THE PIG | Hogwash Issue 06

SPRING/SUMMER

NO 6

2025

Hogwash THE SEASONAL DISPATCH

HOP TO IT

Kitchen Garden secrets Live music and outdoor adventures Why we’re getting our wellies on

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

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We like to take the time to slow down and savour the good stuff round here, starting with a really great cup of coffee. That’s where our good friends at Origin Coffee come in – at the B Corp certified speciality coffee roaster, they take their responsibility to people and planet as seriously as we do.

In 2025, our baristas are proudly pouring fresh cups of Origin’s newly launched Sail Ship coffee in our restaurants across THE PIGs. This high quality speciality blend – with creamy, moreish notes of milk chocolate and Brazil nut – is produced on a solar-powered farm in São Paulo, where it is carefully harvested and dried by a team led by passionate third-generation coffee farmers, brothers Fernando and Felipe.

When it’s ready for the roastery, the Sail Ship coffee is transported to the UK by sailboat rather than a conventional cargo ship – reducing transport emissions by up to 95 per cent by comparison (not to mention less noise pollution and no need for oil).

So, whether you enjoy your first sip of the day at our breakfast table, or as an after-dinner digestif with Piggy Fours, you’ll taste great quality coffee that’s also working to be a force for good in every cup.

We’ll drink to that.

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Rise and Shine

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 hiding on our doorstep. These picks are from Giuseppe, our master forager at THE PIG-on the beach.

MARCH – MAY Alexander is an aromatic wild green that is similar in taste to celery.

Violet flowers give a beautiful colour and aroma to desserts such as panna cotta.

Gorse flowers are vibrant yellow with a similar smell to coconut – they’re delicious in cordials.

Wild garlic flower buds can be foraged while still closed. Pop them in boiling water for 1 minute and they’ll be ready to serve as a side with vegetables.

Sea spinach grows close to the sea and has a salty taste – stir-fry or boil it for just a minute to keep its fresh flavour.

Elderflowers are most loved in cordials, but can also make fritters or a simple tea with boiling water and a drizzle of honey.

JUNE - AUGUST

In 2025, we’re throwing open our doors to warmly welcome you round to ours for a season of unmissable PIG events! Whichever PIG you pick, our house is your go-to place for fun, lively and inspiring entertainment, with some mouthwatering food in the mix. From much-loved music nights to restaurant takeovers with fantastic speakers, find out more and book your space at thepighotel.com/events

Marsh samphire is perfect to eat raw or lightly stir-fried in extra virgin olive oil; it’s excellent served with fish.

Wild fennel has an aniseed taste and is great with oily fish such as mackerel or delicious simply chopped in a salad.

Rock samphire is perfect for pickling and is great served with fish or cheese.

Meadowsweet is a flower that smells and tastes of almonds – use it to infuse cream for desserts like crème brûlée.

Blackberry and lime cordial is a favourite treat. The jammy fruits are also great for preserves and added to an apple crumble.

Rose hips are a natural source of vitamin C and can be used in teas, jams, jellies and sauces.

Elderberry is one of the most commonly used medicinal plants in the world. Use in syrups or to infuse gin.

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

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WHISKY BUSINESS Meet some of our distiller friends, whose bottles you’ll always find behind our PIG bars

white alpine strawberries, radishes, tomatoes, carrots, beans

☞ Cotswolds Distillery Our tried-and-trusted English whisky partner is nestled in the Warwickshire countryside, less than an hour’s drive from THE PIG-in the Cotswolds. With only 197 “barley miles” from field to final bottle, Cotswolds Distillery sources its barley from a local farm – and the finished product is very, very good. On our bar menus, you’ll spot our version of a Scotch Sour using this delicate, honeyed whisky… but be warned, it goes down exceptionally easily!

AND WE'RE PLANTING… Edible flowers, herbs, cabbage, cauliflower, kales, kohlrabi, fennel, sprouting broccoli, dwarf french beans

Notes from the Kitchen Garden Our Kitchen Garden supremo Ollie shares a spring/summer update from the veg beds Space is very much at a premium in our gardens over the spring and summer, and working out how to make the best use of it is a constant challenge. One way to overcome the problem is by companion planting – we use this to great effect in our greenhouses and polytunnels, planting crops such as basil, coriander and marigolds amongst the tomatoes and peppers. Not only does it help to fill the areas at the base of the plants, which would otherwise be unproductive, but it also helps to ward off insects such as aphids and black fly. Best of all, our companion plants are all edible!

Beyond our patch, we’ll be busy building show gardens at several horticultural shows this summer. So if you happen to be at either the RHS Chelsea Flower Show (20-24 May) or RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival (1-6 July), come and say hello. We’ll be teaming up with our good friends at Alitex and Claverton Cloches and can’t wait to see you there!

Join us in our Kitchen Gardens 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 show guests around – and we can even lend you

a pair of wellies. Simply speak to one of our friendly reception team and we’ll arrange to have you come and join us for a morning tour. thepighotel.com/events/kitchen-garden-tours-atthe-pigs

☞ Nc’nean

[Back page answers: A, THE PIG in the New Forest; B]

As we pass the equinox, and the days begin to grow longer than the nights, the Kitchen Garden year really starts to ratchet up. Before we start planting out summer crops, we use up the last of our winter produce and the lesser-used parts of the vegetable plants – my favourite by far is “sprouting broccoli” produced by the cavolo nero kales as they try to flower.

This is also when the short window for harvesting forced rhubarb and sea kale opens.

These plants are both grown in the dark and produce delicate, tender shoots for the kitchen and bar teams.

As the summer continues, our greenhouses and polytunnels are cleared of the leafy salads that have seen us through the winter. They’ll be replaced with tomatoes, peppers and aubergines, all members of the Solanaceae family, which produce a cornucopia of colours, textures, tastes and shapes of fruit. We’ll be growing more than 140 different varieties of Solanaceae this year across THE PIGs.

We’re big lovers of this independent, organic distillery on Scotland’s Morvern peninsula.

Last November, our bartenders took their cocktail shakers to a showdown at THE PIG in the New Forest, where they were challenged to craft their best whisky creations. Izzy, from the team at THE PIG-at Bridge Place, took the top spot with her “Hop Scotch” cocktail made with PIG honey, lemon juice and bitters.

☞ Macallan Like us at THE PIGs, Macallan is rooted in UK heritage and has the local community, traditional processes and people at its heart. We’re obsessively keen on its whisky – often dubbed the “Rolls-Royce of malts” – which is renowned for the quality of the oak it ages in at the Macallan distillery in Speyside, Scotland.

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

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W O R K I N PRO G RE S S

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HERE IN THE GREAT BRITISH COUNTRYSIDE, mud is a fact of life – regardless of the season. Even at the very height of summer, two weeks into a hosepipe ban, it would be foolhardy – reckless even – not to expect a downpour heavy enough to burst every bank this side of Scotland. And yet, despite knowing full well that rain means mud and mud requires sensible shoes, when it comes to packing for a weekend in the sticks, it’s easy to revert to a naive meteorological optimism. Or maybe you know that, ideally, you’d love to have access to a solid pair of wellies for a stomp around the countryside, but also need to travel light; a pair of muddy boots isn’t the easiest thing to squeeze into an overnight bag.

Fortunately for guests at THE PIGs, we’re well prepared for when terra firma suddenly isn’t all that firm. We’ve recently partnered with British outdoor brand Barbour to provide wellies – both short and long – for anyone who misread the forecast or simply forgot to pack theirs.

“We’re a perfect fit,” says Tom Ross, our CEO, of this Barbour-and-PIG collab.

“Family-founded, British countryside obsessives, who love nothing more than getting outside and exploring and adventuring. All of us are deeply committed to reusing and repurposing everything that we can. So when you come to a PIG, you’ll always be greeted with friendly faces and higgledy-piggledy rows of Barbour wellies by the front door to borrow – just like at a mate’s house. Well, a mate who has a great stash of boots!”

The British heritage brand best known today for its iconic waxed jackets started life in South Shields in 1894 when a draper, John Barbour, opened his first shop: J Barbour & Sons. Thanks in part to his son Malcolm Barbour, the shop would later become well-known locally as

a place to source oilskin outerwear, ideal for protecting working people from wet weather conditions. J Barbour & Sons began offering customers the chance to make a purchase via catalogue, taking orders from as far afield as Chile and Hong Kong – a feat in the pre-internet age. By 1917, catalogue orders accounted for almost 75 per cent of Barbour’s business.

By the mid-1930s, in what would become a winning habit for the brand, Barbour made a play for a new customer: the motorcyclist. Malcolm’s son, Duncan Barbour, introduced a motorcycling range that became a hit with British racers. Tough economic times and the distraction of World War II were to follow, but Barbour pulled through and continued to reach customers beyond its original fanbase of sailors, fishermen, farmers and dockworkers.

In the decades since, the Barbour clothing range has become much wider than the still-iconic waxed jackets that have been spotted on everyone from MPs to it-girls and rock stars to royalty. The late Queen’s favourite Barbour piece was a jacket designed in 1982, the Beaufort.

Whether or not you wear one of the waxed jackets – and at the PIGS, we’ve even seen quite a few dogs walk in wearing the canine range – Barbour definitely has an unmatched track record in stopping people from getting wet. We can confirm that the brand’s stylish wellies are similarly up to the task of keeping your feet safely dry and cosy, however squelchy things get outside. In the UK, it wouldn’t be festival season without the mud, after all.

Feel free to borrow a pair of Barbour wellies any time during your stay at THE PIGs. Whether it’s for a wander down to the Kitchen Garden or a longer ramble, pick up a pair and just leave them with us when you come back inside

“When you come to a PIG, you’ll always be greeted by rows of Barbour wellies to borrow”

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cove red

THE CON VERSA TION

e d a m s n a i r o t c “The Vi kitchen gardening an art form” Two organic gardening obsessives meet for a chat OLLIE HUTSON, THE PIGs’ Group Head Kitchen Gardener, is in a running battle with slugs. He has always admired the Victorian approach to horticulture, one of the hallmarks of which is the cloche, to protect plants as they grow. He chatted with Beth Gregg, founder of Claverton Cloches, about the joy of gardening.

OLLIE How did you come to found your business? Cloches are quite niche.

BETH I’ve always loved gardening, but like so many people, I got really into it during lockdown. I was looking for something to grow my chillies under and I’d seen some Victorian cloches that looked perfect, but no one was making them. The antique ones are hard to find and often the frames are broken or the glass is smashed. So I decided to make some.

Since then, we’ve sent Claverton Cloches as far as New Zealand and the US, and they’re in Kew Gardens, Balmoral Castle and THE PIG. OH The Victorians were the masters of kitchen gardening. They refined knowledge that had been accumulating for thousands of years, and made it an art form. For me, West Dean Gardens [near Chichester] is the best Victorian-style kitchen garden in the country.

They have an amazing collection of cloches there. Is it true that you make yours by hand?

BG That’s right, in the traditional Victorian way. In fact, I dare say ours are slightly better, because they’re galvanised as well, plus our

materials are better than those the Victorians had. It’s all about longevity. We’re trying to create something your grandchildren might still be able to use. A lot of gardening knowledge is passed down through generations – it’s nice if a product or tool can be, as well.

OH I remember you approached us at THE PIG-near Bath to see if we’d be interested in using your cloches, which we absolutely were.

We’ve currently got a few in some of our bigger Kitchen Gardens, but by the end of the summer I think we’ll have Claverton Cloches in all THE PIGs’ gardens. And it looks like we’ll be teaming up at Chelsea Flower Show, too. How do you plan to use yours over the next few months?

BG In early spring, I use cloches on bare earth to warm up the soil about a week before I plant any seeds. This helps germination to begin a lot faster. I’ll be doing that with things like cutting flowers and salads. I put them on my strawberries, to keep the blackbirds off. A lot of people put cloches over brassicas [cabbages] to keep pigeons away, too. Moving into the summer, I put them on my dahlias, especially if the temperature is lower than I’d like.

OH I find carrots do particularly well - if you get them in some nice warm soil, you can start them as early as February. Cloches are also great for fending off carrot flies in the warmer months. Dwarf tomato plants and chilli plants also love the heat. Have you ever thought about putting a copper strip onto the base of your cloches to keep slugs out?

BG Yeah, I have! I think that’s probably something we’ll look to add next year. Tell me

OLLIE

a gardener who doesn’t struggle with slugs!

As you know, there’s now a massive trend for people to ‘grow their own’, whether that’s herbs on a balcony, in an allotment or in their back garden. These days, people care far more about where their food comes from.

OH True. I think more people are actively gardening now, and these days, they are more interested in sustainability, proper design, proper materials and zero-waste; products that stand the test of time. I’ve actually got an idea for a cloche design that I’ve never put into practice – a modular one, in fact – but perhaps that’s a conversation for another day.

BG I like the sound of that. At the end of the day, most gardens don’t have space for a big greenhouse, so there are lots of different types of cloche, each with its pros and cons. The ones with aluminium frames can blow away and the classic barn cloche isn’t that sturdy.

The plastic domes you pick up for a fiver don’t always provide much ventilation, so your plants can swelter on a hot day. They never last long either. So many gardening tools end up in landfill after a year or two, which feels at odds with why we’re gardening in the first place.

OH And, of course, with Victorian cloches there’s also the aesthetic value. They’re timeless. The Victorians were masters of the trade, so it’s nice to pay a bit of homage.

BG It is, isn’t it? We’re continuing a legacy, but updating it for today.

“There’s a massive trend for growing your own”

See more at clavertoncloches.com Our PIGs offer regular Kitchen Garden tours just ask for details at reception

BETH

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INFO & GOINGS ON ~ HOTEL & ROOM GUIDE ~ POTTING SHED TREATMENT MENU ~ HAMPSHIRE CALLING: THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN THE NEW FOREST

~ THE INSIDE STORY ON HOXTON BAKEHOUSE

o t e m o c We l

THE NEW FOREST IS UNLIKE ANYWHERE else in Britain, and as the home of our very first PIG, it couldn’t be closer to our hearts. It was created by William the Conqueror as a royal hunting ground in 1079, with special laws protecting the hunted deer and wild boar. To this day, ponies, donkeys, cows and even pigs roam freely in the ancient woods and sandy heathland, sometimes pottering through the village streets.

As for our setting of Brockenhurst – the name comes from the Celtic for badgers’ home – we’re still very much in love with it.

There are fascinating places to visit, such as Beaulieu (home of the Motor Museum) and the sailing town of Lymington, but there is plenty to enjoy here at home. Our house is one of the many lodges built for the groomkeepers who protected the Forest – the original building dated from 1602. With its thick stone walls and handsome proportions, it has a very particular, cosy charm. After 1853, it became a private residence, and from 1950 was a (different) hotel, once run by Brigadier John Doyle of the Conan Doyle family.

So much of what we do at THE PIGs started here. It was the lovely old walled Kitchen Garden that inspired us to grow so much of our produce ourselves, and the richness of the local food scene feeds directly into our 25 mile menu. Explore the grounds and you’ll find huts and outhouses, the Potting Shed treatment rooms and, of course, our animals.

THE PIG

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Potting Shed Treatment Menu Speak to our reception team to book a treatment LUMINANCE BRIGHTENING FACIAL (60 minutes) A luxurious treatment packed with the brightening benefits and relaxing scent of orange blossom to even out the skin’s complexion, tone and appearance for a radiant glow.

CLASSIC SCULPT PRESCRIPTIVE FACIAL (60 minutes) This perfectly tailored treatment includes a facial massage designed to leave your skin visibly plump and lifted. Your therapist works with traditional gua sha stones to refine the skin and promote a radiant and hydrated healthy complexion.

UPPER BODY UNWIND (60 minutes) A personalised massage targeting your back, arms, face and scalp. Your treatment begins with a warm exfoliation of the back, followed by a soothing massage, and finishes with a facial where your skin is thoroughly cleansed and treated with a facial balm tailored to your needs.

Wander into the walled Kitchen Garden... ... through the raised beds, out past our greenhouse and beehives and into our warm rustic retreats: the two Potting Shed treatment rooms, quiet and calm and designed to help you escape it all.

Take inspiration from the garden surroundings and experience deeply relaxing full body and facial treatments using products by Tribe517, a family run, natural skincare brand that handcrafts its products in the beautiful south Wales countryside. Like us, Tribe517 is passionate about using homegrown or ethically sourced botanical ingredients that help care for the planet as well as mind and body – and is dedicated to recycling and using up everything it can.

Good to know

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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.

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

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MUM TO BE (60 minutes) Melt away in this truly luxurious massage – it’s the ultimate relaxation for mums to be. Your bump is treated to a gentle exfoliation, cleanse and a nourishing remedy balm designed to improve skin elasticity while you enjoy a soothing scalp massage. Suitable for those in their second and third trimester.

HOT STONE MASSAGE (60 minutes) This deeply indulgent body massage uses aromatherapy oils and volcanic stones to ease stress and improve blood circulation. It is said that one stone movement is equivalent to ten hand movements.

BESPOKE MASSAGE (60 minutes) Indulge in our bespoke full body massage, where we craft a personalised experience just for you. Our skilled therapists use a carefully blended selection of natural oils to help your body and mind really relax.

Scan for the full treatment menu

Baked in The bread served at THE PIG is as wholesome as it is delicious, thanks to our friends at Hoxton Bakehouse

THE TRUST HAS HELPED PROTECT THE FOREST’S MOST FAMOUS RESIDENTS, THE PONIES, WITH ITS ‘SALT LICKS’ PROJECT

FLOUR POWER: FLORENCE HELLIER AND DARREN BL AND (BELOW LEFT ) OF HOXTON BAKEHOUSE

“ON AVERAGE, I THINK a supermarket loaf of bread has between 17 and 20 ingredients,” says Florence Hellier, co-founder of Hoxton Bakehouse, an artisan bakery based in Southampton that supplies four (and counting) PIGs. “Quite frankly, it blows my mind. We’re talking about things like salt, sweeteners, saturated fats, additives, preservatives, flavourings and emulsifiers.” Massproduced bread has even become the poster child for ultraprocessed foods in recent years, with a loaf featured on the cover of Dr Chris van Tulleken’s definitive book on the subject, UltraProcessed People: Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn’t Food… and Why Can’t We Stop?

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. Like the French, we just need to go back to basics. The 1993 décret pain (bread decree) states that baguettes must be made on the premises where they are sold and can be made only with wheat flour, water, salt and yeast – none of the “nasties”.

Like any self-respecting baker, Florence makes her sourdough with just three ingredients: flour, water and salt. Instead of yeast, she uses a sourdough starter made by combining flour (wholewheat and all-purpose) and water over the course of seven days. The recipe Florence uses hasn’t changed in 15 years, not since THE PIG \ HOGWASH \ SPRING /SUMMER

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RISE AND SHINE: ENJOY HOXTON BAKEHOUSE PASTRIES FOR BREAKFAST AT THE PIG

IF YOU ONLY HAVE ... ☞ 3 minutes

Head to the bar and order a whisky highball – Bar Manager Harvey makes a knockout version for summer, with raspberry and basil purée, a little ginger beer and lemon juice.

☞ 30 minutes

Visit our friendly chickens in the Kitchen Garden.

They give us eggs that partner perfectly with some baked goods from Hoxton Bakehouse.

☞ 3 hours

“It’s about the quality of the ingredients. If you get them right – the very best of the best – then you can expect the food to sing” she and her partner, Darren Bland, peddled sourdough cheese toasties at Hoxton Market in east London.

“For us, it’s always been about the quality of ingredients, like Wildfarmed regenerative flour,” she says. “If you get them right – the very best of the best – then you can expect the food to sing.

And I think that’s exactly how THE PIG approaches its food, too.”

We started serving Hoxton Bakehouse’s incredible sourdough and croissants almost 10 years ago. Back then, Florence and Darren worked 19-hour days and would deliver the bread themselves – usually covered head-to-toe in flour. These days, they have a considerably larger operation, with six shops and almost 200 wholesale customers. And partly due (we like to think) to our unwavering loyalty, we’ve even convinced them to bake us our own buns. “We make the delicious cinnamon morning buns exclusively for THE PIG,” grins Florence. “Everyone else gets citrus buns, but the team here wanted something a little more breakfast-y. By all accounts, these do the trick.”

Florence admits to having become something of a sourdough evangelist, offering free loaves to people who may struggle with gluten. Nine times out of 10, she says, those who were convinced they had an intolerance will come back for another loaf. “Generally, when people feel uncomfortable or bloated after eating bread, it’s because of the carbon dioxide that’s emitted as the bread continues to prove in their stomach,” she says. “A supermarket might give their bread two hours to rest and rise, adding improvers to speed up the process. We let our dough prove for 36 hours before it goes in the oven, which means almost all of the gluten is broken down.”

Ultimately, it’s like van Tulleken says: if you’re in any doubt as to whether or not your food is ultra-processed, it probably is.

Thankfully, that’s not something you’ll need to worry about over breakfast at THE PIG. Visit hoxtonbakehouse.com to learn more, or enjoy Hoxton Bakehouse goodies when you stay with us at THE PIG

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“Hoxton Bakehouse supplies us with the most delicious pastries, served fresh every day. The cinnamon buns are everyone’s favourite and go so quickly from the breakfast table! They’re incredibly tasty – perfect with a cappuccino.”

Molly White, Restaurant Manager at THE PIG

A visit to Beaulieu River is a firm team favourite.

You’ll often find wild animals walking through the water such as donkeys, horses, cows – and, of course, the occasional pig.

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.

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

Download one of our favourite walking routes

F RI E NDS OF T H E PIG

HOUSE OF HACKNEY CO-FOUNDER JAVVY M ROYLE (FAR LEFT ) AND PRINTS INCLUDING PIG FAVE, MOON GARDEN MIDNIGHT (FAR RIGHT )

Temple of bloom Characterful prints by the intriguing House of Hackney have proved the perfect fit for our PIGS

LEGEND HAS IT, WHEN THE PIG’s former Creative Director, Judy Hutson, first saw Moon Garden Midnight, a new botanical print from interiors brand House of Hackney, she burst into tears. It’s safe to assume they were tears of approval because it wasn’t long before we started noticing wallpaper, cushions and curtains with that same print dotted around the place. Besides, Judy has made no secret of her passion for the brand, once enthusing that House of Hackney is “just so correct for us” because it “reflects how we are rooted in tradition” with “a playful quirkiness that differentiates us from the norm”.

Javvy M Royle, one half of the husband-and-wife duo behind the brand, is equally effusive about Judy and her design ethos. “I think we have the same kind of outlook on life,” says the designer from his home in Cornwall, 40 minutes from THE PIG-at Harlyn Bay (a journey he’s come to know well). “We both take inspiration from nature and try to bring the outdoors in. If House of Hackney opened a hotel, it would basically be THE PIG.” Flattery aside, there’s a lot our companies align on. We both launched in 2011, spotting gaps in our respective markets for something decidedly more British. House of Hackney’s manifesto – “Built upon the foundations of creativity with purpose, integrity in our actions and compassion for people and planet” – sounds like something we might have said. The great William Morris is clearly a huge influence on the brand’s prints as well as its approach to business and the environment.

“He was a true craftsman,” says Javvy. “But also a revolutionary.

He was against mass production, mass pollution and industrialisation.

He employed a lot of women and gave good wages. Before him there was William Blake, so I think every 100 years someone comes along and tries to take up this crazy baton. I’m not saying that’s us, but that’s what we’re about: preserving arts and crafts for the next generation.

You can’t get these things back once the knowledge is lost.”

Javvy jokes that Morris was “doing B Corp” long before its time.

“I think B Corp is a really brilliant thing,” he says, of the recognised certification for a company’s considered impact on society and the planet. “I think it’s the right way of doing business. At House of Hackney, we’re no longer satisfied with being merely sustainable, we’re aiming to be measurably regenerative. For us, it’s become a restoration project where we’re trying to actively heal and restore our business touchpoints and communities where we have an impact.”

With that in mind, the team has worked out a “true cost” per metre of wallpaper and fabric, factoring in the often-unspoken social and environmental costs. The exercise has shown that 70 per cent of the brand’s environmental and social impact comes from its cotton fabrics and 20 per cent from wallpaper production. “This has focused our attention on finding solutions for these product categories, as well as continuing to experiment with new material and manufacturing innovations, such as mycelium and cork products,” explains Javvy. “In 2023, we protected over 150 acres of Ancient and Endangered Forests through our partnership with the World Land Trust, which compensates for more trees than we use in our annual wallpaper production.”

A mission statement from Javvy and his wife, Frieda Gormley, on House of Hackney sounds a lot like their hero, Morris: “Leaving a legacy is not about leaving money in the bank, it’s about leaving our world better than how we found it. Nature doesn’t belong to us, we are Nature. And we have a responsibility to tend to it with care, not just for ourselves, but for those yet to come.”

Then again, wasn’t it Morris who once said “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful”?

Or was it Javvy? Maybe Judy…

Enjoy House of Hackney at our PIGs, and at houseofhackney.com

“We take inspiration from nature and try to bring the outdoors in”

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Hand-picked crab & garden basil on toast

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Simpsons Spritz • 2 lime wedges • a slice of ginger • 20ml lime basil cordial • 20ml dry port • 60ml Simpsons Railway Hill Rosé 2023

and cover with 250ml water and the sugar, then bring to the boil.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Once fully cooled, strain the cordial into a glass bottle or container using a fine strainer.

• 60ml Fever-Tree Mexican Lime Soda For the lime basil cordial (makes 500ml) • the peel from 2 limes • basil (a generous handful totalling the same weight as the lime peel) • 250g sugar

To make the cordial, put the lime peel and basil in a saucepan

For the cocktail, add the lime wedges and ginger together in a cocktail shaker. Muddle together with 20ml of the lime basil cordial and the dry port. Add ice and shake hard until the mixer gets cold.

Double-strain the mixture using a fine strainer into an ice-filled wine glass and top with the rosé and lime soda. Give everything a quick stir with a bar spoon and garnish with a large fresh basil leaf.

Crab sandwiches are a British summer favourite, and this is our nod to that tradition – not a sandwich, but all the same components – so simple and yet deeply satisfying. Lovely for lunch outside on a summer’s day – maybe with a few freshly picked garden leaves.

Serves 4–6 • 250g white crab • 25g crème fraîche • salt and pepper • zest of 1 lemon • 8 basil leaves, thinly sliced • sourdough bread • butter • a few leaves of purple basil (to garnish) • borage flowers

What to drink with this dish…

Our PIG Head Sommeliers recommend three perfect pairings for this comforting classic

Sugrue South Downs Rosé Ex Machina, Sussex, 2016 Composed of a blend of 50% pinot noir, 20% pinot meunier and 30% chardonnay, this foodie rosé hits all the right notes for our crab on toast.

Upfront crunchy red apple and ripe hedgerow fruit complement the recipe’s fragrant basil, while the mature backdrop of spice and umami character sits brilliantly with the buttery, toasted sourdough. We love this style of rosé at THE PIG!

Stopham Estate Pinot Gris, Sussex, 2023 This English pinot gris is the perfect companion to a dish that celebrates both freshness and indulgence. Bursting with tropical aromas of ripe mango, juicy peach and zesty citrus, it has a hint of sweetness with a lively acidity to balance the rich, creamy crème fraîche. A true taste of summer, come rain or shine.

Gusbourne English Rosé, Kent, 2023 This pinot noir rosé from Gusbourne is bursting with vibrant aromas of strawberries, raspberries and orange zest, and is very similar to Provence rosé. The light colour and tannins complement the delicate flavour of the white crab meat, while the vibrant acidity will cut through the richness.

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(to garnish, if you happen to have them)

Make sure there is no shell in the crab meat and set aside somewhere cool.

In a bowl, mix the crème fraîche, some salt and pepper, lemon zest and the sliced basil leaves. Add the mixture to the crab, one spoonful at a time, to get the right consistency, as you don’t want it to get too heavy. Check the seasoning and place on toasted, buttered sourdough bread. Garnish with purple basil leaves and borage flowers, if you have them.

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E THO S

OUR

PIG

PEOPLE ARE THE FUTURE OF

CA RI NG A ND CONSI DE R E D HOSP I TA LI T Y 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

How to build a bug hotel Homemade bug hotels are a striking feature in our PIG gardens – attracting a wide range of minibeasts, as well as the admiration of many of our guests. Here’s how to make your own at home.

You will need • 4-6 wooden pallets

• leaves

• some bricks

• stones / pebbles

whether it’s providing employment, sourcing local ingredients, forging

• 6-12 plastic bottles

• twigs / loose bark

links with nearby schools and charities or simply being the go-to place

• bamboo canes – as

• straw

loads of talent all around. It’s important to us to play a positive role,

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 –

many as you can find!

• old cardboard

• old tiles, plant pots and other bric-a-brac

1 - Place a wooden pallet in your chosen location. On top of the pallet, lay bricks around the corners and across the middle.

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!

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2 - Place your next pallet on top of this and repeat the process for all of your pallets.

EET

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E R P OPL

E R P OPL

· M

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James Woodward Restaurant Supervisor at THE PIG-at Bridge Place A much-loved member of our team here, James has been an integral part of life at THE PIG-at Bridge Place since 2019.

While working with us in a variety of roles, he passed his PIG apprenticeship with distinction and in record time, and won a place on our Homegrown Entrepreneurs scheme to develop future leaders.

WHEN I MOVED TO KENT FROM MANCHESTER, I took on a bartender role at THE PIG-at Bridge Place. I was thinking, “cool, that’ll be a job just while I get on my feet” – but then I found I didn’t want to leave! I have had opportunities here to really make progress in my career.

I COMPLETED OUR TEAM LEADER apprenticeship scheme, and am now on THE PIGs’ Homegrown Entrepreneurs scheme for leadership roles. I had a bit of a fire in me that I wanted to do more, and, thanks to encouragement from the people I have worked with here, that’s what THE PIG has been helping me to do.

THE TEAM HAS REALLY SUPPORTED ME. When I was training here, I was struck by how guest-focused the service is. We were told to treat THE PIG like our house: we look after guests just as carefully as we would in our own home. I have moved house a lot in my life, and that stuck with me. THE PIG really feels like a home to us all.

SINCE 2024, I HAVE WORKED in the restaurant, and have been lucky enough to be promoted to Supervisor. It means planning the day from start to finish and addressing any issues that come up.

I love problem-solving. At the start of each day, I try to park my own agenda and listen to the team. I find that’s a better way to work than coming in and only telling everyone what I want to happen.

WE DO LOTS OF THINGS differently. Something like the ordering of stock, for us often means going into storage and getting hold of interesting stuff that [former Creative Director] Judy has picked out – all the little antique plates and spoons.

3 - Cut off the top two-thirds of your bottles. Fill up half of them with bamboo canes and the other half with rolled-up cardboard. Place these inside the hotel.

4 - Fill in the remaining spaces with more bricks, leaves, stones, pebbles, twigs, loose bark and straw.

5 - Add in any extra materials you want to recycle, eg old pipes, carpet, toilet-roll tubes, tiles and plant pots.

Be creative – add a welcome sign or give your hotel a name!

THERE’S A LONG way to go before I’m a department manager, but I’d love to be able to help other people to develop their careers, too.

HOGWASH \ SPRING /SUMMER

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HALL OF FAM

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MAVIS

Spotter’s guide: great spotted woodpecker In the UK, the great spotted woodpecker begins to appear in late May and early June. The bird has what the RSPB calls “a very distinctive, bouncing flight”. Almost cartoonishly striking in appearance, with black, white and (on males) red feathers, these shy birds can nevertheless be hard to see, given their fondness for clinging close to tree trunks and branches. You might hear one before you see it, thanks to the loud drumming sound of its beak on bark.

HOLD THE BACK PAGE

BEFORE IT WAS A PIG...

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To help support bird life, we have installed more than 150 nesting boxes across our PIGs.

It’s a 17th-century farmhouse whose original name was Whitley Ridge Lodge, and whose first occupant was George Bright, an English stage actor of the 17th and early 18th century. What do we know the property as today?

A) THE PIG in the New Forest B) THE PIG-at Harlyn Bay C) THE PIG-near Bath

[Answer on page 3]

The black resin pig statues that sit proudly outside of all of our PIG properties were modelled on one specific, real-life pig. Named Mavis, she was an Oxford Sandy and Black, owned by the sculptor Brendan Hesmondhalgh in the early 2000s. Mavis served as the muse for a clay sculpture initially, and later for 20 bronze resin pieces that were eventually sold to THE PIGs. We salute you, Mavis. Your legacy lives on, welcoming our PIG guests across the country.

THE PIG IN NUMBERS...

1,000,000 seeds sown in our New Forest nursery in 2024 to supply our Kitchen Gardens.

As a matter of fact On 29 December 1170, Canterbury Cathedral – the stunning medieval pilgrimage site not far from THE PIG-at Bridge Place – was the scene of a decidedly unholy murder. Who was killed here?

A) King Henry II B) The Archbishop of Canterbury C) Joan of Arc [Answer on page 3]

PIG HACKS NO. 6 Dolly tub TABLES Galvanised vintage washing bins can be repurposed as bedside tables – just add a stone or timber top.

2,005

hours spent volunteering for local charities by our PIG teams in 2024

1,600

... find out more here

candle ends collected from our PIG restaurants and recycled with the Recycled Candle Company in 2024

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

OVER AND OUT HOGWA SH \ SPRING /SUMMER