THE PIG-in the wall | Hogwash issue 04

PIGGY BITS

Exciting PIG news!

It’s been a little while since we have had new PIGs on the horizon. Choosing properties that make a perfect PIG isn’t something that can be rushed. We had a view to open two new PIGs over the next couple of years: THE PIG-on the farm, near Stratford-upon-Avon, and THE PIG-at Groombridge. But, sometimes, opportunities arise when you are least expecting them and earlier this year, we also acquired the 17th century Barnsley House hotel. It’s tucked away in the quintessential Cotswolds village of Barnsley, just four miles from Cirencester.

Nestled in historic Arts and Crafts style gardens created by renowned garden designer, Rosemary Verey, this gem of a property has all the makings of a PIG already weaved into its DNA… with a few twists. It comes with its very own village pub – which will be a first for us, a PIG pub! It also has a small, but perfectly formed, spa which will see us extend our Potting Sheds beyond our treatment offerings.

Stepping into this very special house feels like coming to visit your great Aunt Rosemary. It’s instantly cosy and homely – the sort of place that would hold all your summer holiday memories. We’re looking forward to doing this beautiful building justice and restoring it sensitively, with its historic importance at the forefront of all decision making.

FORAGER’S PICKS...

All of our kitchens love to make the most of wild seasonal produce. We’ve built relationships with foragers who bring us the best goodies out there. These foraging picks are from Chris, from Heavenly Hedgerows, who supply us with our delicious preserves at THE PIG-near Bath.

MAY

St George’s mushrooms (which appear around St George’s Day on 23 April) can still be found in early May, as well as dead-nettle, cow parsley, sorrel seeds and garlic leaves (you can dry, crush and preserve them in rock salt).

JUNE

This summer, bring a sweet taste of the PIG home to your breakfast table with our first jars of THE PIG Honey! Each 340g jar holds a delicious combination of the liquid gold harvested from our hives across THE PIGs. Pick up a jar in reception, or buy online at gifts.thepighotel. com/products/the-pigshoney OUR HOMEGROWN HONEY

We’ll be opening THE PIG-and The Village Pub this summer and we can’t wait to see you there to raise a glass together. Bookings will soon be open for THE PIG-and The Village Pub; visit thepighotel.com for all the latest updates

Elderflower (ideal for cordial or to sprinkle over scones or strawberries), chicory, clover and pineapple weed (camomile’s cousin – it has no petals and can be used to make a delicious tea).

JULY

Chestnuts, thistle heads, blackberries, elderberries (perfect for making vinegar), and meadowsweet (for a syrup to pour over ice cream).

AUGUST

Plums, samphire (deliciously salty; serve with melted butter or raw in salads), hogweed seeds and strawberries. Crab apples are a perfect partner with last month’s blackberries, added to half a bottle of whisky with a little sugar – leave for a couple of months and enjoy.

Notes from the Kitchen Garden

Ollie, our go-to Kitchen Garden expert, shares a summer update

With the warmer months upon us, it’s finally time to plant out the seedlings that have been lovingly propagated at our nursery in the New Forest. The nursery has been established for around 10 years now and we predict that in 2024, it will produce more than a quarter of a million seedlings – all to be planted across our PIG Kitchen Gardens, from Cornwall to Kent. Most recently in the Kitchen Gardens, we’ve been harvesting tomatoes, peppers, agretti (an Italian plant that is somewhat similar to samphire) and beans. These first came to us as nursery seedlings and replaced the last of the overwintered crops in our veg beds.

But while our plants were dormant over the winter, our garden teams certainly weren’t! In February, we rolled up our sleeves along with our friends at Sapling Spirits to create a nut orchard (or “nuttery”), at THE PIG-near Bath. We planted trees including cobnuts, filberts, almonds, walnuts and sweet chestnuts. They’re flanked on one side by a

Join us in our Kitchen Gardens

Enjoy a free guided tour of our Kitchen Gardens across THE PIGs (excluding THE PIG-in the wall and THE PIG-and The Village Pub), every last Friday of the month at 11am. Our kitchen gardeners will help you explore

“foraging hedge”, made up solely of native species that all produce an edible fruit or nut. In the future, we’ll be able to use produce from these in our kitchen at THE PIG-near Bath, and even in delicious cocktail syrups. In spring 2024, we also started work building the Kitchen Gardens for our newest PIG in the litter, THE PIG-and The Village Pub. We’ll have exciting progress to share from these veg beds in a future issue. Finally, if you’re heading to any of the horticultural shows this summer, you may just run into some of our PIG gardeners on tour. We will be busy building show gardens at BBC Gardeners’ World Live at the NEC, Birmingham (13 –16 June), and at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival in London (2-7 July). We’ll also be helping our friends at Alitex Greenhouses decorate their stand at RHS Chelsea Flower Show (21–25 May). We love to chat about all things planting and gardening, so if you do see us, come and say hello.

☞

SAPLING X THE PIG COFFEE VODKA

The story behind our limitededition Coffee Vodka, created with our friends at Sapling Spirits.

HOW IT ALL STARTED

At THE PIGs, we’re big supporters of many independent, artisanal brands – that’s why we’re proud to use Sapling Spirits as the go-to vodka and gin behind our bars. It’s a friendship that was meant to be. We share a passion for high-quality spirits, reducing waste and sourcing locally –plus, we have a penchant for a bit of a party!

☞

A PERFECT PARTNERSHIP

the veg patches, peek into the polytunnels and even say hello to our four-legged friends. We can even lend you wellies. Simply speak to the friendly reception team to join us. thepighotel.com/events/walled-garden-wanderings

[Back page answers: Before it was a PIG, A; As a matter of fact, B]

Together with Sapling, we’ve created our very first Coffee Vodka using spent coffee grounds from THE PIG. Usually, waste coffee granules are destined for compost – but we are always on the lookout for creative ways to reuse waste products at THE PIGs, and so, our Coffee Vodka was born. It’s a match made in heaven for espresso martinis!

☞ PLANTING TREES

Our Coffee Vodka doesn’t just taste good, it does good, too. Sapling plants a tree for every bottle it sells, so this February, we planted 32 nut trees together at THE PIG-near Bath (see Notes from the Kitchen Garden, left).

☞

TRY IT YOURSELF

Our limited run of 1,000 bottles is being sold exclusively online at THE PIG Market. Once they’re gone, they’re gone! Grab yours at gifts.thepighotel.com/ products/sapling-x-the-pigcoffee-vodka

One of the

Flower power

l oved gardeners , SarahRaven is a green-fingeredpioneer andoneof THE P IG’s favourite

HORTICULTURE, SAYS SARAH RAVEN, one of the UK’s best-loved gardeners, can be almost as capricious as fashion. What’s in vogue today could quite easily be on the compost heap tomorrow. Take hydrangeas, for example. Long considered the frumpiest of shrubs, they are now, according to Sarah, having a moment. “Girliness is back in fashion,” she explains, between potting workshops at Oxleaze Barn, Gloucestershire – a class she’s led for the better part of 20 years (and which she now co-hosts with her protégé, florist and author Arthur “Chicken Boy” Parkinson). “Instagram has had a real effect on the look and feel of what plants are in favour because, in the same way that men dominate food and design, women dominate floristry. And so hydrangeas, with their lacy, whimsical femininity, suddenly fulfil that role perfectly.”

It’s worth taking note. As an award-winning author and broadcaster, Sarah has become something of a green-fingered trendsetter, especially among those who like to mix their edibles with their ornamentals, or perhaps lean towards a more relaxed style of planting. Perch Hill Farm, her home in East Sussex, has become the flagship for her brand of bold and brilliant gardening. It’s here that she trials everything for her eponymous online nursery business, and where thousands of budding horticulturalists head year after year (perennially, even) to learn about succession planting, flower arranging and sustainable floristry.

“A friend of mine, [gardener and food writer] Mark Diacono, helped with the planting at THE PIG-near Bath, and I remember walking into the gardens and seeing these otherworldly kalettes, also known as flower sprouts,” Sarah recalls. “I remember thinking, ‘Oh, they obviously know what they’re doing here,’ because I thought I was the only person in England growing them. I heard about them from an amazing Belgian seed grower called Peter Bauwens.”

“I saw plants at THE PIG I thought I was the only person in England growing”

Sarah’s style of gardening might not be for everyone – “We get letters of complaint saying that Perch Hill is a bloody shambles,” she laughs – but it’s exactly to our taste. It’s tulips from Sarah’s Tudor Rose collection that you’ll see around the grounds of many of THE PIGs, among other flowers grown from her bulbs, and we’ve planted her seeds – kale, tomato, courgette, beetroot and basil – in a number of our Kitchen Gardens. And with a bit of luck, Sarah may start running masterclasses from one of our new openings – so watch this space.

One of the beauties of kalettes, says Sarah, is that they’re a wonderful example of a vegetable that is still relatively difficult to buy, but incredibly easy to grow – and this is very often the case with edible flowers, too. “We eat with our eyes,” she says, “so flowers can really help to make a dish look pretty. But I think they also help to visualise this idea of garden to plate – you know they’ll have been grown nearby. At Perch Hill, every month we’ll have five or six different edible flowers: some sweet, some savoury.” Dahlias, she says, can add “real razzmatazz” to a salad, nasturtiums offer a wonderful pepperiness and ‘White Valley’ tulips, which taste “halfway between a cucumber and a bean”, can offer a delicious crunch. “I used to chat with [chef Yotam] Ottolenghi, and about 15 years ago, I specifically remember him saying he purposely avoided using edible flowers because they were ‘far too wine bar’ for his taste,” she says – though we’re not sure whether or not he’d still feel that way in 2024. “Sometimes these things are merely a matter of fashion.”

She certainly welcomes the return of the popularity of the kitchen garden, something we’ve long been advocates of at our PIGs. “It’s the result of a greater interest in real food,” says Sarah. “Slow food was a buzzword several years ago, but then it faded away somewhat.” From food to flowers, “caring about provenance is not elitist, and it’s no longer perceived as elitist,” says Sarah. “It’s essential.” For info on open days at Perch Hill and more, visit sarahraven.com

Photo: Jonathan Buckley

“Fictional

the look and feel of my designs”

characters inspire

Our interiors guru, Judy Hutson, talks colour and character with Ruth Mottershead at Little Greene

EVERYTHING AT THE PIGS, from our food to the fittings and fixtures, helps to create the distinctively authentic, one-of-a-kind look and feel of our rooms and restaurants. Here, Judy Hutson, who masterminds all our interiors, chats to Ruth Mottershead, Creative Director at our friends Little Greene, the paint and wallpaper company. With a factory based in North Wales, Little Greene is an independent, family-run business.

JUDY It’s great to speak with you about colour, because I know you’re so passionate about it. For me, when I am decorating, I am always inspired by the anchor fabrics that I choose for curtains and blinds. I use them to find a colour for the room, because that way I arrive at one that complements that fabric.

RUTH The colours you choose to surround yourself with really can determine how a space will make you feel, can’t they? We feel the effects of colour even when it is used as a backdrop to support other textiles, accessories and design pieces. Because warmer and cooler tones evoke different feelings, I always find that creating a sense of atmosphere is not just about considering the colour, but also the brightness, the base tones and the depth of colour.

JH My top tip is always to apply some paint from the sample pot in various locations within a room, not just one spot. The look can change dramatically in different areas because of the light and shade. I also recommend choosing a paint that is washable, so it can be used in high-traffic areas of the home. From a practical point of view, one of the things that appeals to me about Little Greene paint is you can easily wash away any marks with soap and water. In a hotel environment, there is always a fair amount of wear and tear. But beyond that, I love Little Greene’s depth of colour, choice of palettes and the chalky texture.

RM Some of that will be due to the fact our paints have high levels of pigment – 40% more than many ordinary paints – which gives them excellent coverage. And our Intelligent paints range is 15 times tougher, making them fully washable and hardwearing.

JH Some colours will become more or less popular at any given time. I have always followed my instincts without worrying about trends. How do you think people can balance looking at the colour options that are more on their radar because they are current, with what will work best for a space?

RM I would always advise people to focus on choosing colours for the atmosphere you wish

“It’s about brightness, tone and depth”

RUTH

to create in a room. The kitchen is often a hive of activity, the hub of the home and a vibrant space, so it can be a place to be adventurous with colour and opt for bold tones that exude energy, like joyful and energetic yellows. But you could also opt for a calm, comforting palette of softer shades that will reflect a sense of homeliness, warmth and creativity. We have a gold-toned paint called Light Bronze Green that to me recalls a natural earthiness, for example. It looks sumptuous paired alongside our colours Nether Red and Elysian Ground for a scheme that really draws you in. How about your soon-to-open new place, THE PIGand The Village Pub, in the Cotswolds – what’s the decor inspiration there?

JH Historically, I have always chosen a fictional character and imagined they lived in the PIG that we are working on. I then impose that character on the look and feel of the design. But that’s been a bit different here because the THE PIG-and The Village Pub is a new life for Barnsley House, which was the home and, in many ways, the creation of the celebrated garden designer Rosemary Verey.

RM So in this case, did you find yourself looking for the first time to a real person’s life and work, rather than an imagined persona?

JH Yes, exactly – the spirit of Rosemary Verey, who had the vision to create the extraordinary garden at Barnsley House. So my own contribution was a bit different this time. I wanted to create something that is at its heart a feminine design, with her legacy definitely inspiring some of the floral- and gardenthemed fabrics and wallpapers. It’s amazing to have this already well-loved property become a part of our PIG family.

RM I can’t wait to see what you do.

See the full range of Little Greene paints at littlegreene.com

JUDY

INFO & GOINGS ON

~ ESSENTIAL INFO & HOTEL GUIDE

~ WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE

~ SOUTHAMPTON CALLING: THINGS TO SEE AND DO

~ THE INSIDE STORY ON OUR THRIVING DELI-BAR

Welcome to

THE PIG - IN THE

WE NEVER REALLY INTENDED TO HAVE a city hotel, but when we came across our historic townhouse, a truly unique Grade II listed private residence tucked into Southampton’s ancient walls, we just fell for it.

Our hotel was originally built as a private residence around 1820 and owned by the Countess Elizabeth Craven, an author and playwright, although she never actually lived here. In the late 1880s, for a while it was also a brewery and then a cosy pub, the Royal Standard. To create our PIG-in the wall, we also managed to purchase the adjacent house, adding more bedrooms.

The Western Esplanade we are nestled in once fronted right onto the water. To the right of our hotel (as you face it) you’ll find the city’s West Gate, built in 1338. It’s through this archway that Henry V and his troops marched on their way to Agincourt in 1415. Along the city walls, you’ll find all manner of plaques and signs leading you on a historic trail through Southampton. From here, it’s effortlessly easy to dip into the city’s storied past, at venues such as the Tudor House & Garden, the Medieval Merchant’s House and the ruins of Holyrood Church.

THE PIG-in the wall is yours to enjoy as a characterful base for making the most of the city and its surroundings. If you fancy taking to the water, we’re also just a short ferry ride from the Isle of Wight.

We do things a little differently to the rest of the PIGS

We are all about relaxed deli-dining here at THE PIG-in the wall, rather than the full PIG restaurant experience. Being tucked away in the city of Southampton we don’t have our own Kitchen Garden on site, but we are still totally committed to homegrown and local produce!

Daily deliveries from the Kitchen Garden at THE PIG, in the New Forest – which is only 20 minutes’ drive away – and our local suppliers from Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight mean that our menus change just as regularly.

Our menu is a pig’n’mix selection of freshly prepared delicounter salads, hearty larger plates, such as the pie of the day, as well as quiche, our snack boards, piggy bits and sweet treats.

Sausage rolls

Makes 2

• 2 shallots, finely diced

• 2 garlic gloves, finely chopped

• rapeseed oil

• a good pinch of chopped flat-leaf parsley

☞ VISIT OUR NEIGHBOURING PIG

If you’ve enjoyed lots of the fresh, seasonal produce in our Deli-bar dishes, the chances are some of it was grown in the Kitchen Garden at THE PIG, just 20 minutes down the road from us in the New Forest. Our very first PIG is situated in the most bucolic of settings, in a lovely old stone house in the leafy countryside outside Brockenhurst, alongside its abundant walled Kitchen Garden. If you have time, why not head over there for lunch, dinner or just a drink in the bar – followed by a mooch around the veg beds!

Useful info for your stay

HAVEAQUESTION?

Just call reception by dialling 0.

DIALLING OUT

To call an outside line please dial 9, wait for the change in tone, then dial the area code and number required.

COMPLIMENTARY WI-FI

To activate, just select “THE PIG Public” on your wi-fi settings and away you go!

BREAKFAST,LUNCHANDDINNER

All served from the Deli-bar. To find out service times please call reception by dialling 0

TREATMENTS

If you fancy a relaxing massage or facial, then pop to THE PIG in the New Forest for a Potting Shed treatment. Call reception by dialling 0 to find out more.

CHECK OUT

Check out is at 11am.

• 2 tablespoons chopped thyme or savory

• 1 tablespoon chopped chives

• ½ teaspoon salt

• a good pinch of pepper

• 800g sausage meat

• 2 x 320g packs ready-rolled puff pastry

• 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

• 1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds

Over the years, we’ve found that baking two larger rolls and cutting them down into smaller sections after cooking is the best method, as you don’t get any obvious shrinkage of the meat in your roll.

In a pan, sweat down the shallots and garlic with a little oil. Add the herbs, salt and pepper and cook for a few more minutes on a low heat. Chill the shallot mixture, then add to the sausage meat and mix well. Put the meat in disposable piping bags.

Heat the oven to 200°C, 180°C fan (400°F), Gas Mark 6 and line a lipped baking tray with baking parchment.

On a lightly floured work surface, lay out the 2 sheets of pastry. Brush eggwash all over the pastry and pipe the meat onto each sheet, 5cm in from the rim. Pipe 2.5cm longer than the pastry to allow for shrinkage.

Gently fold the pastry over the sausage meat to form two rolls, then press the edges together using the back of a fork.

Brush the surface of the pastry with eggwash again, sprinkle with the fennel seeds and place on the tray. Bake for about 30 minutes, turning the rolls over halfway through cooking. Before serving, cut each roll into 6-8 pieces – perfect for a filling lunch.

Meet us at the Deli-bar

How Kitchen Garden deliveries and trusted suppliers help our team work foodie magic

“THE PIG-IN THE WALL has all of the charm and character of our big siblings, but, if anything, the smaller size and Delibar setup offers guests an even more personable experience,” says our Deli Kitchen Manager, Laetitia Gill, known to everyone as Tilly. “Our appeal is that we’re an oasis within an urban setting. It’s a relaxed experience and because we have an open kitchen, our guests can see the food being produced and interact with the chefs as they prepare the dishes for the day – which is something we know people really enjoy. We host a lot of friends catching up, romantic meals and smallscale family reunions.”

Given our historic location nestled within one of the city walls, the Deli-bar at THE PIG-in the wall – which seats 26

“We elevate our menu by using the freshest produce”

– does not have a spacious behind-the-scenes kitchen area or its own Kitchen Garden on site. But we benefit from daily deliveries from suppliers including the Kitchen Garden of our sister establishment, THE PIG, in nearby Brockenhurst. “Our deliveries from Brockenhurst vary throughout the year. During the summer months, we receive a selection of different herbs, edible flowers, vegetables and salad leaves,” says Tilly. Favoured ingredients from other suppliers include Isle of Wight tomatoes for salads, “which are delicious in the summer”. As Tilly explains, “We elevate our menu as a whole by using the freshest produce. We source local food whenever we can and are always following the seasons to guide our menu. It hasn’t proven to be a challenge, as we work closely with our suppliers.”

The Deli-bar menu ranges from the snacky “piggy bits” – little dishes like chipolatas with honey and mustard, homemade houmous and cracker bread – to chunky toasties and hearty larger plates such as freshly baked quiches, homemade soups, sharing snack boards and our cake of the day. And we’re well-known for riotously colourful, flavourful salads. “We love grating, roasting and mixing raw vegetables as well as other ingredients, and we add fresh herbs and toppings such as toasted seeds or nuts for a final touch,” says Tilly. “We like our dishes to be a feast for the eyes, too.” She also puts in a special mention for the Deli-bar’s fresh sausage rolls (see the recipe on page 8 of this issue). “They are locally famous!”

Tilly, who trained at the well-regarded Ashburton Cookery School in Devon, has been part of the team here since 2017. Being the manager of the Deli-bar is a hands-on role that still sees her involved in food preparation and menu planning. “I’ve always enjoyed making new dishes, combining flavours and experimenting with presentation,” she says. “Seeing other people’s enjoyment from food I have made is such a great feeling.”

Drop in and see us or, to avoid disappointment, book your spot in our Deli-bar at thepighotel.com/in-the-wall/restaurantsouthampton

☞ 3 minutes

Speak to the Deli-bar team to find out which delicious fresh salads are on the menu today.

☞ 30 minutes

Why not settle into one of the comfy chairs in the lounge to enjoy a quick game of chess, with a drink in hand? Choose from the selection of board games available.

☞ 3 hours

Did you know Southampton was home to the largest flying boat operation in the world? Learn all about it and sit in the cockpits of legendary planes such as the Spitfire at the Solent Sky Museum, just a 15-minute walk away.

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.

BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL: THE DELI-BAR IS KNOWN FOR ITS COLOURFUL, FLAVOURFUL SALADS

Naturally inspired

Non-alcoholic Cornish spirits brand Pentire has become a global phenomenon – including at our PIGs, where we knew the founder when it all began

ALISTAIR “FROSTY” FROST was a regular at THE PIG-at Harlyn Bay long before he became a supplier, and could often be found in The Lobster Shed, tucking into a lobster thermidor and chips. That’s still very much the case – only when you’re the head of a fast-growing brand, you find less time to frequent your local haunts.

Named after the rugged headland a few miles up the coast from Harlyn Bay, Pentire’s alcohol-free spirits are made by distilling native coastal botanicals. In 2019, Frosty returned to Cornwall after a few years in London working in the drinks industry, and moved to Port Isaac in search of a different way of life – one that “encompassed the outdoors, wellness and a great foodie scene”. He had a longstanding ambition to create his own healthy drinks brand, and soon discovered that the clifftops around his local surf spot, Pentire Point, were home to over 1,000 types of sea herb, including ice lettuce, rock samphire, sea purslane and sea fennel. With the help of a few friends – one a mixologist, another a botanist – he started sourcing herbs and distilling them in his garage using a rudimentary homemade still.

Pentire is perfectly in tune with the zeitgeist for boozing less, but so are dozens of other fledgling brands. Why has it been able to grow so quickly? Frosty puts its success down to “being around good people”. The whole team is very much drinks-focused, but many also have a passion for sport or the outdoors. “Our team is made up of GB athletes, surfers, climbers and marathon runners,” he says. “As a company, we’re all passionate about prioritising health, wellness and time outdoors – go for a surf, go to the gym, do it twice a day if you like. Because when your body is feeling good, your mind feels good, too, and that’s when you achieve incredible things.”

“We distil whole, fresh botanicals, which produces greater flavour and purity”

It wasn’t long before they came up with the recipe for Pentire Adrift, the company’s flagship, original product – a blend of rock samphire, sage and lemon citrus with a dash of Cornish sea salt – which Gordon Ramsay has described as “the most delicious non-alcoholic drink”. The company has grown at an average of more than 100 per cent, year-on-year, and as well as being offered at our PIGs, who were early supporters, Pentire is now sold in 15 countries. The New York Times also named Pentire Adrift among the best non-alcoholic spirits for three years running.

Of course, the drinks aren’t bad either. Other spirits in the range include Pentire Seaward, a zesty number made from pink grapefruit, sea rosemary, woodruff, sea buckthorn and wild seaweed that goes perfectly over ice with tonic. “With Pentire, we distil whole, fresh botanicals, which produces greater flavour and purity,” explains Frosty, who’s long since moved operations out of his garage. “I think that’s the appeal for chefs and bartenders. They tend to lean towards fresh, seasonal ingredients that are grown or farmed naturally.” The fact that Pentire has achieved certified B Corp status for high standards in sustainability backs him up on this point.

There’s never been an “anti-alcohol” mission behind Pentire. “Eighty per cent of our customers do drink alcohol,” says Frosty. “We just want to offer an alternative. Pentire can elevate a food experience for someone who is looking for something more healthy to drink.” Try Pentire drinks, including Pentire Adrift, when you stay at any of our PIGs

PENTIRE’S FOUNDER, ALISTAIR

“FROSTY” FROST, ABOVE. THE BRAND’S NON-ALCOHOLIC SPIRITS ARE MADE WITH BOTANICALS NATIVE TO THE CORNISH COAST

Cocktail

Muddy Farmer

• 40ml Sapling x THE PIG Coffee Vodka

• 10ml coffee liqueur

• 10ml rye whiskey

• 2 dashes orange bitters

• 2 dashes chocolate bitters

• 12.5ml spiced orange syrup, and dehydrated orange slices to garnish (see below)

For the spiced orange syrup (makes 500ml)

• Peel of 2 oranges

• Spices such as: 2 cinnamon sticks, 6 cloves, 2 anise, 8 juniper berries, pinch of nutmeg

• 250g sugar

Put the orange peel in a saucepan and cover with 250ml water and the sugar before bringing to the boil. Add spices, remove from heat.

For the dehydrated orange slices

• 1 orange

Heat the oven to 110°C, 90°C fan (230°F). Thinly slice 1 orange and arrange the slices on a baking tray. Bake for 2 hours.

For the cocktail

Stir all the ingredients (except the orange slices) in a cocktail shaker. In your chosen drinking glass (a whisky tumbler works well), add a large ice cube, or enough ice to fill the glass. Strain the mixture into the glass, using a fine strainer such as a hawthorn cocktail strainer. Finally, add a slice of dehydrated orange.

What to drink with our dark chocolate and hazelnut slice…

Our PIG Wine Team recommends this wine as the perfect match for this delicious pud.

Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2021

When pairing wine with desserts, one simple rule to follow is that the wine should be sweeter than the dessert, otherwise the wine will lose its character on the palate. Chocolate goes with very few wines, but the blackberries make this Recioto della Valpolicella Classico by Pier Paolo Antolini in Veneto, Italy, the obvious contender. This wine is the sweet cousin of the famous Amarone della Valpolicella, and has aromas of blackberry, morello cherry, baking spices and bitter dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate and hazelnut slice

We always want you to have the most delicious, relaxing time with us – so we hope that, even after a long lunch feasting with friends or tucking into a delicious supper for two, our dessert menu calls you to take a peek. This summery pud was created by our Group Pastry Chef, Kelvin … because, for us, chocolate is always the perfect end to a meal.

Serves 4

For the slice

• 150g 70% dark chocolate

• 150g ground hazelnuts

• 4 medium eggs, separated

• 150g butter, melted

• 150g caster sugar

For the stock syrup

• 50g caster sugar

• 100ml cold water

For the garnish

• A handful of blackberries (about five per person)

• A handful of hazelnuts

• A dollop of crème fraîche or soft, whipped cream

Heat the oven to 160°C, 140°C fan, (320°F), Gas Mark 3. Blitz the dark chocolate in a food processor until fine, then add to a bowl with the ground hazelnuts. Add the egg yolks and melted butter to the mixture, and stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, using a hand or electric whisk, then slowly add the sugar, whisking all the time to incorporate. Carefully fold the chocolate mixture into the egg whites until fully mixed, and pour into a 20cm (8 inch) lined cake tin. Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the stock syrup. Gently heat the sugar and water in a small pan, and simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved. Place the blackberries in a heatproof dish and pour the syrup over them. Allow to cool at room temperature.

After the chocolate slice has been cooking for 20 minutes, remove it from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature.

While everything is cooling, place the hazelnuts on a roasting tray and bake at 180°C, 160°C fan, (360°F), Gas Mark 4 for five minutes. Allow the nuts to cool before gently breaking with the base of a small pot or rolling pin.

To serve, gently remove the slice from the cake tin, divide into four portions and plate up. Add the blackberries, with a little of the syrup, the toasted hazelnuts and a dollop of crème fraîche or soft whipped cream to finish.

OUR PIG PEOPLE

ARE THE FUTURE OF CARING AND CONSIDERED 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!

Here at THE PIGs, we work with our friends at Clean the World to recycle our used soap bars from our bedrooms and turn them into new bars of soap. These recycled bars are donated to global NGOs and distributed to communities in need. We have collected over 535kg of soap so far, which equates to 10,794 bars of recycled soap being created and donated!

Our dedication to “supporting local” is central to the way we do things at THE PIGs, so we asked Clean the World if we could send some soap bars back to our local communities. We were pleased to be able to deliver two big boxes of soap to FoodCycle and Genesis Trust – two charities THE PIG-near Bath has been supporting through volunteering efforts. This spring, we also sent a box down to Harbour Housing near THE PIG-at Harlyn Bay. These three brilliant organisations are doing amazing things, supporting local people facing challenging times. So, if you don’t fancy taking your soap bar home with you, rest assured that it is not going to waste!

“I’mhopingtobethefirst

quadrupleamputeetorow acrosstheNorthAtlantic”

Discover more about how soap can be recycled at cleantheworld.org

Alex Lewis

The adventurer and campaigner/fundraiser taking on the PIG 2 PIG challenge

In 2013, Alex Lewis contracted strep A and septicaemia, which led to him having all four limbs amputated. Since then, he has dedicated his life to the advancement of assistive and medical technology, raising funds through a series of extraordinary escapades. His latest adventure, the PIG 2 PIG challenge, will see him row 350 miles from Falmouth Harbour to THE PIG-at Bridge Place before hand-cycling back to THE PIG-at Harlyn Bay.

THERE’S NO RECORD of a quadruple amputee doing offshore rowing. So for the PIG 2 PIG challenge, we’ve had to develop new prosthetics, attachments and mechanisms. It’s pretty daunting. But in the UK, we have access to the best engineers, technicians and universities, many of whom are on standby in case things break.

ROBIN HUTSON, THE PIGS’ FOUNDER, worked with my wife, Lucy (and said she was one of the best pastry chefs he’s ever known) at Hotel du Vin, and has always been supportive. He was always asking her, “How do we keep your hotel [The Greyhound on the Test] open? And how do we make sure you’ve got enough time to spend with Alex?”

THE PIG 2 PIG CHALLENGE is a way to fundraise. The money will go to Hospitality Action and the Murray Parish Trust, a children’s health charity. It’s also an opportunity to champion my own foundation, FLOAT (For the Love of Assistive Technology).

I’M NOT IN IT FOR MEDALS I’m in it for the endeavour and the education around it. By working collaboratively to design new equipment, you can achieve some really cool stuff. I’m hoping to row from Newfoundland to Lymington in 2026, becoming the first quadruple amputee ever to row across the North Atlantic.

THIS CHALLENGE IS made possible by the Wild Wheelchairs Project, an initiative that business leader David Collinson and I created to develop vehicles for wheelchair users that can traverse mountain, desert, sea, snow, ice and air. We’ve ticked off mountain and desert, so it was always going to be sea next. We’ve been working with Rannoch Adventure to create an ocean-rowing boat with the necessary adaptations.

IF I CAN COMPLETE this PIG 2 PIG challenge, I’ll be delighted. Physically my body’s going to be wrecked by the end of it, but I’m fine with that, especially if we get people talking about assistive technology.

Spotter’s guide: collared doves

These charming birds (actually a type of pigeon) have pinkish-grey feathers with dark grey wingtips and the striking neck collar that gives them their name. They coo at length, with a distinctive “hoo-hoooo-hoo”. Collared doves can now be found throughout the UK, but have only been present here since the 1950s. As long as the weather is mild, they can breed all year round. Their numbers are decreasing in the UK – bird experts believe this could be due in part to competing with wood pigeons for the same food and habitats.

BEFORE IT WAS A PIG...

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

A Grade I listed Elizabethan manor house set in 3,500 acres in the Otter Valley is THE PIG-at Combe today. The first recorded owner of a property on this site, Bishop Odo, was the half-brother of a famous figure, who later imprisoned him. Whose brother was he?

A) William the Conqueror

B) Queen Elizabeth I C) Henry VIII D) King George VI

[Answer on page 3]

As a matter of fact

We serve delicious, sustainably caught, roasted lobster at our Harlyn Bay outdoor dining spot, The Lobster Shed. Which of these amazing claims about lobsters is not true? a) If a lobster loses a claw, it can grow back b) Lobsters change colour when happy c) Lobsters are cannibals

[Answer on page 3]

PIG HACKS NO. 4

Milk urn umbrella stand

Take a leaf out of our book and try repurposing an old milk urn (often available at garden centres or online) as an instantly stylish umbrella stand.

HALL OF FAME

WINSTON CHURCHILL’S PIGS

As well as having many beloved pet cats and dogs, Winston Churchill kept a variety of livestock at Chartwell, his country estate in Kent, including Middle White pigs. It seems he thought very highly of them, because in 1945 he reportedly said, “I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” Churchill certainly did like pigs, but there was likely also a double meaning to his words, as it is thought they were said in response to the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin having used the word “pig” as an insult.

THE PIG IN NUMBERS...

251,944

seedlings grown in our New Forest nursery in 2023, to supply our Kitchen Gardens.

535

kg of used in-room soap bars collected across THE PIGs in 2023. Every kg has been recycled into new soap bars by our friends at Clean the World.

... find out more here

1,037

® 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.

hours of volunteering for local charities by our PIG teams in 2023.

OVER AND OUT