OUR NEW PIGS
It was a busy, brilliant summer in 2024 as The Village Pub (our first PIG pub!) officially swung open its doors to the locals in Barnsley, in the heart of the Cotswolds. Shortly after, its honey-hued big-sister, THE PIG-in the Cotswolds, opened in September just across the road. Speak to reception to book a table either in the main restaurant or pub – we can’t wait to see you there
We are B Corp certified!
Ever since our first PIG opened its doors in 2011, it’s been in our DNA to champion local suppliers, help the environment thrive and provide real opportunities for our PIG people. So we couldn’t be more excited to share that THE PIGs are now B Corp certified. For a company to get certified, every aspect of the business is put under a microscope to see how well it’s really caring for people and planet. From supporting communities to using local produce, it’s a truly thorough audit –there’s nowhere for green-washers or those who only “talk the talk” to hide.
Being B Corp certified means we’re now part of a global community of businesses who can prove they’re meeting high standards of social and environmental impact. That really matters to us and to our local friends and carefully chosen partners (you can read more about them on page 14).
FORAGER’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 foragers who bring us the best goodies hiding on our doorstep. These picks are from Peter, our master forager at THE PIG-in the New Forest.
SEPTEMBERNOVEMBER
Sloe berries to make sloe gin, jams and jellies.
Rosehips are rich in Vitamin C, and traditionally used to make rosehip syrup. Beefsteak fungus look like pieces of meat but are bright red mushrooms!
Ceps, also known as “Penny Buns”, are among the most highly regarded of all wild mushrooms. Winter chanterelles are delicious, frost-resistant wild mushrooms. Hedgehog fungi have “spines” rather than gills – hence the common name.
Being a B Corporation isn’t about being the best – it’s about always working to be better. That’s why we’re committed to continuing to make responsible, thoughtful decisions to be a force for good and help lead the way for the hospitality industry. You can be sure we’re up for the challenge. Find out more about how we do things by visiting thepighotel.com/ about-us/efforts-ethos
DECEMBERFEBRUARY
Pennywort is a crunchy and succulent green leaf. Hairy bittercress are neither hairy nor bitter! They taste a little like watercress.
Three-cornered garlic has long, thin, often abundant leaves with a garlic and onion flavour. Chickweed is a salad green with small, low-lying leaves. Douglas fir needles can be used in syrups and as a flavouring. Alexanders are often called “Britain’s forgotten vegetable”, and taste like a cross between celery and parsley.
AND WE’RE
PLANTING
garlic, onions, broad beans, winter salads, cabbages
Notes from the Kitchen Garden
Our Kitchen Garden guru Ollie shares a seasonal update
As soon as there’s a chill in the air, our gardeners pull up a chair with the chefs to go through everything we’ve sown and grown throughout the season – and start planning for the year ahead. It’s a bit like getting ready for the beginning of a new school year. A fresh start brings a lot of excitement. We discuss what produce we want more (or less!) of, new varieties we’d like to try and different ingredients we can introduce to our menus.
We start getting garlic and onions in the ground in early autumn, so they’re ready for next summer, and plant out salads in our polytunnels and greenhouses at the beginning of October.
One trick is not to harvest celeriac too soon. It may look ready above the ground in October, but it’s still too early for the roots. You want big, swollen stems that form a nice, full celeriac ball, rather than having a round top with little, spindly roots, somewhat resembling a jellyfish! The perfect harvest time is around November and it is well worth the wait.
In the winter months, one of my favourite crops is ready for picking: Chinese artichokes. These plants are a relative of the mint family (although they’re unscented) and produce a tuber. They’re not much of a looker when you pull them out of the ground – but don’t let that fool you. On the palate, they have a similar taste and texture to water chestnuts, which are delicious in hearty winter dishes, and they can be pickled to use later in the year. It’s a great way of serving homegrown produce out of season.
Our teams are out in the Kitchen Garden every day – even on Christmas Day – picking the freshest produce for our menus, come rain or shine. And we’ll be planting throughout the new year, too. Towards the end of January and February, we sow thousands of tomato, pepper and aubergine plants across our greenhouses and polytunnels, and you’ll find lots of chard and colourful crops in the veg beds. There’s always vibrancy in our gardens and kitchens to keep us inspired all the way to spring.
Enjoy a free guided tour of our Kitchen Gardens across THE PIGs (excluding THE PIG-in the wall), every day at 11am. Our Kitchen Gardeners are always happy to answer any questions you have, and we can even
lend you a pair of wellies. Simply speak to one of our friendly reception team and we’ll be happy to arrange to have you come and join us for a morning tour. thepighotel.com/events/walled-garden-wanderings
[Back page answers: B; C]
☞ SMASHED IT
In summer 2024, fundraiser and adventurer Alex Lewis created a PIG 2 PIG challenge to raise money for some brilliant charities, including Hospitality Action. Alex, a quadruple amputee, rowed 350 miles from Falmouth to THE PIG-at Bridge Place in Kent, before hand-cycling back to THE PIG-at Harlyn Bay – stopping at each of the PIGs along the way. To support his fundraising, each PIG added a voluntary £1 donation to every food bill in June, raising £11,485 to contribute towards Alex’s total. What better reason to raise a glass?
☞ PRIVATE INVITE
Looking to celebrate? We will warmly welcome you and your favourite people in our characterful private rooms. From birthdays and business meetings to wedding parties and workshops, you’ll have your very own PIG space. We love any reason to gather people around the table – usually over a big PIG feast! Select your chosen PIG at thepighotel.com, then discover its amazing spaces for private hire under the Gatherings tab.
☞ TAKING THE LEAD
THE PIGs have won the Country & Town House 2024 Sustainable Hotel award! This new accolade celebrates the brilliantly committed work that goes on behind the scenes of the hospitality industry that we know our guests really value.
members including our founder , Robin Huts
Our own PIG wines
on , explain the story behind the creationofour
own wines, Alpaca Block and WhereEaglesFl
IN 2013, THE PIGS’ FOUNDER, Robin, was scouting out a potential new hotel property in Madehurst, generally pleased with what he was seeing, when he looked across a field in front of the house that was occupied by alpacas. It wasn’t these unusual residents that captured his imagination, though. “It suddenly dawned on me that perhaps we could grow some vines there,” he recalls. “I’ve been to lots of hotels in Australia and California where you have dinner overlooking a vineyard, and I guess they’d stuck in the back of my mind.” That two-acre, south-facing stretch of chalky grassland sealed the deal. The South Downs would have a PIG, and, with some help from the right people, Robin would try to fulfil a lifelong dream of becoming a vineyard owner.
The viticulture company VineWorks was brought in for a terroir study, to assess the pH of the soil and suggest a rootstock that would prosper. Based on the findings, it suggested chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier, the three varieties used to make champagne. Perfect, one might think, given that Sussex has become renowned for its sparkling wine – but there’s always a twist with THE PIGs, and Robin was determined to make still wines. He convinced Dermot and Ana Sugrue, of the highly awarded English winemakers Sugrue South Downs, to oversee the winemaking for the PIGs, which is what made the whole venture possible.
“Both Dermot and Ana are unbelievable winemakers, pioneers in the UK wine industry,” says Luke Harbor, Head of Wine for THE PIGs. Sugrue South Downs, which opened its own winery, Bee Tree Vineyard, in 2023, is where THE PIGs’ wines are made. But this is not their first rodeo –the Sugrue team has been making wine since 2009, winning countless accolades including the prestigious WineGB’s Best Boutique Producer.
“What’s most exciting is that we basically have a blank canvas,” says Luke. “Becoming part of the UK’s wine journey at such an embryonic stage is really cool, and helping to establish a vineyard, then finding a partner to actually produce our wine, has given us a whole new perspective on the winemaking process.”
Today, the vineyard at THE PIG-in the South Downs (which has been affectionately named “Alpaca Block”), grows three rows of gamay vines alongside the chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier, and produces two wines: a rosé and a chardonnay. Both are now on our PIG wine lists.
“These are very high-quality still wines,” says Dermot, and for better or worse, the changing temperatures in the UK have had a lot to do with it. “In terms of climate change, we’re where we were 20 or 30 years ago with English sparkling wine, so we’re just starting to be able to make excellent still wine.”
“I always say that wine, especially still wine, is made in the vineyard,” says Ana, who in the past 10 years has made wines in Peru, California, New Zealand, Germany and Austria. “There are lots of obstacles [in the UK] – starting with frost and higher rainfall, downy mildew and botrytis – but if we can get healthy, rich, juicy grapes, it’s very straightforward to make a good wine after that.”
Luke agrees: “The art and science of winemaking is in how you farm your vineyard. When do you do your pruning, and how? When do you trim the foliage? When do you weed? When do you mow? Do you plant cover crops? The craft of growing grapes involves incredible nuance.”
Meanwhile, over at Groombridge Place in Kent, our forthcoming PIG opening, Dermot and the team have resuscitated another vineyard planted by the “godfather of English winemaking”, Stephen Skelton, in the 1980s. Robin has named the first bottling – a blend of seyval blanc and pinot meunier – Where Eagles Fly, on account of the nearby UK Owl and Raptor Centre. “By having those beautiful birds of prey flying overhead, luckily we don’t get lots of hungry little songbirds tucking into our lovely ripe fruit,” grins Dermot. “They give that place a very wide berth.”
According to Luke, Alpaca Block Rosé – which he describes as “elegant, versatile and very drinkable” – has been carefully balanced to pair with our seasonal Kitchen Garden ingredients. It’s part of a concerted effort to blur the lines between winemaking and hospitality.
“The way things are going, wine could be an important part of the solution for declining agriculture in the south [of England],” says Robin. “As we’ve demonstrated with Alpaca Block, you certainly don’t need prairies to get started. Vines can thrive in small patches. There’s an enormous opportunity for THE PIG to be at the forefront of the UK’s wine tourism sector,” he says. “And there’s a huge opportunity for UK wine.” Try our Alpaca Block Rosé and Alpaca Block Chardonnay when you dine with us at THE PIGs, and look out for Where Eagles Fly, coming soon.
“It’s more honeyed and delicate than a bold smoky Scotch”
Our Group Bar Manager, Sam Vesey, talks with Rob Patchett of the Cotswolds Distillery – our tried-and-trusted English whisky supplier
WE CHAMPION LOCAL SUPPLIERS and produce at our bars at THE PIGs, and beyond the celebrated English wine scene, we also have a long-running relationship with topnotch English whisky-makers, the Cotswolds Distillery. Here, its Global Whisky Brand Ambassador, Rob Patchett, discusses the perks and particularities of building a whisky brand in the English countryside with THE PIGs’ own Sam Vesey.
SAM Can you explain how the Cotswolds Distillery started? It’s not the first part of the world that you think of when you think of whisky, which is part of what makes the brand interesting to me.
ROB Our distillery was founded by Dan Szor, an American who settled in the UK. He had been working in finance and was well compensated, but he didn’t enjoy it. He first caught the whisky bug when he visited Islay, and ended up buying a cask. Looking out at the barley fields at the back of his place in the Cotswolds one day, he just thought, “Why isn’t anyone making whisky here?” Soon he was speaking to longtime experts about the flavour profile he was looking for, finding investors and building the first distillery to make whisky in the Cotswolds. It opened here in 2014. We were the fourth English whisky distillery at that time – now there are 55.
SAM English whisky might still be a hard sell to some people, but we find at THE PIGs, the people who visit us want to try interesting things and they like seeing it behind our bars. The feedback when they taste Cotswolds Distillery is very, very good. What’s different about producing whisky in England rather than elsewhere?
ROB Environmentally speaking, we are able to have sustainable barley and very low “barley miles” of only 197 from field to final bottle. All our barley is sourced from a single farm nearby, and we only use local water. We’ve also created a new ecological wetlands system by converting old marshland into a wildflower meadow with five ponds that process more than 100,000 litres of our waste liquid weekly.
SAM I think you tried to show us that meadow the last time we visited for our annual trip with senior PIG bartenders – but it was raining so hard that day we all had to go inside.
ROB Yeah, it rained so much I ended up having to stop my talk and ask if everyone wanted to go inside and drink whisky instead! Speaking of the weather, we do have warmer summers than Scotland, so our “angel’s share” – the evaporation rate of whisky from a barrel over time – is higher, and we take that into account with our methods. Basically, we lean into being an English whisky and part of a new “world
whisky” movement. And we now export to 40 different countries.
SAM We recently began to offer an English version of a Scotch Sour with your whisky, which goes down really well. And, of course, every PIG bar creates its own cocktails inspired by the Kitchen Garden ingredients.
ROB The PIG bar teams always bring something different to the table and offer us different drinks ideas and executions. One that knocked me out recently was when Harvey, the Bar Manager at THE PIG in Brockenhurst, made a highball with raspberry and basil puree, with a little ginger beer and lemon juice. It looked stunning, too.
SAM Yes, we find whisky highballs work well with the Cotswolds Distillery, as the whisky is a bit more honeyed, delicate and fruity than a big, bold, smoky Scotch whisky. With drinks and with produce in general, we have lost so many of our traditions and knowledge from the past. My view is that anything we can make in England – well, we should.
ROB Absolutely. English whisky has come a long way, and we are really moving forwards now.
Try Cotswolds Distillery whisky, as well as its gin and more, when you drink with us at any of our PIGs. To find out more or buy online, visit cotswoldsdistillery.com
“We have very low barley miles from field to bottle” ROB
INFO & GOINGS ON
~ ESSENTIAL INFO & HOTEL GUIDE
~ POTTING SHED TREATMENT MENU
~ KENT CALLING: THINGS TO SEE AND DO
~ THE INSIDE STORY ON OUR SIGNATURE PICKLING WALL
Welcome to
THE PIG - AT
IT’S FITTING THAT THE FIRST OWNER of Bridge Place should have been known for the good table, good wines and good company he kept. Bridge Place was built in about 1638 by Sir Arnold Braems, the first manager of Dover Harbour. It was a society attraction – the Dutch painter Willem Schellinks visited in 1661 and reported that Sir Arnold kept a princely table and had many visits from knights and high-born gentlemen and ladies. Second only to Chilham Castle in east Kent, it was painted by society artists Jan Siberechts and Adriaen Jansz.
By the early 18th century, the house was falling on hard times and was sold to neighbouring landowners who pulled down much of the property – the current building is just one wing of the original. Glory days returned in the 1960s, when it became a much-loved music venue. The arched wooden door to the sitting room was once the entrance to a nightclub where Led Zeppelin, The Kinks and The Yardbirds all played early gigs. The rural location meant there were few neighbours to disturb.
These days, we also use this idyllic Kentish location to nurture our Kitchen Garden, accessed via a bridge and practically on its own island. Here, you will find productive raised beds brimming with vegetables, our Alitex Mottisfont greenhouse and our polytunnels, which help to nurture tender crops with heating and lighting.
Today, the knights and rock stars have departed – or not, depending on who your fellow guests are. But with plenty of lovingly refurbished original features to soak up, a stunning countryside setting and the PIG’s emphasis on the best local Kentish produce, this remains a very special house where the good times always roll.
BRIDGE PLACE
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 in the restaurant.
To find out our restaurant opening times, please call reception by dialling 0.
TREATMENTS
To book a treatment in our Potting Sheds, please call reception by dialling 0.
CHECK OUT
Check out is at 11am.
Wander through the walled Kitchen Garden...
... past the raised beds, alongside the river and into our warm rustic retreats: our 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 familyrun 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.
Good to know
Our therapists have been professionally trained to offer safe and effective spa treatments for guests recovering from or undergoing cancer treatments. Just ask at reception to speak to one of the Potting Shed team if you would like to know more.
Potting Shed Treatment Menu
All treatments are 60 minutes and £115
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.
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.
UPPER BODY UNWIND
A luxurious tailored treatment that starts with a warm exfoliation of the back, followed by a soothing back, arm and hand massage, and 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 that also helps to relieve fatigue and aches. Suitable for those in their second and third trimester of pregnancy.
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.
HOT
STONE MASSAGE
A deeply indulgent body massage, using aromatherapy oils and volcanic stones, which help to melt away tension, ease stress and improve blood circulation. It is said that one stone movement is equivalent to ten hand movements.
The following treatments can be enjoyed in our new Treatment Wagon, tucked away in a tranquil corner of the sheep field. We are unable to take two bookings of these treatments at the same time.
ORGANIC OCEAN ESSENCE TOTAL BODY WRAP
Combining the detoxifying power of Fucus serratus and the cellulitereducing abilities of Laminaria digitata seaweed, this treatment stimulates the blood and lymph flow, detoxifies and hydrates the skin and encourages the renewal of skin cells.
FULL BODY SUGAR SCRUB
SHED MEETS SPA
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.”
This refreshing all-over exfoliation treatment awakens the skin and body using an uplifting mix of organic peppermint leaf, seaweed and sugar to invigorate, exfoliate and nourish. Afterwards, enjoy a shower and finish off with an all-over deeply nourishing body cream.
Picked and pickled
Our team on how the much-loved pickling wall helps preserve the fresh ingredients we harvest here at Bridge, to use all year round
“OUR PICKLING WALL, and the fact we have so many pickled ingredients here, has been a core part of our kitchen since day one,” says Andy Feasby, the Head Chef at THE PIG-at Bridge Place. “Our colleague Kamil established all our pickling methods here when we first opened in 2019 –his nickname is Mr Pickle. It took us a bit of time to stop just keeping all the jars in the back and to start actually showcasing them. Now guests are always asking us if they can try things they’ve spotted, which we love.”
Andy is taking a brief break before the lunchtime service begins to give us a tour of the spectrum of colourful ingredients that have been picked on site, all now stored and displayed in satisfyingly hefty glass jars of pickling liquor, labelled by hand in white ink. Together, the jars on shelves form the pickling wall: an eye-catching signature feature of the restaurant interior that’s a guest favourite. There’s also a second, smaller selection on display outside, on the restaurant’s rustic terrace, where the Nailbourne stream burbles past.
There are pickled onions, naturally, which drinkers snack on in the bar; but also pickled heritage carrots, mushrooms, beetroot and much more. One jar is heaving with artichokelike tuber vegetables called crosnes, pickled in a hot-pink
HEAD CHEF ANDY FEASBY (BELOW)
“When you pickle chillies, it mellows out their heat”
liquor that’s tinted with beetroot; another holds golden beets. Whatever the contents, the produce has been preserved at its fresh best shortly after being harvested – usually from the grounds right here at Bridge.
Andy’s personal favourites include pickled chillies: “We harvest a lot of chillies from the greenhouses during the summer. When you pickle them, it mellows out their heat a little and improves the flavour compared to just biting a piece of chilli.” He also uses the tomato water left over from preserving tomatoes as a sauce for fresh crab when he has it on the menu.
The wall makes a colourful feature, but at its core is a functional purpose. “If we get hot weather in the summer, or even a sudden run of a few hot days, we then need to harvest more ripe produce from the Kitchen Garden that we can use up immediately,” explains Andy. “So it’s a very practical move to try to extend the life of that quality produce, to use it later in the year. Fresh seasonal produce is key to what we do at THE PIG.”
“We pickle fruit, too,” he continues. “We’re in one of the cherry capitals of the country here in Kent, so when we have a cherry harvest we’ll use an alcohol-based pickling method to save cherries for our pastry menus in the winter, when it can be hard to create a 25 mile menu. Our Head Kitchen Gardener, Fran, has just harvested a lot of currants that we’re now preserving, too. In early autumn, we harvest damsons, which we will use for sauces. I also like a plum sauce for venison.”
“Our pickling wall is a reminder that our Kitchen Garden is the heartbeat of our operation, and almost a direct line to it,” says Deputy General Manager Freya Morton. “We are very transparent about what we do here and we have an open kitchen where you can see the chefs working with ingredients. And we share our pickleliquor recipe with guests, too – it’s not a secret.” Freya points out that there isn’t a great deal of artwork in the restaurant – though there are some intriguing paintings and objects elsewhere – in part because the food itself is the visual focus here, with the jars arranged by colour and potted tomato plants and herbs on the restaurant tables, rather than flowers.
Freya also has first-hand experience of THE PIGs’ pickling culture, having chosen to be among the team members who lived on site during the pandemic lockdown of 2020 to keep THE PIG-at Bridge Place functioning. “It was summertime and we had so much produce from the garden that we didn’t know what to do with, but that couldn’t go to waste,” she explains. “So we pickled a lot! It was so satisfying when we were finally able to see the kitchen back [up and running] and make use of everything. Beetroots that I had pickled were finally getting eaten. Making use of our fresh produce all year is what we are all about.”
How to make your own jars of pickles
Ingredients
Makes 1 litre
250ml white wine
375ml white wine
vinegar
~ 500ml water
~ 250g sugar
~ 2 star anise
~ ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
~ 2 juniper berries
~ 1 bay leaf
~ ½ teaspoon white peppercorns
~ Your choice of fresh vegetables to pickle
Method
Put all the ingredients except for the veg in a pan and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and allow to simmer for 10 minutes, then pass the liquid through a fine sieve. If you want to keep the liquid for a later date, cool and pour into a sterilised glass jar. If you can’t wait to start pickling, use while still warm.
Harder vegetables should be parboiled for a few minutes before pickling to soften them. Then, put your chopped vegetables into sterilised glass preserving jars, fill with the pickling liquor and seal tightly. Leave for at least 48 hours before enjoying.
IF YOU ONLY HAVE ...
☞ 3 minutes
Walk over the short bridge that crosses the Nailbourne stream leading to our Kitchen Garden, and admire the countryside views.
☞ 30 minutes
If you’ve only got time for a quick bite, check out our afternoon menu, packed with delicious PIG dishes – perfect for when you’re on the go.
☞ 3 hours
Our house is set in the heart of the area dubbed the Wine Garden of England, so we heartily recommend visiting Simpsons Wine Estate for a tour and a tasting – it’s a wonderful, family-run winery right on our doorstep.
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.
Softly, softly
Wiltshire-based brand Bramley is renowned for natural, sustainable luxury bath and body products – including exclusive PIG products inspired by our Kitchen Gardens
WHEN CHLOË LUXTON founded her botanical bath and body products brand, Bramley, in 2009, it was partly out of a need to create suitably appealing, sustainable toiletries for the bathrooms of the Wiltshire pub with rooms she and her husband had left London to take on. “That was the spark,” recalls Chloë, who is originally from Devon, where she grew up with a lot of beach time and liked to mix her own perfumes for fun. She had previously worked for the spa brand Cowshed, but, away from the capital, found that it wasn’t easy to source the ecologically sound, high-quality products she wanted to offer guests at the end of their bathtub. “This was 15 years ago, and it was very much 30ml, single-use plastic bottles. I thought, ‘Gosh, these are really not what I want to put in the middle of the British countryside.’ That started everything.”
Chloë solved the problem by fulfilling a long-held ambition to create her own brand. Bramley’s first range included a body wash and lotion, with an emphasis on essential oils, natural ingredients and sustainable packaging. These are the principles on which many credible brands are built these days, but in 2009, “there was really no one else doing it”, says Chloë. “It sounds a bit grand to say that we were pioneers, but we were.”
Today, the Bramley brand is based in Wiltshire, on the Dorset border: “We’re not too far from Stonehenge, is how I direct people.” Chloë collaborates with a local apothecary and all the products are made in Somerset before they arrive at the warehouse to be sent out into the world. Bramley products are available in John Lewis, Fortnum & Mason, carefully chosen hotels and online.
There is also a collection of Bramley x THE PIG products that you will only find in PIG hotels. “I wanted to create the best products on the market,” says Chloë. “They all have different essential oils that have therapeutic effects and really work. For example, the handwash includes clary sage and lemon, which are cleansing, and lavender, which is antibacterial. There are no artificial perfumes – instead, the scents come from the essential oils.
“It sounds a bit grand to say we were pioneers, but we were”
“THE PIGs are sensory, relaxed environments, and these products suit that. We worked closely with Robin, and products such as the hand creams and hand washes were directly inspired by Kitchen Garden ingredients, including chamomile, sage and rosemary.”
Guests soon began to enquire whether they could buy the Bramley products to take home – and, in some cases, to stock in their own hotels. When Chloë took a trip in October 2011 to stay in a buzzedabout new restaurant with rooms in the New Forest, THE PIG, she had a suggestion for its founder, a vague acquaintance called Robin Hutson (who had once been chairman at Soho House). “As soon as I got home, I sent him samples,” she says. “Robin has always had such a keen interest in sourcing locally and in independent brands, so he was interested right away, and he has been so supportive.”
Chloë has recently expanded the brand to include Bramley Skin, offering scrubs and facial skincare, as well as a children’s bath products range, Little B, and even an offering for dogs, Digby. As for the future, she has turned down offers for Bramley to be stocked in some rather smart supermarkets, but is exploring opportunities with international hotels and applying for B Corp status to assure customers of the high sustainability standards to which the brand holds itself. “We say no to more people than we say yes to,” says Chloë. “But you have to stay true to your values and really believe in your brand. I have faith in our sustainable approach.” bramleyproducts.co.uk
BRAMLEY FOUNDER CHLOË
PRODUCTS
Cocktail
The Botanist
• 25ml Sapling Gin
• 25ml apple and parsley dry vermouth (mix 100ml of dry vermouth
– we like The Aperitivo! – with a small handful of parsley and ¼ sliced green apple and let it infuse for 2 days)
• 25ml green Chartreuse
• 15ml Supasawa mixer
• Fever Tree tonic to top up
• parsley, to garnish
Shake all the ingredients together (apart from the Fever Tree tonic and the garnish) with ice in a mixing glass or cocktail shaker. Fill a highball with ice, then strain the mixture using a hawthorn strainer, a fine strainer or a tea strainer into the glass. Top up with the tonic and finish with a sprig of fresh parsley.
What to drink with this dish…
Our PIG Head of Wine, Greg, recommends three perfect pairings for this comforting classic.
Camel
Valley Pinot Noir Rosé Brut, Cornwall 2020
The racy acidity of an English sparkling wine is perfect for cutting through the fat in the gammon. Many wine producers in the UK focus on extended lees ageing in the bottle to give toasty, brioche characters, but these would clash with the flavours of the parsley sauce. Instead, Camel Valley’s pursuit of preserving purity of fruit and freshness makes this raspberry bomb a delicious partner.
Christoph Bauer ‘Spezial’ Grüner Veltliner, Niederösterreich, Austria 2022
If you’ve never tried Austria’s calling-card grape variety grüner veltliner before, this will teach you everything you need to know! It has a mineral freshness with characteristics of lime, white currant, white pepper and a herbal character that is reminiscent of fennel, tarragon and lovage. The herbal edge of this wine complements any dish with fresh, soft herbs.
Fattoria Carpineta Fontalpino Chianti Classico DOCG, Tuscany 2021
A perfect example of Chianti Classico done well! Gioia and Filippo Cresti have long been certified organic at their family estate in the south of the Chianti Classico region. This wine has all the classic hallmarks of crunchy red cherry, baked earth and dried herbs, with energising acidity that will bring the entire dish together.
Gammon with parsley sauce
Many of us remember this dish from our childhoods – it used to be served up as school dinners, except it was usually sopping wet or bone dry. Either way, it was enough to scar you for life. But don’t worry – this recipe can heal those wounds. Think of this as the very best school dinner you could ever eat, in an imaginary world where school dinners are made by a great chef using beautiful fresh ingredients. We use smoked collar – so ask your local butcher for something similar – and serve it with a classic parsley sauce made using the cooking liquid from the gammon. Delicious!
Serves 5–6
For the gammon
• 1kg gammon (smoked collar, if possible)
• 2 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs thyme
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 bay leaves
For the sauce
50g butter
• 25g flour
500ml gammon stock
• a splash of cream lemon juice
• a handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley
• spinach, to serve
This recipe is all about the quality of the meat, so buy the best gammon joint you can find from your butcher. Put it in a large pan and cover with water, adding the rosemary and thyme, peeled garlic and bay leaves. Bring it all to a simmer and cook for about 30–45 minutes, or until the centre reads 75°C (167°F) on a meat probe.
Leave to cool for 15 minutes before removing from the liquid –reserve the liquid.
To make the sauce, melt the butter, add the flour and cook gently for 3–4 minutes, then slowly add 500ml of the cooking liquid from the gammon.
Check the seasoning, add a splash of cream and a squeeze of lemon juice and finish with a generous amount of chopped flat-leaf parsley.
The dish is best served simply, with some wilted spinach, or with warm, buttery new potatoes and garden peas.
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 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!
With a little help from our friends
We’re lucky to have a long list of local heroes who collaborate with us at each PIG. These small, independent businesses help make up the whole delicious, fun and relaxing PIG experience when you come round to ours. And plenty of them are B Corp certified. Let us introduce you to a few…
Sapling
A nature-loving, treeplanting team who produce some of the best vodka and gin in the UK – which is why Sapling is the house spirit across our bars.
Cariuma
From Cornwall to Kent, our PIG front-of-house teams wear Cariuma sneakers. They’re ultra-comfy and consciously made, with two trees planted for every pair sold.
Pentire
Our pals at Pentire make botanical, non-alcoholic spirits by distilling plants native to the Cornish coastline – get a taste for their delicious drinks across THE PIGs.
Origin Coffee
You’ll find this impactful and progressive coffee in pods ready and waiting for you in the coffee machine in your PIG bedroom.
Rubies in the Rubble
From moreish Piggy Bits to mains, our condiment of choice is Rubies’ Ketchup – made with wonky pears, and bottled in 100 per cent recycled and recyclable packaging.
Sophie Fenlon
Our Head Chef at THE PIG-near Bath on sustainability and teamwork
WHEN I SAW A JOB POSTING to be a chef for a PIG, I applied right away. I first heard about THE PIGs because a few industry colleagues had worked for the group, and they always spoke so highly of the hotels. I joined THE PIG-near Bath in August 2023, and everything took off from there!
I AM A DUAL CANADIAN/BRITISH CITIZEN. I was raised as a west-coast Canadian, where our number-one priority as a culture is sustainability. “Green thinking” has always been important to me as a chef and as an individual. I respect that THE PIG group holds itself accountable as an advocate for traceability and sustainability. Back home, we write all our menus based on the seasons on both land and sea. I was happy to be able to continue that seasonal focus here in England.
EVERY DAY I BUILD THE 25 MILE MENU, based on what the Kitchen Garden has to offer. That might mean a garden tour in the morning, chatting with our Head Kitchen Gardener about what he needs me to use up, or input from my senior chefs. We build different dishes and get ideas for the weekend’s specials and preservation programmes for plentiful produce. Then there are the office tasks of organising rotas, invoices and so on. But my priority is always being with the chefs in the kitchen, prepping and creating both the food and the good energy for the day.
I LOVE TEACHING and ultimately THE PIG group loves training apprentices. My favourite part of the job is helping young chefs and being a mentor for some of their first recipes, knife skills and
burnout and who can feel discouraged
HOLD THE BACK PAGE
Spotter’s guide: starling murmurations
Between November and February is the prime time to look to the skies for the mass aerial flight display of starling murmurations, as the birds flock to Britain from as far away as Scandinavia to bask in the relative toastiness of our island climes. As dusk descends, tens of thousands of starlings assemble to find their communal roost, creating astonishing dark “clouds”. They swoop and whirl across the sky in rippling, ever-changing formation before gathering into one mass and descending into the reeds – now you see them, now you don’t.
BEFORE IT WAS A PIG...
Barnsley House has been lovingly reimagined as THE PIG-in the Cotswolds. It has hosted many weddings in its time, including that of which actor?
A)Elizabeth Taylor
B)Elizabeth Hurley
C)Elizabeth Olsen
[Answer on page 3]
As a matter of fact
The Mendip Hills in Somerset are famous for a dramatic cave complex full of spectacular stalagmites and stalactites. Is it called … A)Hookey Hole? B) Nookey Hole? C) Wookey Hole? [Answer on page 3]
To help support birdlife, we have installed 149 nesting boxes across our PIGs.
HALL OF FAME
THE PIG THAT SAVED GLOUCESTER
An apocryphal tale has it that a pig was instrumental in saving the city of Gloucester from invaders at the 1643 siege of Gloucester, during the English Civil War. When Charles I sent potential invaders to the city, locals are said to have let a pig run outside the city walls, to give the impression they had plentiful food and supplies to sustain them. In some versions of the mightbe-true story, a pig made so much noise that would-be invaders thought there were many pigs. But was it a Gloucester Old Spot?
THE PIG IN NUMBERS...
3,706
bottles saved from wastage by using Sapling Spirits’ Vodka Bag in Box behind our bars.
11,485
pounds raised by diners at THE PIGs to support Alex Lewis’ PIG 2 PIG challenge
PIG HACKS NO. 5
Meat hooks hangers
Meat hooks can be repurposed to hang herbs or other decorative items –adding a rustic touch to the kitchen.
... find out more here
1,000 over
candle ends have been collected, ready to recycle and turn into new ones
OVER AND OUT