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Hogwash THE SEASONAL DISPATCH
TAKE YOUR PICK House style: creating the PIG look Just say cheese Local walks and adventures Our homegrown heroes
+ hotel guide + news + outings + recipes HOGWASH \ AUTUMN
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PIGGY BITS
FOR AG ER’S PICKS... All of our 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 out there. Some of our PIG people are master foragers too – these picks are from Jeremy, our commis chef at THE PIG-at Bridge Place.
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PI GS If you are looking to celebrate the Christmas season in style, we will welcome you in from the cold at THE PIGs. Why not stay over with us for the big day itself? We will be more than ready for you. The Brussels sprouts are coming along nicely in the Kitchen Gardens, the turkeys have been ordered and the Christmas puds are being fed regularly with our favourite spirits. We’re not big on tinsel, but we do love our homemade woodland wreaths (turn to the back page). We also have characterful private rooms across THE PIGs, ideal for hosting Christmas gettogethers. Settle in at a long table, with a festive feast of dishes made from (very) locally sourced produce. As for New Year’s Eve? It’s a luxurious two-night affair for our overnight guests, but also possible to join us just for a NYE dinner. Find out more and book at thepighotel.com/christmas
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With our obsessive commitment to all things local, it probably comes as no surprise that we at THE PIGs have been English wine evangelists for many years. So we couldn’t be more excited to share that we are ready to pop the cork on our very first bottles of PIG English fizz! Our two sparkling wines are made with grapes from Bee Tree Vineyard in East Sussex, owned by our friends Dermot and Ana Sugrue, of award-winning winemaker Sugrue South Downs. They are THE PIG Reserve, a 2019 sparkling cuvée (we’re calling it PR for short) and Lobster Shed Pink, a 2018 sparkling rosé (LSP). Just in time for the festive celebrations. Now, where are those glasses? Look out for our own PIG fizz on the wine list
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A great many mushrooms, including scarletina bolete, chicken of the woods, hen of the woods, porcini, chanterelle and horse mushrooms. Rosehips (for jelly and jams) and sloes (for sloe gin).
NOVEMBER Walnuts, crab apples (ideal for chutney or jelly to complement a cheese board), girolle mushrooms, hawthorn berries (for jams, ketchups and infusing gin or vodka).
DECEMBER Wild carrots (these are small, white and hard, but superflavourful and great for soups). Hops, wood sorrel, wood avens (their roots can be used in place of cloves), bay leaves, watercress, horseradish and rowan berries (perfect for homemade kombucha).
LOCAL GUIDE: TURN TO THE CENTRE PAGES FOR EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO ENJOY YOUR STAY. ALL YOUR ESSENTIAL
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☞ INTRODUCING OUR GROUND & GROW RETREATS
HARVESTING ... Winter squash,
In need of some time out and self-care? In a PIG first, this winter, THE PIG-at Harlyn Bay will host a series of retreats designed to help you escape it all in the wilds of Cornwall.
kale, kalettes, parsnips, celeriac, Brussels sprouts
☞ WHAT TO EXPECT... AND WE'RE PLANTING... Garlic, onions, broad beans
Notes from the Kitchen Garden
After a productive summer, we always sit down with the chefs to review all crops grown this year and start planning for next year. Each head kitchen gardener produces a week-by-week plan of their Kitchen Garden for 2024. From here, our central nursery team extract the relevant data and create a gigantic spreadsheet of all our sowings for the next 12 months or so. At the end of summer and in early autumn, we replace summer vegetables with hardy winter ones to ensure the garden is full year-round. We get garlic and onions in the ground, so they will be ready for harvesting around June and July next year, and we start to sow broad beans, which will be planted out in November. We also plant salads in our polytunnels – these protective tunnels, with heating and lighting, help to nurture these tender crops. Eventually, they will provide the chefs with a wide range of flavours,
textures and colours for their ingredients and garnishes. Another early-autumn trick is to start off our kales and sprouting broccolis in pots, then plant them out when semi-mature. This helps us to maintain high levels of production even in the colder months. One of my absolute favourite crops, winter squash, can be harvested from earlyto mid-autumn and left to cure for a few months to enhance the flavour to its full potential. And have you ever tried kalettes? If you haven’t tasted this hybrid of kale and Brussels sprouts, give them a try – especially if you are not a fan of Brussels, as these have a much softer flavour that is not as “sprouty” as its contentious cousin. During November and December, we will start to harvest more of our root crops, such as celeriac, parsnip, Jerusalem artichoke and crosnes (aka Chinese artichoke) – all of which our chefs can incorporate into hearty winter dishes.
Join us in our Kitchen Gardens 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
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
[Back page answers: THE PIG-in the wall; A]
Our Kitchen Garden supremo Ollie shares an autumn update from the veg bed
Our Ground & Grow weekend has been created in partnership with Cabilla Cornwall, who run retreats in the ancient temperate rainforest near Bodmin Moor. You’ll stay at THE PIG-at Harlyn Bay, enjoying nourishing, seasonal dishes from our local suppliers and Kitchen Garden. The weekend includes a day at Cabilla Cornwall, to experience a gentle yoga class and wander through the private ancient woodland with founders Lizzie and Merlin Hanbury-Tenison. You’ll have the chance to plant a tree as part of the Thousand Year Project, before heading back to THE PIG to melt into a Potting Shed spa treatment. Wild swimming from Harlyn Bay beach, warming up in the sea sauna and walking the coastal paths are also on the menu, before an evening with an inspiring guest speaker and a Kitchen Garden cocktail. We recommend a deep bath and good night’s sleep, too. Ground & Grow retreats take place on 24-26 November 2023, 19-21 January 2024 and 8-11 March 2024; visit thepighotel.com for details.
HOTEL INFORMATION, ROOM GUIDE, POTTING SHED TREATMENT MENU, THE BEST OUTINGS, LOCAL HEROES AND THINGS TO DO.
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THE CHARM OF THE PIG’S UNSTUFFY, eclectic interiors is all thanks to one person – Judy Hutson. Right from when we opened our very first PIG, Judy, who is married to our founder, Robin, has masterminded every detail of how the hotels look, from bars to bedrooms, dining rooms to Potting Shed treatment rooms. So how has she developed this much-loved look over the years, evolving with each hotel yet remaining so quintessentially PIG? “It all begins with the house itself,” says Judy. “From the moment we first visit a new building, I’m absorbing its character, and everything comes from that. I’m influenced by the architecture, the house’s mood, but also its surroundings – what you see when you look out of the windows. I want the fabrics and furniture and paintings to connect with that.” Famously, Judy often dreams up a fictional character to help channel the aesthetic mood she is aiming for. “It started with the first PIG, in the New Forest. I could just imagine Great-aunt Mabel pottering around the corridors, with her Nora Batty tights, in her tweed and lavender jumpers. I wanted it to be homely, as if you were staying with your great-aunt, a feeling of faded grandeur.” In Harlyn Bay, the mood was different – all crackling fires and dark, wood-panelled hallways – so this time it was Mark Rylance in Wolf Hall she conjured, helping her to bring the design alive. “I’ve definitely got more confident in my decorating style over the years,” says Judy. “We use more vintage, individual pieces of furniture in the rooms now, for instance, and we love finding old bits and reworking them. One of our carpenters was getting rid of an old workbench, and we asked if we could buy it from him – it’s now in the bar at The PIG-near Bath!” But however much the interiors have evolved, many of the best-loved features have a place in every PIG – “our bars with mismatched coloured glasses, greenhouse-style restaurants and big vintage-style sun umbrellas”. Many aspects of the design come directly from Judy’s personal style. “I’ve never had ‘girlie-girl’ taste, and I think that comes through. There’s a kind of robustness to our interiors,” she says. She and Robin always pick up design ideas from their travels, popping into antique shops, boot sales or charity shops whenever
they spot a good one. If they come across something special, they buy it, and keep it in their store until they find its perfect place. “I’m a bit like Burglar Bill,” says Judy, “I’ll ‘ave that!” She also loves to include work from local artists and makers, who get in touch when news of the latest PIG opening gets around. With two new hotels on the horizon, Judy has a hectic couple of years ahead. “It’s exciting, because both are very different to what we’ve done before. THE PIG-on the farm, just south of Stratford-upon-Avon, will be the most rustic hotel we’ve done. It’s a beautiful 16th-century manor house, with an amazing barn, lots of outbuildings and lovely old beams.” She is still thinking herself into the space, collecting ideas, “going shopping in my head”, but she knows already that the buildings cry out for simple furnishings, fabrics with texture and small floral prints. “The main thing is not to over-restore the house; it shouldn’t feel overdone,” she notes. The other new PIG, Groombridge Place, near Tunbridge Wells, is a very different proposition: a 17th-century moated manor house with a fascinating history, as well as a starring role in the much-loved Pride & Prejudice with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. Judy is clearly thrilled by the blank canvas she has to play with: “It’s got the most beautiful wood panelling, huge rooms, acres of land and an amazing water mill. We want it to be grand, but not ‘pompous grand’ – it should have a kind of rakish glamour. The challenge is how to do something this grand but in a PIG way.” For now, Judy is building her ideas for both properties, gathering references and samples, and letting the spaces “talk to her”. Soon it will be time to go on some serious buying trips to find the key pieces. Then, in the final weeks before opening, comes the bit Judy loves the most, when all the new pieces arrive and she brings a stash of other things she and Robin have collected that are sitting in the store. She starts to dress the hotel and add those final touches of personality and homeliness that guests appreciate so much: “People go to hotels for lots of reasons, and it should be all about their experience rather than our designs. I always want the interiors to feel lovely and comforting but not too intrusive,” she explains. “It’s like theatre, really. We are setting the scene, creating a stage, but it’s the guests and our staff who bring it all to life. From bedrooms to spa Treatment Wagons, you’re enjoying Judy’s interiors style every time you stay at a PIG.
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“I’ve never had ‘girlie-girl’ taste, and I think that comes through”
THE CON VE R SA TION
s s o r c a s r e c “Produ e r a y r t n u o the c ” d n u o r g t s o l g n i m i recla ANDY ONE OF OUR FAVE PIG SUPPLIERS, Peter Morgan of The Book & Bucket Cheese Company, took a break from making award-winning cheeses at his Dorset dairy to chat with Andy Wright, who is group head chef across all our PIG hotels. Andy knows the difference that a quality ingredient can make to a dish, and values his personal relationships with small suppliers. THE PIGs were an early champion of The Book & Bucket’s now internationally awarded cheeses. PETER MORGAN Did you know that THE PIG-on the beach was our very first customer account when I set up the business in 2019? I remember that you visited the dairy to look round, chat all things cheese and sample some of our cheeses. ANDY WRIGHT Yes, having come across some cheeses you’d made and loved them, we found out you were setting up properly as a supplier, and we couldn’t wait to sample some more. How did the push for starting your business come about? PM The Book & Bucket was a vision I had for years before we made our first cheese in 2019. I’m self-taught, so it started with a book full of recipes and a stainless-steel bucket – hence the name. These days, I have three 500-litre vats as “buckets”. The ethos is to take inspiration
Two cheese obsessives chat about their award-winning PIG partnership – and the future for British producers from the countryside surrounding our dairy, with many locally sourced ingredients. AW Like your Wilde cheese, with the wild garlic from just outside the dairy in it – I love that one. There must be many challenges for small scale artisanal producers such as yourselves, including the cost of ingredients and general overheads. Do you think you get enough support? PM The world has changed so much since I founded the business. It was touch and go during the pandemic and the support from THE PIGs made all the difference. It’s also been amazing to win medals at the World Cheese Awards, especially our Shakespeare cheese winning gold. AW It matters to us that we work with trusted suppliers like you, and for you to get recognition from a global platform is fantastic. How do you think the future is looking for smaller producers generally? There seems to be greater understanding from the public about shopping and supporting local, just as long as the milk prices don’t keep increasing. Britain had actually been a leading cheesemaker before World War II, which people forget. It feels like, slowly, more and more producers are appearing across the country, reclaiming the lost ground.
PM Well, there are some cheeses where cows are milked by robots and the cheese has not been touched by a person until it’s opened by a customer. But many more people are starting to understand why supporting traditional, local and seasonal food is so important. It’s much better tasting, better for us and better for the environment. There’s demand for what we do. AW If you had to eat only one cheese for the rest of your life what would it be? PM Ouch, tough question. I have a favourite for every season, but I think it has to be Shakespeare. It was one of the first cheeses I developed and it is unusual in being a sheep’s milk brie. It’s all about seasonality really though, isn’t it? And with the PIGs’ changing seasonal menu, the cheese changes as well. AW Definitely, the best food is all about keeping things seasonal – that’s what we live and breathe at the PIGs. PM I think my favourite collaboration with THE PIGs has been a smoked halloumi dish with Boston beans, finished with a duck egg – that’s really warming, hearty comfort food. You’ll find The Book & Bucket cheeses, such as Shakespeare, on the menu at many of our PIGS; thebookandbucketcheesecompany.co.uk
“It’s been ama zing to win gold at th e World Cheese Awards” PETER 6
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INFO & GOINGS ON ~ HOTEL & ROOM GUIDE ~ POTTING SHED TREATMENT MENU ~ DORSET CALLING: THINGS TO SEE AND DO ~ THE INSIDE STORY ON STUDLAND BAY'S OFF-SEASON SEA SWIMMING AND SAUNA
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PEOPLE OFTEN SAY that the manor house of THE PIG-on the beach looks like a gingerbread or fairy-tale house – and we do have a slightly unreal setting, perched on a cliff, looking out to Old Harry Rocks. Studland is where Enid Blyton used to go on holiday, and this area has a hint of The Famous Five to it, with its golden beaches and bays that spell adventure, and a history of pirate stories. Although Studland is part of the mainland, the area is called the Isle of Purbeck and it certainly has an island vibe. The house was built in 1825 as a seaside bolthole by George Henry Bankes MP, who had a family of 14 children to take on holidays. He spent his retirement enlarging and improving it, hence its higgledy-piggledy appeal. George was a descendant of “Brave Dame Mary” Bankes, who defended Corfe Castle against Cromwell’s troops. Some of the medieval carvings here are believed to have come from the castle. Some others were, shall we say, “rescued” by the MP from the Palace of Westminster, after the fire of 1834. The Bankes family also had a seat at nearby Kingston Lacy, where architect Sir Charles Barry (of Palace of Westminster fame) worked on alterations – many similar gothic revival details can be seen in the hotel. In World War II, the house was a base for senior military personnel, and in 1944 an observational bunker called Fort Henry was built into the clifftop at the bottom of the garden. King George VI, Winston Churchill and President Eisenhower were among those who came here that year to watch the biggest full-scale invasion exercise using live ammunition carried out as a prelude to D-Day. Fort Henry is now open to visitors and run by the National Trust, and it marks the start of the Jurassic Coast Unesco world heritage site, which stretches west along the coast to Devon. Since the 1950s, the house has been run as a private hotel, but had closed in 2012. We opened as THE PIG-on the beach in summer 2014 and haven’t looked back since. While you’re here, make sure to take some time to enjoy our Kitchen Garden. Here, nestled between the more traditional crops, you will find beds of native sea vegetables, such as sea kale, oyster leaf, and sea orach. With some of the best views around, we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
THE PIG - ON THE
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Sheep Hut Treatment Menu All treatments are 60 minutes and £115 ANTI-AGEING RESTORATIVE FACIAL This treatment is suitable for all skin types. For those in search of anti-ageing results, the restorative facial uses VOYA’s finest organic ingredients combined with antoxidant 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 down through the gardens...
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... out towards the cliffs and into our warm, rustic retreats: nestled away in the grazing fields with the best views out to sea, our two Sheep Hut treatment rooms are quiet and calm and designed to help you really escape it all. Take inspiration from the green surroundings and our coastal location, and enjoy relaxing treatments with natural and organic products by VOYA. 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 the highest-quality botanical ingredients and aromatherapy oils, and are created using sustainable processes and accredited by the Soil Association. Inspired by the breathtaking natural beauty and longstanding traditions of Ireland’s northwest coast, three generations of the Walton family have harnessed the healing properties of seaweed to create VOYA’s organic beauty products and treatments from the sea. After a day on the beach or a long walk along the headland, wind down with a full body massage or a rejuvenating facial.
Old tobacco tins, gardening tools, balls of twine … Unlikely as it may seem, the decor of our Sheep Hut 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.s 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.
Cold calling Sea swimming can be fun whatever the season – especially if there’s a sauna to jump into when you get out
A DIP IN THE DORSET SEA ON A BRIGHT WINTER’S DAY – JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED
THE RISE OF SO-CALLED WILD SWIMMING has seen some of us get bolder about taking a dip in the sea year-round, rather than only braving British waters in high summer, if at all. But whether you’re a new convert or a fully signed-up member of the cold-sea swimming brigade, some British beaches are definitely more appealing than others – and here at THE PIG-on the beach, we have one of the loveliest and cleanest stretches of coastline on our doorstep. If you’re a cold-water swimming virgin, it’s especially important to follow the RNLI’s advice before you take the plunge, in order to stay safe and not give your system too much of a shock. Its open-water swimming guide (rnli.org) is full of expert tips. And the growth in popularity of wild swimming means there is now a huge array of wetsuits, Dryrobes, gloves and socks available to add some thermal layers. If you do get into the swing of it, cold-water swimming is thought to boost your mood, thanks to the release of the “happy hormones”, serotonin and dopamine. Wild dippers often talk of a natural endorphin high that raises mood, boosts the senses and creates an urge to dive back in (yes, really!). Water sports, when availble, can be another way to experience that cold-water high. THE PIG-ON THE BE ACH \ HOGWASH HOGWA SH \ \ AUTUMN AUTUMN
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“Wild dippers often talk of a natural endorphin high that raises mood and boosts the senses”
IF YOU ONLY HAVE ... ☞ 3 minutes
Head down to Fort Henry, the bunker in what’s now our garden, where in 1944 King George VI, Churchill, Eisenhower and others gathered to watch the Allied Forces preparing for D-Day.
☞ 30 minutes
Ask the reception team about the legend of Agglestone Rock, which is located just a 15-minute walk from our hotel.
By adapting to cold stress, wild swimmers are thought to help reduce inflammation in the body, as well as their chances of suffering from high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and arthritis. Regular cold-water immersion might also help lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Another bonus is that when you’re swimming in cold open water, your brain is forced to stop racing through a bulging inbox or to-do list, and to stop scrolling or staring at a screen. You’re simply plunged into the moment, the here and now – ideally in a stunning natural setting. SWIM AND SAUNA AT STUDLAND BAY With white sand and shallow waters, backed by dunes and heathland, our local beaches here at Studland Bay are perfect for swimming. (In the warmer months, there is also a good range of water-based activities on offer, courtesy of Studland Watersports.) Owned and managed by the National Trust, Studland Bay is actually made up of four beaches: Shell Bay, Knoll Beach, Middle Beach and South Beach. If you want to warm up after a cold swim in the Dorset sea, head to Knoll Beach, which is home to Studland Sauna Hut, open every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday throughout the year. Saunas prompt increased blood flow, which can help reduce tension in the joints and relieve sore muscles, and sweating can also help to remove toxins from the body. Find out more and book your sauna session at studlandwatersports.co.uk
☞ 3 hours
From nearby Poole, catch a ferry to Brownsea Island. This National Trust reserve is home to rare red squirrels and offers family walking trails, a play area, a café and daily guided tours.
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.
THE STUDL AND SAUNA HUT IS OPEN YEAR-ROUND TO WARM UP SEA SWIMMERS
QR codes you’ll want to scan Go straight to Things to Do on our website
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Download one of our favourite walking routes
FRI E ND S OF TH E PIG
DAVID AND A SELECTION OF HIS SCULPTURES, INCLUDING SADDLEBACK AND GLOUCESTER OLD SPOT PIGS
Creature features We’re big fans of David Farrer’s animal sculptures and are happy to say that more will be on their way to our newest PIG
THE PAPIER-MÂCHÉ ANIMAL SCULPTURES of artist David Farrer are often wonderfully lifelike. They almost always have some playful aspects, too: colours a little richer than the real thing; impossibly outsized eyes and eyelashes on a soulful rabbit; or even the surprise of a drink and cigarette in the hands of a cheeky newt (above, bottom left). Most tongue-in-cheek of all are David’s “trophy” heads mounted on wooden shields, some of which hang on the walls at THE PIG in Brockenhurst and THE PIG-near Bath. “I like to subvert, but with a smile on my face,” David explains. “When it comes to mounted, stuffed animal heads in particular, I wanted to provide a sustainable, ecofriendly alternative to the real thing. Because if you are doing it that way rather than being overly preachy, you’re more likely to connect with your audience.” He says he was particularly pleased when a passerby once mistook his animal heads on a gallery wall for the real thing, marched in to complain, then enjoyed the exhibition instead. Growing up in Leeds, David was fascinated by the dusty, taxidermied animals in his local museum. “They weren’t very wellfenced off, so you could stick your fingers in their ears or down their throat,” he remembers, rather fondly. So when two of his much-older siblings moved to South Africa, he was thrilled to suddenly be able to spend some of his school holidays on safari. David was as enthralled by African wildlife as he was horrified by the coffee-table books he often chanced upon as a child, of big-game hunters posing with animals
killed for sport. “You’d flip through and think for a moment it was a nice book of wildlife photos, then it was just, ‘oh no!’ – people standing next to animals they’d killed for no real reason at all. Urgh.” Ever since then, David has continued to travel to Africa whenever he can, including to Namibia and Kenya, as well as spending plenty of time observing British wildlife near his home in rural Oxfordshire. He creates all his sculptures in a large studio at the bottom of his garden. Some of his recent work has been creating new rare-breed pig sculptures to adorn the THE PIG-on the farm, when it opens in a 16thcentury manor house near Stratfordupon-Avon. “I have painted a little mud and dirt and dead bugs onto the pigs – all the kinds of things you would find on the real creatures – and sealed it in with glue,” he says brightly. David’s Yorkshire White and Gloucester Old Spot (above, bottom row) sculptures for THE PIG-on the farm are towards the more realistic end of his spectrum, whereas Saddleback (top left) is decorated with inspirational slogans cut from magazines. “I find that text can be a nice way to divide a sculpture and highlight contours,” he says. “And I love the contrast of taking text from one context and putting it into another. So I’m always saving things from magazines. I once found an interview with John Travolta with the quote, ‘I like to fly twice a day.’ I ended up putting that one on an eagle.” Discover David’s work at davidfarrer.com, and see his pigs at THE PIG-on the farm, when it opens.
“I like to subvert, but with a smile on my face”
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Try mixing up this seasonal cocktail at home. Damson liqueur is like the taste of autumn bottled, and adding a splash of English fizz will get you in the mood for the party season.
Delamain and Damson • 60ml Sapling Gin
This is the perfect winter salad – fantastic as a starter or as a light main course. The beautiful colours of the golden and candy beetroot combined with the bright, fluffy whipped cheese are a classic and comforting combination. Dress it with balsamic vinegar and rapeseed oil. Serves 4–6 (as a starter) For the beetroot
• 25ml Delamain XO Cognac
• 250g (9oz) golden beetroot
• 15ml damson liqueur, or substitute with any berry liqueur
• 250g (9oz) Chioggia
• 15ml honey syrup (equal parts honey and hot water)
(candy) beetroot
• 10ml lemon juice
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• English sparkling wine (to top up your glass from)
• 2 sprigs thyme
• a twist of lemon peel to garnish
• 2 cloves garlic • 2 pinches black peppercorns
Take a chilled champagne flute, put all ingredients, apart from the sparkling wine, in the flute and give a quick stir. Top up with the fizz, and garnish with the lemon peel and a berry of your choice.
• 2 pinches coriander seeds • salt and pepper • watercress (to garnish)
For the whipped cheese • 125g (4½oz) Dorset blue vinny cheese, without rind (or stilton)
What to drink with this salad... This recipe’s combination of sweet, savoury and earthy flavours of beetroot and blue cheese is a wine-pairing conundrum, even for a sommelier. So THE PIGs’ heads of wine – Luke, Ed and Greg – have tried and tested three English wines that are a perfect match.
Calancombe Estate Pinot Gris, Devon, 2022
• 75ml (2½fl oz) water • 190ml (6½fl oz) double cream • a squeeze of lemon juice
For the dressing • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (or fruit vinegar – we like Wild Island, based on the Isle of Wight, but you can buy online) • 6 tablespoons rapeseed oil
100% pinot gris
With elegant notes of honeysuckle, peach and lemon peel, the Calancombe Estate Pinot Gris strikes a refreshing and aromatic expression. The poised acidity and touch of sweetness on the palate will strike a chord with this dish.
White Castle Pinot Noir Précoce Reserve, Wales, 2021 100% pinot noir précoce
Hailing from a Welsh vineyard near Abergavenny, the White Castle Vineyard Pinot Noir has intriguing notes of bilberry, smoked blackcurrants and cherry juice. The palate is fresh, with a savouriness resembling a classic, old-world style of pinot. This pairing is particularly suited for an autumn celebration, bringing out the best in both the dish and the wine.
Digby Vintage Reserve Brut, Sussex, 2013 65% chardonnay, 25% pinot noir, 10% pinot meunier
The supreme champion of the WineGB 2023 awards, this hits a remarkable balance of flavours and complexity. On the nose, you’ll find enticing notes of ginger, winter savoury, baked apple and pastry. The beautiful ripeness of the fruit harmonises perfectly with the saltiness of the blue cheese. 12
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Boil the beetroot in separate pans of salted water seasoned with rosemary, thyme, garlic, peppercorns and coriander seeds, until just cooked – roughly 45 minutes. Drain and, using a pair of tongs, carefully roast over an open flame on the gas hob – just enough to nicely char the skin. If you don’t have a gas hob, season and oil the beet and put it under the grill at a high temperature until it starts to blister. Rub the charred skin off the beetroot, then cut into 2½–5cm (1-2 inch) pieces. To make the whipped cheese, combine the blue vinny (or stilton) with the water, and blitz in a blender until smooth. Meanwhile, whisk the double cream with a squeeze of lemon juice until it forms soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the smooth cheese, season to taste and decant into a bowl. Place 3 tablespoons of the whipped blue vinny on a plate with the beetroot, as neatly as possible. Dress with the balsamic vinegar and rapeseed oil. Garnish with the watercress and serve.
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Jess Porch Restaurant supervisor – and former apprentice – at THE PIG-near Bath Here at THE PIGs, our award-winning apprenticeship schemes help people of all ages and backgrounds gain the skills to excel in a hospitality career. From managing kitchen gardens and foraging to animal husbandry, beekeeping, advanced butchery or leadership training and business finance, we offer all kinds of skills training. Here’s one of our restaurant supervisors, Jess, who passed her apprenticeship with distinctions in every area, on what her journey has been like. WHEN I WAS AT BATH COLLEGE, I knew about THE PIGnear Bath and I always wanted to work here. Steph Young from the restaurant had come in and worked with us at the college, and she was so fun and passionate – I thought I really wanted to work with people like that. I FIRST JOINED THE PIG-NEAR BATH as a junior chef de rang (a waiter in charge of a restaurant section), then was promoted to senior chef de rang. At that point, management asked if I’d be interested in the apprentice programme. I decided to go for it, and that enabled me to become a restaurant supervisor two years after joining the team. THE APPRENTICE PROGRAMME TAUGHT ME A LOT. I kept all my notes and I refer back to them when I need to. It really helps you learn about what it means to be a leader of a team, for example. I had support to know what my new position would involve and how to do it well. It was hard work and included explaining my sustainability project for a 40-minute spoken section of the final exam, which isn’t something I’d ever have done before. But putting in the effort really pays off. MY WORKING DAY OFTEN STARTS with a handover with the manager who is coming off shift before me. We will look at what we need to concentrate on that day – the menu, any changes and how we communicate that to the team. Trying dishes is always a perk of the job. NOW THAT I AM SUPERVISOR, I am more involved with the whole team. I love organising team briefings, when we get everyone together, and making them fun. If it’s a sunny day, we can do them out in the garden. It’s about getting everyone ready for the shift ahead, and I love it.
IT’S A
PIG
THING TO BE THE FUTURE OF
CA R I NG A N D CON SIDE R 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
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Join THE PIG s and find the right path for you...
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 PIG 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!
HAPPY TALK: OUR TEAM IS THE REASON THE PIGS ARE SUCH FRIENDLY, WELCOMING PL ACES TO BE
AND HOW ABOUT THESE PIG PERKS? As well as some free stays in our hotels, staff benefits include access to financial advisors, lifestyle coaches, remote GPs, physiotherapy and mental-health support, as well as paid volunteering days. Now that we have two more hotels in the pipeline, there’s never been a more exciting (or fun!) time to join our teams.
We take hospita lity seriously (b ut we don’t take ourselves too seriously). With decades of experience behind us, we su ppor t career development th rough a mix of handpicked local training pa rtners and our own bespoke programmes. Jo ining THE PIGs is not all about going “up the lad der”; it’s more about choosing right path for yo the u. We suppor t our PIG people’ development th s rough our five pathways, which be linked and re can visited, to crea te ongoing career development pl ans.
OUR PIG PATH WAYS ARE AC CESSIBLE TO EVERYONE W HO WORKS W ITH US 1. Hone your
craft through ou r wide range of course s and qualificatio ns, and enjoy trips to learn about our suppliers. Craf t training is part of our DNA. 2. Sign up to a PIG apprentices hip programme to suppor t you as you progress , gaining professional qu alifications as you go. 3. Join our mon thly PLANT in-house leade rship development se ssions. 4. Our Home Gr own Entrepreneur sc heme aims to develop multi-s killed leaders who could one run our hotels – or their own! 5. We believe in Upskilling Lead ers to suppor t develo pment at ever y career stage.
To learn more abou t joining us, head to jobs.thepig hotel.com
HOGWASH \ AUTUMN
15
HALL OF FAM
E
THE TAMWORTH TWO
Spotter’s guide: bramblings Bramblings are seasonal visitors to the UK that are easily mistaken for chaffinches – they’re about the same size and shape. Females have a brown head, but look for the orange bars on their wings and a pale orange chest. Males have a grey-blue head, but look otherwise similar (at least in winter; males turn brighter in spring). Look for bramblings when you see beech trees, as the trees’ seeds are among their favourite foods. On the way to Agincourt in 1415,
BEFORE IT WAS A PIG...
Henry V marched his troops through an archway that still stands today. Which PIG is it next to?
HOLD THE BACK PAGE
[Answer on page 3]
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To help support bird life, we have installed 149 nesting boxes across our PIGs.
As a matter of fact The New Forest has one of the highest concentrations in western Europe of … what? A) Ancient trees B) Wild ponies C) Wild pigs [Answer on page 3]
PIG HACKS NO. 2 How to make a Christmas wreath from foliage...
The next time you’re going for a walk in the woods, gather some foliage to make your own Christmas wreath, following these instructions from Jo Macina, who makes many of ours. 1. Build the base of your wreath using long vines or twigs. Willow, hazel and silver birch are nice and bendy, which makes them easier to weave into a circle. 2. If required, use twine to secure the base; this will also help when it comes to the next layer of foliage. 3. Twist in blue spruce, eucalyptus, holly or ivy (any pretty sprigs will do) to add some festive texture. 4. To decorate your wreath, attach some rosehips, dried crab apples, winter berries or fir cones. 5. Finish by adding a festive bow.
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The year 2023 marks 25 years since two Tamworth pigs escaped from a Wiltshire abattoir and swam the River Avon to freedom – spending a week on the run and becoming an international news story before being captured. Saved from slaughter by popular demand, the pair lived out the rest of their days as celebrities at the Rare Breeds Centre, Kent.
THE PIG IN NUMBERS...
122,136 glasses of English fizz
416
served in 2022
2 new PIGs on their way
Brussels sprout seedlings sown in 2023
... find out more here
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