamay, the main variety of the Beaujolais region, is extremely rare in the UK,” says Dermot. “It’s a really ambitious and adventurous move from Robin, but I think it could make some exceptional wine should we get a particularly warm summer. Meanwhile, the vines at Groombridge were planted in 1989, and they look very, very good.” That British winemaking is in such rude health really is bittersweet. “Yes, we have talent, expertise and investment, but,” Dermot believes, “we are where we are also on account of climate change. Thirty years ago, we simply couldn’t make the wines we’re making today and in 10 years, we’ll be able to grow even more varieties. Grape vines are an incredibly precise barometer for temperature increases,” he cautions. “Their ripeness level is made visceral by heat.” As much as we might appreciate more balmy grape-growing conditions in the UK in general, human-induced climate change definitely isn’t a price that any of us can afford to pay for them. In that sense, it would be for the best if we are now at the limits of where English vineyard temperatures will climb to. But there are also some more straightforwardly positive ways in which the forecast for UK winemakers looks bright. With English-made wines, including those of Sugrue South Downs, consistently winning internationally recognised prizes at the highest levels, the stigma of wine from this part of the world – once regarded as such an oddity – seems to have been shaken off for good. As for how our Alpaca Block will be received? According to the expert, all the elements for success seem to be in place. All we can do now is wait. If you are visiting THE PIG-in the South Downs, ask the team for a roam around the vineyard. And keep an eye on our wine lists – you can expect to see the first bottles of Alpaca Block appearing on there later this year!

“We’ve got the most magnificent winemaking conditions here”

HARVEST TIME AT THE PIG’S SOUTH DOWNS VINEYARD

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FOR AS LONG AS WE CAN REMEMBER, it’s been the dream of our founder, Robin, to make his own wine. Granted, we’ve collaborated with various local winemakers, and that has certainly scratched an itch, but it doesn’t compare to making wine from your own grapes, grown in your own vineyard on your own parcel of land. That is wine you can really call your own. “Robin’s passion for English wine really manifested when he acquired THE PIG-in the South Downs,” says English-winemaking royalty Dermot Sugrue, founder of the much-awarded Sugrue South Downs. “Over the past 20 years, we’ve proven that you can produce exceptional wines with that chalky South Downs terroir. It seemed absolutely appropriate for him to plant a vineyard there.” In early 2020, we did just that and, as predicted, four summers later we harvested a bumper crop of grapes. Our first vintage (2023) is maturing as we speak, and it couldn’t be in safer hands. Dermot has agreed to be our chief vintner, and having recently moved his operations to the beautiful Bee Tree Vineyard, 30 miles from THE PIG-in the South Downs, the Irishman sounds like a winemaker reborn. “It’s the first winery that Ana (Dermot’s wife and fellow winemaker) and I have actually owned, and it’s here that we’ll make wine for the PIG,” he says, barely containing his excitement, midway through the harvest. “It’s just the most ideal location – all you can hear is birdsong, the views are impeccable and we’re protected on all sides by ancient woodland. We’ve got the most magnificent winemaking conditions.” Anyone particularly well acquainted with our wine list may recognise the name Bee Tree. Dermot has already created a couple of wines for us – THE PIG Reserve (2019) and Lobster Shed Pink (2018) – using grapes from that very vineyard, and there’s good reason why the wine tastes so unique. “We’re making wine using 600-litre oak barrels called demi-muids, typically used in the Rhône Valley,” explains Dermot, who honed his craft in Bordeaux before spending 16 years with Wiston Estate. “They’re incredibly difficult to source, but perfect for producing delicate sparkling wines.” “Given the barrels’ size, the contact with the oak is very light,” he adds. “That suits the style of wine that we’re making, which is all about

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THE CON VERSA TION

“Massage and f o t r a p e r a k r o w body Indian culture” Our Potting Shed treatment rooms are all about holistic wellbeing – an approach we share with our friends at spa brand VOYA OUR LEGENDARY Spa Operations Manager, Harpreet Ghatora, shapes the wellbeing offering at our PIGs. Here, she chats about her holistic approach with Lucy Pike Bowyer, UK Sales Manager at VOYA. A family-run business, VOYA harnesses the natural benefits of organic seaweed harvested off the Irish coast to create scrubs, body wraps and spa treatment products that we are proud to offer in our Potting Shed treatment huts and wagons. LUCY The partnership between VOYA and the PIGs feels to me like two businesses coming together with a shared vision. Both companies were created by families striving to make something exceptional, and both have the same values – sustainability and local sourcing – but also a belief in the power and beauty of nature and its surroundings. HARPREET Our treatment spaces are surrounded by beautiful countryside, medicinal herbs and animals in their natural environments, and in my experience that definitely makes a difference to wellbeing. The PIGs also have the cosiest treatment rooms, made with reclaimed wood – an environment that also supports me as a therapist. To deliver the best treatments, therapists want to feel grounded and balanced. And speaking of treatments, let’s talk about seaweed …

LPB Always a good idea. HG One of the reasons we use VOYA products is the power of seaweed for wellbeing. LPB VOYA has grown from the Irish wellness tradition of seaweed bathing, which dates back hundreds of years. The benefits of seaweed are phenomenal. From Laminaria digitata seaweed, we can stimulate the production of type 1 collagen within our skin, for example. Then there’s the phenomenal antioxidant power of seaweed to help fight free-radical damage. Historically, it’s been used to help skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and acne, but also to address physical and mental fatigue, because seaweed can help to stimulate the lymphatic and circulation systems. HG I grew up in a household that believed in treating and healing the body, mind and spirit holistically. Massage and bodywork are very much part of Indian culture. When I was younger, people would often come to the house to ask my father or mother to help treat their ailments, whether physical, mental or spiritual. As a child, I remember being fascinated by that. LPB It sounds like that was formative for your approach to wellness today. How would you define a holistic approach to health?

“The benefits of seaweed are phenomenal” LUCY

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HARPREET HG Holistic health is nothing more than the concept that the body, mind and spirit should be considered as a complete organism – the health or sickness of each individual part affects the whole. So, instead of using medicine to target specific areas or functions of the body, holistic medicine aims to improve the health of the entire system. LPB Since the Covid-19 pandemic, at VOYA we’ve noticed more clients coming to us with the sense of our spa and wellbeing treatments being something they are doing for their mental as well as physical wellbeing. The first product we launched, back in 2006, was our Lazy Days seaweed bath, and that’s one that people can use at home. But in the postpandemic period, we’re seeing a lot of people who want to return to in-person treatments. HG When it comes to in-person treatments, the power of touch and connection is the single most important aspect. My approach is to treat your guest and their body with love, respect and care. If, as therapists, we can maintain a sense of curiosity about the body, this helps shape massage technique and ensures every treatment is bespoke to each guest. LPG We love that the PIGs take an individual approach to every guest. Our drive at VOYA is to continue to help create those amazing experiences. That’s what we think about when we look forwards, and we do that by building on hundreds of years of proven traditional wellness treatments. So it’s also about honouring the past. HG Absolutely. The power of touch and connection with other human beings can convey comfort, empathy and compassion. At the PIGs we are all about being homegrown, authentic and real. Try VOYA products whenever you book a treatment at one of our PIGs – you’ll find the treatment menu inside this issue of Hogwash. If you’re a guest at THE PIG-in the wall, your nearest Potting Shed treatment rooms will be at THE PIG, Brockenhurst

INFO & GOINGS ON ~ ESSENTIAL INFO & HOTEL GUIDE ~ POTTING SHED TREATMENT MENU ~ SOMERSET CALLING: THINGS TO SEE AND DO ~ THE INSIDE STORY ON OUR FIRST DECADE

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NOWHERE ELSE MARRIES MELLOW ENGLISH countryside and buzzing creative energy quite like Somerset, where a dairy farmer invented the world’s most famous music festival and cutting-edge galleries sit amid dreamy meadows. The local cheese isn’t bad either. THE PIG’s suitably laid-back and impossibly romantic home here is Hunstrete House. This Grade II listed building dating from 1820 was once part of an estate belonging to the Abbey of Glastonbury, and known as The Lodge. Built in creamy Bath stone and set in 30 acres of deer park, we find it more than comfortable. Look out from our gardens, though, and you’ll see the ruined arches of a mansion that its owner in the 1800s had hoped – but ultimately failed – to add here. The origin of the name Huntstrete is unclear, but might derive from the Old English hund (hound) and street. Certainly, the area has been inhabited since the earliest times, as confirmed by a flint axe head found locally in Common Wood. At the start of the 17th century, the house was acquired by the family of Sir John Popham, whose descendants owned it until 1977 when it was sold to John and Thea Dupays, who converted it into a hotel. We’re proud to say that today our most extensive Kitchen Garden is here at our Somerset PIG. Its features, including the original greenhouses, were lovingly renovated by our team – ensuring the design laid out by gardeners past was not lost. The Kitchen Garden has also grown with demand for its wonderful produce, and is now double the size it was when we opened in 2014. Our historic property is definitely enjoying a whole new chapter.

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Potting Shed Treatment Menu All treatments are 60 minutes and £115 ANTI-AGEING RESTORATIVE FACIAL A treatment that is suitable for all skin types. For those in search of anti-ageing results, this restorative facial uses VOYA’s finest organic ingredients combined with antioxidant algae complexes and a restorative blend of aromatherapy oils. It is this mix of seaweed and botanical ingredients that helps to stimulate collagen production and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, resulting in instantly firmed and tightened skin with a natural and more radiant glow. RESURFACING RADIANCE FACIAL This highly effective resurfacing facial targets congested, lacklustre and dull skin. Using a combination of seaweed extract and naturally derived glycolic and lactic acids blended with pineapple fruit enzymes, this facial will give your skin back its natural radiant glow.

Wander into the walled Kitchen Garden... ... through the raised beds, out past our greenhouse and fruit cages, and into our warm rustic retreats: the two Potting Shed treatment rooms, quiet and calm and designed to help you escape it all. Take inspiration from the garden surroundings and experience deeply relaxing full body and facial treatments using products by VOYA, made only with natural and organic ingredients and accredited to the highest standards by the Soil Association. VOYA is an Irish family-run business that shares our ethos of authenticity and wellbeing. The brand’s seaweed-based products and results-driven treatments use top-quality botanicals and aromatherapy oils, and are all created using sustainable processes.

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Our therapists have been professionally trained to offer safe and effective spa treatments for those with cancer. Just ask at Reception to speak to one of the Potting Shed team if you would like to know more.

Old tobacco tins, gardening tools, balls of twine … Unlikely as it may seem, the decor of our Potting Shed treatment rooms was inspired by Beatrix Potter’s grumpy gardener, Mr McGregor. “I ﬁll the shelves inside the sheds with the sort of things I’d imagine Mr McGregor would have,” says Judy Hutson, THE PIG’s interior designer. “Oil lamps, vintage bottles, old mugs, garden tools – and, of course, no shed would be complete without a few potted plants. And the massage table is dressed with a big picnic rug.”

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UPPER BODY UNWIND A tailored and luxurious treatment that starts with a warm exfoliation of the back, followed by a soothing back, arm and hand massage. The treatment finishes with a facial oil specific to your skin. We use blended oils to feed your skin, leaving you completely relaxed and nourished. MUM TO BE This massage treatment is tailored to suit the specific needs of a mum to be, and provides a peaceful and uplifting experience for mother and bump, which also helps to relieve fatigue and aches at the same time. Suitable for those in their second and third trimester of pregnancy. HOT STONE MASSAGE A deeply indulgent body massage, using aromatherapy oils and volcanic stones, which help to simply melt away any tension you may be holding on to. The treatment helps to ease stress and improve blood circulation at the same time. It is said that one stone movement is equivalent to ten hand movements. BESPOKE MASSAGE We tailor this massage to make it truly unique and personal to you. Using blended natural oils, the treatment can help relieve any aches and pains, and totally relax the body and mind.

Ten out of ten We’re celebrating a decade of THE PIGnear Bath! So far, we’ve hosted family parties, visiting rock stars and more – and the good times are still rolling

TIME TO GET OUT THE BUNTING – THE PIG-near Bath is 10 years old this year, so alongside raising the odd glass or two, we’ve been doing some reminiscing and hearing tales from the people who know it best. Tom Ross, now CEO of the whole PIG group, kicked off his PIG career here in Hunstrete, albeit after an ignominious start. “I’d just moved back to Bath with my family and no job,” he says. “I asked Robin (the PIGs’ founder) to look over a business plan I’d drawn up, which he declined to invest in! But two weeks later, he called me to say that he couldn’t tell me at the time, but he’d just completed on the purchase of Hunstrete and asked if I’d like to join the PIG team as hotel director. It was serendipitous.” For Tom, the opening team was particularly special: “We had such a brilliant mix of PIG people and new people, many of whom are still in the business.” But the loveliness of the building and surrounding deer park played their part. “The house has a wonderful mellow feel. It’s a special building, for sure, but with no pretence about it,” he says. One of Tom’s partners in crime in that intense run-up to the March opening was Sarah Holden, the hotel’s first Restaurant Manager. She went on to become Hotel Director for seven years, before taking on a new role last year, nurturing talent and career development across all of the PIGs. “My first memories involve lots of mud, rain and Portakabins!” she recalls. “But the Old Dining Room will always hold a place in my heart. It’s where we used to sit and work with scarves and coats on – it was so cold! A fortnight in, Robin threw a hard-hat party for the neighbours – wheelbarrows of prosecco, hard hats and a firstglimpse tour. I knew then we were on to something magic.” Built in the 18th century in creamy Bath stone, Hunstrete House was originally the lodge of a much larger, grander estate, but had been a hotel for several decades by the time it came up for sale, one of about 20 being sold by a hotel group. But, as Robin remembers, “The only one I really wanted was Hunstrete.” Sarah recalls: “He and Judy always stressed that we were just the building’s custodians – we were to treat it and take care of it as if it was our own home.” Opening week was a blur, kicking off with a big party for the locals, with the first guests arriving as the last touches were put in place. For both Tom and Sarah, many of the most memorable times have

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“To have a tangible connection to an old house ~ is a beautiful thing”

Judy’s design notes The PIG-near Bath was our second hotel, and Judy Hutson enjoyed spreading her design magic over the place

been hosting their guests’ big moments, such as weddings or special birthdays. “Whole-hotel private parties are so joyous,” says Sarah. “There’s no formula and we don’t do it often, so you really remember every single one.” And then, of course, there’s Glastonbury. The hotel has a special connection with the festival, having hosted many of its stars and their management teams over the years. As Sarah explains, “Robin loves music and goes to the festival himself. I think he always had it in the back of his mind to have a link. It’s one of the hardest but best weekends for the team to work. I am talking 24 hours for five days running, but the adrenaline is brilliant.” Tom agrees: “We run a nonstop Land Rover shuttle service for anyone staying. At any time of the day or night, they can call for a lift – which can be interesting!” One standout Glasto moment came in 2015, when Florence Welch was given late notice that she was headlining. She was spotted in the garden in the very early morning with her headphones on, singing out loud, practising her set. So what is so special about this PIG? Sarah thinks it’s “the people in Somerset who give it its vibe. They want authenticity, and I think when they saw that we genuinely wanted to be part of their community and contribute to it, they gave us their full support.” For Tom, the really distinctive thing is the deer park. “I can tell what time of year it is just by looking at the deer: their coats; the way they behave; their antlers,” he says. “There is still something magical about the first couple of weeks of June, when all the fawns are born within days of each other, or the brutality of the big boys during the rut in autumn, when they all go at each other.” Asked about their favourite room, neither hesitates – room 18. “Our dear friend Bea Salter, who lives down the hill with her husband, Richard, in Hunstrete Cottage, was born in that room,” explains Tom. “And to have a tangible connection to an old house is a beautiful thing. We still get figs from Bea’s garden, which you can see on the menu at the right time of year.” Sarah agrees: “They have told us some amazing stories about the house that we can now pass on.” Tom takes particular pride in all the staff who have progressed up the ranks to new roles within the PIG group, and the couples who met working here and have gone on to have children together. Sarah, who stayed with her own family in the hotel during the Covid-19 pandemic to caretake it, was especially glad to see it returned to its rightful convivial state. “It’s a building that’s meant to be filled with sounds of laughter, camaraderie, happiness and corks popping,” she says. There will be plenty of that this year. Be part of our next chapter, whenever you stay or dine with us at thepighotel.com/near-bath

“When we took over Hunstrete House, we felt the building had been laid out in a slightly back-to-front way, and we swapped things around so that the restaurant overlooked the Deer Park. This gave us our ﬁrst clues for the approach to the interiors - it was all about bringing the outside in.”

~ “Overall, this was a simpler style, relying on a muted and mellow pale-green palette with lots of natural textures, cosied up with splashes of colour and, of course, plenty of roaring ﬁres.” ~ “The Garden Rooms brought a much more rustic feel, including converting an old apple store and a swimming pool pavilion into two of our most soughtafter bedrooms.”

IF YOU ONLY HAVE ... ☞ 3 minutes

Wander out to the Kitchen Garden and see if you can spot the old cider press.

☞ 30 minutes

Put your feet up in one of our bar and lounge areas and read one of our PIG books while enjoying a slice of homemade cake.

☞ 3 hours

Visit the tiny nearby city of Wells and check out the impressive cathedral. Make sure to take a stroll down the adjoining Vicars’ Close, which is thought to be the only complete medieval street in England. Wells Market is on every Wednesday and Saturday, 9am–3pm, and well worth a visit.

GET EXPLORING... From the loveliest bike rides to the best local pubs, we love to share our local intel. See our curated list online and ask at Reception for our map of local walks.

~ “Recently, I’ve introduced more colour and vibrancy into the bedrooms with the use of contemporary gardenand ﬂoral-design wallpapers with matching paint. We’re constantly evolving the look as I’m inspired by new fabrics, colours and patterns. The spirit of the place stays the same, but there’s a subtle change of direction that people seem to really like.”

QR codes you’ll want to scan Go straight to Things to Do on our website

OUR PIG TEAM GET INTO THE SPIRIT OF THINGS AT THE ANNUAL WAITERS RACE IN LONDON’S HYDE PARK IN 2014

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Download one of our favourite walking routes

F RI E NDS OF T H E PIG

NATASHA’S APPLE WORKS ADORN THE NEW WAGONS AT THE PIG-AT COMBE (ABOVE LEFT ). GATHERING SUBJECT MATTER IN THE KITCHEN GARDEN (ABOVE)

Freshly drawn Artist Natasha Clutterbuck, whose work you can see at some of our PIGs, captures the charm of organic produce

“SOMETIMES I FIND IT rather hard to eat the veg or fruit I’ve been drawing, because it’s like I have a relationship with them by then,” says artist Natasha Clutterbuck, speaking from the family home she shares with her husband (Colin, a twice-crowned “national champion hedgelayer”) and their two young daughters in the village of Stanton Drew, Somerset. “I’ve been sketching a lot of Crown Prince squash recently and I just found them too beautiful to eat. But actually, you do feel good when they make it to the pot,” she says. “What I draw definitely ends up affecting what we grow and cook.” Few know more about the pros and cons of having vegetables as your muse than Natasha, who has found her niche with drawings that capture seasonal, organic produce in all its vivid glory. Typically, she sketches rapidly in charcoal, on paper that she has stained with tannin-rich local oak bark. Then she’ll add colour to her subjects with natural pigments, including paints made from red ochre from the Mendip Hills that she grinds herself. For mud, Natasha has stopped using brown paint in favour of actual mud. “It’s usually right there on the vegetable anyway, and there’s something magical about just using the real stuff,” she says. Natasha’s home studio includes a veranda to allow her to sketch from her garden. “Sometimes I am drawing naturalistically, showing what’s growing here. But I will also arrange still-life compositions in my studio, which can feel more theatrical and can tell a story, such as by grouping companion species together.” As for how her veg fixation started? In 2010, Natasha, then a ceramicist and a new mother, was struggling to find enough time for

her art. “I had this urge to reconnect with my creativity, so I offered to teach a drawing workshop in my village one day,” she says. “And when the new owners of the local pub happened to see the sketch I had made, of a bowl of squash, they invited me to create some artworks for their walls.” Natasha took on the commission, and has been taking on commissions ever since. “I got really into the subject matter,” she says, in something of an understatement. “Because that natural vibrancy of local, seasonal veg really translates into the drawings.” Her various large-scale works include a pumpkin-themed mural for the headquarters of Yeo Valley Organic, where she is also the artist in residence, leading workshops in the organic garden. Her current work in progress is a pastoral mural design for the new Dyson Cancer Centre in Bath, which will feature pollinating insects. The PIGs have also been supporters; Natasha’s drawings feature in some rooms at THE PIG-near Bath and in the new wagon accommodation at THE PIG-at Combe. For these, she was invited by Judy Hutson, who masterminds all our PIG interiors, to create a series of new drawings. “They are works that show apples growing on the branch, capturing the qualities of different varieties such as ‘Golden Hornet’, ‘Red Sentinel’ and Bramley,” explains Natasha. “To see my works in the PIGs’ beautiful environments always means a lot. It feels like such a natural fit.” In her own way, Natasha is just another one of our trusted food suppliers. See Natasha’s work at THE PIG-at Combe, THE PIG-near Bath and at natashaclutterbuck.co.uk

Portraits: Nanette Hepburn

“That natural vibrancy of local, seasonal veg really translates into the drawings”

HOGWASH \ SPRING

COCKT

TAIL

•

S • COC

F O OD & DR INK

Proper fish pie Fish pie is a comfort-food dish that never disappoints, and is often on our menus at this time of year, when the Kitchen Gardens aren’t yet in full swing. Everyone has their own version, but we reckon ours stands up pretty well. The sauce has a bit of a kick and the topping has a good crunch. Use whatever fish looks freshest – and tastiest – that day.

ILS •

Non-alcoholic cocktail

Pentire Adrift Garden Gimlet

Serves 4

For the topping

• 50ml Pentire Adrift non-alcoholic spirit

• 500ml ﬁsh stock

• 25ml fresh lime juice

• 100ml white wine

(we use Maris Piper), peeled,

• 1 teaspoon maple syrup or wildflower/local raw honey

• 500g seasonal fresh ﬁsh

boiled until soft, and mashed

• 3 bay leaves

Chill your chosen glass in the freezer. Add the Pentire Adrift, lime juice, maple syrup and two cracked bay leaves to a mixing glass along with a few large ice cubes and stir for 10 seconds. Strain into the chilled glass and garnish with a fresh bay leaf.

• 4 large ﬂoury potatoes

ﬁllets, skinless, cut into

• 50g butter

3cm cubes

• salt and pepper

• 2 tablespoons parsley leaves, chopped

For the sauce

• 1 tablespoon milk • 15g fresh white breadcrumbs • 10g Parmesan cheese, grated

• 50g butter • 50g ﬂour

Our friends at Pentire are offering Hogwash readers 20% off online purchases. Visit pentiredrinks.com with the code 20PIG (until 30 April 2024, one use per customer, terms and conditions apply).

• 180ml double cream • 2 teaspoons English mustard • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce • 1 teaspoon anchovy essence • salt and pepper

What to drink with our proper fish pie… Our PIG Heads of Wine – Luke, Ed and Greg – recommend these wines as a perfect match for this delish fish pie.

Chapel Down Kit’s Coty Chardonnay 2020 From one of the UK’s most well-known producers, this chardonnay is made from the best parcels of grapes grown in the Kit’s Coty Vineyard on the Kentish North Downs. This wine shows citrus and stone-fruit aromas, with crisp acidity to complement any fish dish. The nine-month ageing in oak barrels provides the rich, creamy and complex palate to stand up to the heartiness of the fish pie, and will strike a chord with this dish.

Wednesday’s Domaine Piquant Our non-alcoholic choice, Wednesday’s Domaine Piquant, is a de-alcoholised white wine made from the airén grape from La Mancha, Spain. When pairing with food, it acts like any other crisp, fresh white, so on those days when you’re being well-behaved, you don’t have to miss out on having a glass of something delicious alongside your meal. It has characters of citrus peel, delicate herbal tones and refreshing acidity to complement and cut through the creaminess of the sauce. 12

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In a large pan, bring the fish stock and white wine to a simmer before placing the fish in the pan to poach gently in the liquid for 2 minutes. Drain the fish in a colander over a bowl, as you need to collect the cooking liquid for the sauce. Leave the fish to cool. To make the sauce, melt the butter in a thick-bottomed pan over a low heat, then stir in the flour. Gradually add the drained stock and wine mixture, stirring well until it has all been added. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Add the double cream and continue to simmer for 10 minutes or so, until the sauce has a thick consistency that coats the back of a wooden spoon. Stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and anchovy essence, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, if necessary. Leave to cool for about 15 minutes. Gently fold the cooked fish and chopped parsley into the sauce – you want the fish to remain in large chunks, if possible. Spoon into four individual pie dishes or one large one, leaving around 3cm at the top of the dish. Leave to set for about 30 minutes, so that the mash doesn’t sink when piped on top. Preheat the oven to 180°C, 160°C fan (350°F), Gas Mark 4. Mix the butter into the mashed potato, season with a little salt and pepper, and add the milk so that the mixture is soft enough to pipe. Using a piping bag, pipe the potato over the pie(s) or, for a more rustic variation, just dollop it all on top. Both can be very satisfying. Bake for 30 minutes, then scatter on the breadcrumbs and Parmesan, and bake for a further 15 minutes, until golden.

E THO S

IT’S A

PIG

THING TO BE THE FUTURE OF

CA RING A N D CON SIDER E D HOSPITALITY AT HEART, THE PIGs are restaurants with rooms where everything starts with the Kitchen Garden. Our gardeners and chefs work hand in hand to create menus brimful of the freshest seasonal flavours. What we can’t grow ourselves, we source from our local heroes – the best farmers, fishermen and foragers we know, who are the foundation of our 25 mile menu. We are obsessive recyclers and restorers: from vintage fabrics and china to DIY on-site smokeries and upcycled chicken sheds, we love anything homemade and ultra-local. Each of our eight PIGs is totally different – we always go with the grain of the place, taking our lead from the spirit of the building to create somewhere that feels lived-in and well loved. The bedrooms are pretty comfy, too! Rooted in some of the most stunning parts of the English countryside, the places that we are lucky enough to call home are pretty special – with endless things to do and see, tight-knit communities and loads of talent all around. It’s important to us to play a positive role, whether it’s providing employment, sourcing local ingredients, forging links with nearby schools and charities or simply being the go-to place for our neighbours to celebrate their special moments. It’s a privilege to work so collaboratively with all of these local heroes that we count as friends and to play our part in these strong, supportive local communities. Our PIG people are what really make us tick. We believe that our team of almost 1,000 talented professionals working across our hotels – chefs, kitchen gardeners, waiters, sommeliers, bar teams, housekeepers and everyone behind the scenes – is helping to shape the future of caring and considered hospitality. From the newest apprentice to the most experienced manager, they are what make the PIGs a happy place to be and the reason our guests enjoy their time with us. We couldn’t be more proud of them – and you couldn’t be more welcome here! 14

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☞ What is B Corp st

atus and ing for it?

why are we apply

Here at the PIGs, it’s always been in our DNA to champion local suppliers and produce, curb our en vironmental impact and offer ou r PIG people real car ee r opportunities. All of which means that we’ve decided to ap ply for B Corp certiﬁed status. Bu t… what exactly is tha t?

BENEFIT FOR ALL

“It’s a holistic look at how a business is car ing for people and the planet and being a force for go od ,” explains Kate, our Group Su stainability Manage r, wh o has been leading our applicat ion for the internati on ally recognised certification. (As for the B, it simply stand s for “benefit for all”). “It’s basically a really thorough sel f-a ud it that shows you where an y gaps are and where the re’ s space to improve,” says Kate. “So even if you are ce rti fi ed , you can still work to get an even higher score the next time you apply, three years aft er that.”

WALK THE WALK

There’s nowhere for greenwashers or tho se who only “talk the tal k” to hide in this audit , which includes how a business interacts with its local community and the environme nt.

PIG PE O LE

PE OPL

· PIG EO

PLE ·

Jamie Banner Hotel Director at THE PIG-at Bridge Place He’s definitely too modest to broadcast it himself, but Jamie’s career is a significant PIG success story. He was the first trainee from our Budding Entrepreneur training programme to progress all the way up to hotel director level, at THE PIG-at Bridge Place. We grabbed him for a chat about what he learned on the programme, the property’s past life as a nightclub and what it’s like to return to work near your home town.

I JOINED THE PIGS’ Budding Entrepreneur programme 11 years ago, having been working in a hotel in Canterbury, where I’m from. The programme gives you an understanding of every different department and its challenges, from working behind a bar to being on reception or in the restaurant. You move around for the first three years and you bring that mix of practical understanding and empathy with you as a manager.

But more than that, the score includes whether staff have proper opportunities for career development and training, how many women are in senior roles and more. Here at the PIGs, we’re hoping that B Corp status could be a chance “to recognise things tha t we have already be en doing for a ver y long time,” say s Kate. “Things like ma kin g use of goods that are ver y locally produced an d sup po rting local communities – which are part an d pa rce l of how things work for us. So is having teams an d bu dg ets for professional develop ment and having tar ge ts so we ’re accountable for mo nitoring and reducing waste.”

A FORCE FOR GOOD

So even if we’re do ing a lot to be a bu siness that’s also “a force for good”, as Kate puts it, we know we could be doing even more. We ’re up for the challe nge. By the time you read this, we’ll have submitted our B Corp application – so watch this spa ce.

WE ARE TRULY PEOPLE-FOCUSED within the PIG group – and that is not always the case in hospitality. If you are not looking out for your team members and willing to pitch in, you would really stand out. I worked at several properties as part of my training, including THE PIG in Brockenhurst and THE PIG-in the wall, where I eventually returned and became general manager for two years. But when I heard that THE PIG-at Bridge Place was opening, I jumped at the opportunity to come home. IN THIS PART OF KENT you think “what a place to live”. It’s stunning. I feel I’ve come full circle with my career because I moved back to the place I am from, which I love and where I started out in hospitality. But now I am here as a Hotel Director. Decent times! WE GET A LOT of repeat guests at THE PIGat Bridge Place, including couples who met here when it was a nightclub in the 1960s. They tell us some amazing stories. We’ve had several couples like that, who come to celebrate their 50th or 60th anniversary. It’s perfect. ONE SPECIAL MOMENT was when I recognised the name of a guest who had checked in. We were best friends when we were five, but then his family moved away. So I reintroduced myself. Honestly? He didn’t remember me, haha! But it was lovely to see him again.

HOGWASH \ SPRING

HALL OF FAM

ACE OF SPADES

Spotter’s guide: goldcrests Among the UK’s smallest native birds, goldcrests typically weigh less than 6g, according to the RSPB. But these tiny beauties are easy to spot if you know what to look for. They are named for their vivid yellow “crown” of feathers (their Latin name Regulus regulus means “little king”) and their preferred trees are conifers.

HOLD THE BACK PAGE

BEFORE IT WAS A PIG...

Some notable ﬁgures once came to the Fort Henry bunker in the garden at what is now THE PIG-on the beach to see troops rehearse for the D-Day landings. But which of these famous chaps was not a visitor here? A) Winston Churchill B) Dwight D Eisenhower C) John F Kennedy

To help support birdlife, we have installed 149 nesting boxes across our PIGs.

D) King George VI

[Answer on page 3]

As a matter of fact Protective measures at Studland Bay, Dorset, have seen the numbers of the endangered British spiny seahorse begin to recover. But which of these fantastic facts is not true about spiny seahorses? a) They can change colour b) The male carries a pregnancy c) They can sing d) You need a licence to photograph British seahorses [Answer on page 3]

PIG HACKS NO. 3 Crates for herbs

A simple way to create an appealing display of any herbs you’re growing is to use mismatched vintage pots, placed within an old crate. At our PIGs, we repurpose our old potato crates.

A boar going by the name of Ace of Spades was the first of the Berkshire pig breed to be recorded, and was bred by Queen Victoria. The monarch is known to have been a fan of the taste of Berkshire pig meat. The breed was first exported to the USA circa 1823, and in Japan, where Berkshire pigs also arrived in the 1800s, the breed remains popular as the source of the prized delicacy Kurobuta or “black hog”. In the 20th century, the Berkshire pig would go on to become a recognised rare breed in the UK, nearly going extinct in the 1990s, but surviving to this day.

THE PIG IN NUMBERS...

1,500

kg of honey extracted across the PIGs in 2023

970 214 lobsters released into the wild in 2023, together with the National Lobster Hatchery

... ﬁnd out more here

apprentices have joined our teams since 2015

Designed and edited by Uncommonly, 30 - 32 Tabard Street, London SE1 4JU (uncommonly.co.uk). Printed in East Sussex by Pureprint, a CarbonNeutral ® Company. The paper is carbon balanced with the World Land Trust, an international conservation charity. With special thanks to all of our partners and those in THE PIG team that have contributed to this issue.

OVER AND OUT HOGWA SH \ SPRING