AUTUMN / WINTER
NO 9
2026
Hogwash THE SEASONAL DISPATCH
15 FABULOUS YEARS Look back on the journey so far Local stories from our trusted suppliers Step inside our exciting new PIG!
+ hotel guide + news + outings + recipes HOGWASH \ AUTUMN / WINTER
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PIGGY BITS
It’s been a long time coming… WE’RE INCREDIBLY EXCITED TO SHARE the latest on our very special project, THE PIG-on the farm, set just outside Stratford-upon-Avon. After quietly waiting in the wings for a few years, this new addition to the PIG litter has been evolving behind the scenes – and will be opening its doors in late summer 2027! If you’ve been following the journey for a while, thank you for sticking with us. This has truly been one of the most sensitive planning journeys we’ve ever undertaken at THE PIG, and we have been working carefully through every detail to make sure we do this extraordinary property justice. The good news? It’s going to be so worth the wait. Nestled within Warwickshire pasture and farmland, this is a proper working farm at heart, with a beautiful old farmhouse that’s watched over the land for centuries. It’s the sort of place that already has a soul; we’re simply lucky enough to become its next custodians. When you arrive, the first thing you’ll see is the Kitchen Garden – it felt only right that the beating heart of THE PIG should take pride of place. From there, you’ll wander into one of the most special restaurants we’ve ever created – and the biggest! – housed within a beautifully restored farm barn. And the bedrooms will be tucked throughout the farmhouse and surrounding buildings – each one full of the sort of character that only centuriesold buildings can offer. There’s still plenty to do. But after waiting so patiently, we thought you deserved to read a sneak peek from behind the doors by the women at the helm of our newest home (on page 4). Thank you for coming along for the ride! To be first in line to book a visit, sign up to our newsletter at thepighotel.com
Let’s get together At THE PIG, we love nothing more than welcoming everyone over to ours – especially at the most wonderful time of the year. So, round up the gang and come inside to our cosy corners where we’re putting on a fantastic line-up of unmissable events across the patches we call home, from wild foraging to wreath-making. We’d love for you to join us; find out more and book your space at thepighotel.com/events. Looking to host your own shindig? You’ve still come to the right place. We have heaps of special PIG spaces for private hire this winter – find your perfect spot on our Gather & Celebrate page at thepighotel.com
LOCAL GUIDE: TURN TO THE CENTRE PAGES FOR EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO ENJOY YOUR STAY. ALL YOUR ESSENTIAL
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WINTER SQUASH
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It’s the season for...
While winter squash can take a long time to grow, our gardening teams will proudly tell you that this versatile veggie is well worth the wait. Sure, it’s a real workhorse for our kitchens and gardens throughout the colder months… but, truthfully, there’s nothing quite like the joyful surprise of finding these harvest-ready fruits in our veg beds on a frosty morning walk. Our PIGs’ teams plant many varieties of fabulously named winter squash: from Crown Prince and Spaghetti to Candy Roaster and Goosebumps; Polar Bear and Blue Hubbard to Piacenza Beret and Musquee de Provence. Each one can be worked into soups, stews, gratins and tarts, mixed with grains and salads, or simply enjoyed on its own. See what else we’re growing across our patches right now, with a free guided tour of our Kitchen Gardens. We’re always happy to show you around and answer any questions you have – especially if you’re a secret squash obsessive like us. Speak to our reception team or visit thepighotel.com/events/kitchen-garden-tours-at-the-pigs
Growing your own Squash is a masterclass in the importance of patience – and a good rest Start in spring If you sow squash seeds in April, you can expect a good harvest throughout October. At THE PIG, we sow our seeds in 9cm pots and let them germinate in the greenhouse. After about a week, we move them outside into garden cold frames to grow a little bigger and, in the meantime, we prepare their beds ready for planting in June. Preparation is key Winter squash is big, hungry and thirsty, so make sure you prepare its planting area well. Dig a hole and fill with a generous amount of manure (it’s rich in nitrogen and the squash roots find their way towards it), and cover with a mound of compost. Plant the veg on top of this. Don’t forget to hydrate Your squash will grow through the heat of summer and will need lots of water. If you have a small patch, you can water by hand. For our larger plots, we use drip line irrigation pipes to slowly soak the ground.
SO IT’S AL ON EAS THE S G… INDIN FOR F
, winter b apples a r c , s ip eh rt, ries, ros ennywo Sloe ber rooms, p h s u , m s e e ell tercr s chanter hairy bit t, o o r h is ing horserad lic, sting ered gar n r o -c e s e thr wer gorse flo nettles,
Room to breathe Squash are sprawling plants that need a lot of space. One trick our gardeners use is to to lean wooden pallets against a post to help give the vines something to climb up.
Your gift list, sorted
Need some inspiration for a gift or two? Our online PIG Market is full of some serious treats for true PIG fans that they’ll love to unwrap this winter. From gift vouchers to redeem during a stay, a supper or a seriously relaxing Potting Shed treatment, to exclusive Bramley bathroom goodies you’ll only find at THE PIGs – give them something to really look forward to when they need it most. Visit gifts.thepighotel.com
Here comes the cure After harvesting your squash in autumn, the trick is to give it time to cure – this really enhances the flavour to its full potential. Let it rest in a warm, well-ventilated area at about 27-29°C for around a month. The skins will harden and protect the flesh inside from rotting, helping your squash last for months.
HOTEL INFORMATION, ROOM GUIDE, TOP TIPS FROM OUR PIG TEAM, THE BEST OUTINGS, LOCAL HEROES AND THINGS TO DO.
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W O R K I N PRO G RE S S
Bet the farm on it “IT’S WHAT THE PIG teams do best, really; we make those old buildings sing like they used to,” says Nancy Neville, Lead Interior Architect at THE PIGs. She’s chatting about the ongoing teamwork that she has been a big part of, in order to bring guests our soon-to-be newest member of the family, THE PIG-on the farm. This unique and genuinely extraordinary property just outside Stratford-upon-Avon will bring a mid-16th-century listed stone manor house back to life. Set in 53 acres, our exciting new PIG was once a proper working farm, and includes part of a deserted medieval village and a major tributary to the River Dene. “This is quite different from any site we’ve ever done before, because it really is on a farm, rather than simply being a country house. The restaurant is a stand-alone building, in a big old former cattle barn with huge high ceilings,” explains Nancy. “It was particularly challenging because we began with a dilapidated farmhouse in extreme disrepair, but clearly with lots of beautiful architectural details to uncover. The main house can now be seen for what it is: really beautiful, with windows and floors that are a little wonky, and big exposed timber beams everywhere. The ground floor is going to be the reception, and the upstairs will have incredible views. Some of the other bedrooms are housed in newly converted stable blocks.” “What I find most exciting about this property is that it already has such a strong identity,” says Nancy’s colleague Lauren Radford, our PIG Interior Designer. “The surrounding landscape and its agricultural heritage gave us a really rich starting point, so rather than imposing a design style, our focus was on uncovering what was already there and translating that into the interiors.” “Lauren is a very visual person, who can imagine a space as it could be and help others to do the same,” says Nancy. “I think part of the PIG
We can’t wait to open THE PIG-on the farm, just south of Stratfordupon-Avon – possibly our most epic PIG transformation yet
ethos is not overdesigning, but having a good instinct for the feeling you get from a place and sourcing these items and antiques to make each PIG feel like a home away from home.” The pair worked closely with other team members, including THE PIG’s Head of Property, Gemma May-Brown, on this new addition to our litter. “We’re always designing through the eyes of the guest,” adds Lauren. “We think about how someone arrives, where they’ll have their morning coffee, where they’ll gather with friends or quietly retreat with a book. Those seemingly small moments are what make a place memorable. For me, the most beautiful room in the world doesn’t work if people don’t want to sit in it, linger in it and come back to it.” As for how she achieves that in practice? “A big part of my role is sourcing and curating furniture, lighting and objects that give each space its own personality. We use a mix of vintage, reclaimed and bespoke pieces because they bring a level of individuality and imperfection that’s almost impossible to manufacture. They help the interiors feel as though they’ve been collected over many years, rather than installed all at once, which is such an important part of creating an authentic sense of place.” Ultimately, says Nancy, “Working with these kinds of heritage buildings means reinstating them and making them a public entity once again, so that everyone can enjoy them. There is so much joy to be found in the details of a historic site and the details of the craftsmanship. It’s lovely to reinstate those crafts.” The project is also close to her heart in another way: “My brother actually lives on the next farm over, so I know this landscape well. It’s so distinctly British, and I just know that guests are going to absolutely love discovering this setting and how these buildings have been transformed into a PIG.” THE PIG-on the farm is due to open in late summer 2027. Discover more and sign up to our mailing list for updates at thepighotel.com/on-the-farm
“There is so much joy to be found in the details of a historic site”
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GUEST BO OK
Guest Book with Fearne Cotton The broadcaster, podcaster and author on how she keeps things cool and cosy in the autumn and winter months – including with pals at THE PIG-on the beach A musician I like to listen to as the seasons change is Joshua Burnside. He is a brilliant Northern Irish artist who has such beautiful lyrics and atmosphere in his songs. The Italian pianist Ludovico Einaudi is also good for any changing season, somehow. I love Seven Days Walking [his project of seven volumes of music released over seven months, in 2019] especially Campfire Day 4. What brings me happiness around the kitchen table is having loads of mates over on a Sunday. You just need good wine, lots of sharing dishes and music playing. I first stayed at a PIG during a Glastonbury weekend, so my memory of that is a little blurry. I’ve since had many a gorgeous meal at THE PIG-on the beach. Me and my girlfriends stayed there and laughed until we couldn’t breathe. What fun! In the colder months, my must-have dish on the 25 Mile Menu is anything hearty, comforting and veggie. THE PIG has so many good veggie dishes. My kids love the piggy bits, too.
I’ve been known to host some very long lunches. My last started with bellinis at midday and finished at 10pm! I felt very rough the next day and had Joseph Fiennes to interview first thing. Not my usual style, as I think of myself as organised and professional, but the lunch was too much fun – Rylan wouldn’t leave. The outfit that brings me joy in party season is anything with sequins on. I’m a clichéd mid-forties magpie. I love sparkly dresses, trousers, tops, bags – half my wardrobe is sequins that I don’t wear as I don’t go out enough. That needs to change. Read along with Fearne’s Happy Place Book Club at happyplaceofficial. co.uk/pages/happy-place-book-club-fearne-cotton. Look out for a special Happy Place Book Club event coming to THE PIG-near Bath this October
My go-to tipple at the bar is a negroni. And my friends and I discovered a cocktail we love at THE PIG-on the beach called Electric Daisy. The daisies are hand-picked from the Kitchen Garden, which makes it even more special. One must-do tip for a PIG guest is to go on a huge walk. I’m always ready for a big old walk after breakfast. Coming back to THE PIG afterwards is always the cosiest experience and you really feel you have earned a nice glass of wine. The travel essentials I always pack relate to me being a bad sleeper. So I bring my Tempur pillow, eye mask, ear plugs and various sleeping vitamins. I’m also common as muck and have always preferred instant coffee to regular, so I bring that too. Judge as you will. My favourite book to delve into as the nights draw in is usually a big new fiction release. Past favourites include All Fours by Miranda July and Three Women by Lisa Taddeo. 6
HOGWA SH \ AUTUMN/ WINTER
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE; OUR ELECTRIC DAISY COCKTAIL; FEARNE RELISHES A COSY PIG INTERIOR IN THE COLDER MONTHS; FEARNE LOVES THE PIG’S HEARTY VEGGIE FARE; SINGER-SONGWRITER JOSHUA BURNSIDE; THE PIG-ON THE BEACH
INFO & GOINGS ON ~ ESSENTIAL INFO & HOTEL GUIDE ~ DEVON CALLING: THINGS TO SEE AND DO ~ THE INSIDE STORY ON TEN YEARS OF THE PIG AT COMBE
o t e m o We lc
COMBE MEANS WOODED VALLEY – in the Domesday Book, you’ll find the Welsh word for this, “Cwm” – and this leafy part of Devon certainly lives up to the name. This building is probably our “poshest PIG”: a Grade I listed Elizabethan manor house set in 3,500 acres in the Otter Valley, with expansive views towards the Blackdown Hills and plenty of pheasants pottering about. All sitting on land whose first recorded owner, in 1086, was Bishop Odo – the half-brother of William the Conqueror. We picked up the keys quite some time after that, in October 2015, and worked on restoring, renovating and redesigning the hotel – Combe House has been a hotel of one kind or another since 1968 – as well as what has become one of the loveliest Kitchen Gardens of all of our PIGs. The terraced garden, set within a mature pinetum, retains original features lovingly renovated by our team, including two Victorian greenhouses. In one, you’ll find a Black Hamburg grapevine that is thought to be more than a century old. We also have a Mushroom House where we grow and harvest our own mushrooms, and a Smokery for curing and smoking meat and fish. We’ve handled the house and its grounds with great care, breathing new life into the building’s old bones, but seeking never to over-restore. We especially love the Folly, our rustic hideaway restaurant that sits in the gardens, and the bedrooms we created in the stable yard behind the main house. We have made the most of other features, such as the original Georgian kitchen and cavernous cellar, where we sometimes host wine tastings – do ask us to show you if you’re curious – and the Elizabethan great hall, dating from 1580, which now holds our lively bar. And while we’ve had plenty of new guests, we’ve also been careful not to bother some of the residents who were already on site, including a colony of bats. After all, they found the place before us.
COMBE THE PIG - AT
THE PIG-AT COMBE \ HOGWASH \ AUTUMN / WINTER
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Wander through the walled Kitchen Garden... ... past the raised beds and fruit cages and into the Herb Garden, where you will find our two warm, rustic retreats: the 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 botanical ingredients that care for the planet as well as mind and body – and is dedicated to recycling and using up everything it can.
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.
PIG PICKS
LOCAL TOP TIPS FROM OUR
Receptionist, Callum WHAT I LOVE MOST ABOUT THIS AREA IN AUTUMN AND WINTER is heading to Dartmoor National Park for a walk then finishing at a pub for a warming mulled cider. MY FAVOURITE THING ABOUT THIS PIG is the huge open fire in the bar. Nothing beats a brisk walk around the grounds and local village, then being rewarded with a roaring fire, a board game and a delicious cocktail. MY GO-TO DISH ON THE 25 MILE MENU is our celeriac risotto with burnt butter & crispy sage. It’s hearty, layered with flavour and perfect with a glass of chardonnay. A MUST-VISIT LOCAL PUB is The Anchor Inn in Beer. This quaint fishing village with a stunning beach is enough of a reason to visit, but add a great pub serving fresh locally caught fish into the mix and it’s an all-round winner. A LOCAL GEM is Finns Devon, a boutique deli, bakery and coffee shop in Colyton, a 25-minute drive from us, which handbakes a range of pastries and goodies each day. WINTER WILDLIFE TO LOOK OUT FOR includes pheasants and roe deer grazing in the frosted fields. BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW that the nearby town of Honiton has a quirky, centuries-old tradition called Hot Pennies Day. In late July, locals would put pennies in a hot oven or fire, then throw them out of the windows at noon, when people competed to collect the most. It still happens, but pennies are only gently warmed now.
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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. It was dreamt up by THE PIG’s former Creative Director, Judy Hutson, whose 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.”
THE PIG - AT COMBE \ HOGWA SH \ AUTUMN/ WINTER
Cheers to 10 years Time flies! We’re proud to be celebrating a decade of your home from home, here at Combe
EVEN BY PIG STANDARDS, Combe is a stunner: The first glimpse of the hotel from the long, sweeping driveway is, says Hotel Director Chris Charles, “like nothing else I’ve seen”. A Grade I listed Elizabethan manor house – all honey-hued stone and a layout so labyrinthine it is said to include priest holes and tunnels that have yet to be found – our fifth PIG is the grandest in the litter by a Devonshire country mile. Chris considers himself incredibly lucky to work here. As does Mark Perry, our Head Groundsman, who has been at the hotel since it opened 10 years ago and has fond memories of the opening celebrations, “with jugglers, stilt walkers and all sorts going on”. Word of the new hotel got around to Chris, who at the time owned a local pub, and he joined the team the following year. Although the main house hasn’t changed much since those early days, due to its listed status, three refurbished thatched cottages and five Stream Wagons have been added to the accommodation mix and the Kitchen Gardens have grown “exponentially”. But despite the beauty of both the house and its Otter Valley setting, both Chris and Mark agree that it’s the team that makes Combe such a special place. THE PIG-AT COMBE \ HOGWASH \ AUTUMN / WINTER
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THE PIG-AT COMBE’S ENTRANCE AND BAR (LEFT ). HEAD GROUNDSMAN MARK PERRY WITH ONE OF HIS RARE-BREED PIGLETS (ABOVE)
“Colin Farrell took so much time to talk to the staff, the girls were just besotted with him” “When we’re up against it, or when there’s a problem, everyone jumps to it,” says Chris. He recalls seeing even the senior team helping to lug sodden hay bales after Combe’s first Smoked & Uncut Festival in 2017 turned into a mud bath. “Everyone gets stuck in,” he says, adding wistfully, “Those parties were very cool.” Indeed, there’s something about the peace and quiet here that makes people want to let their hair down. It might be the local villagers invited to the annual mince pies and mulled wine Christmas do in The Folly or the guests who call Mark from the surrounding fields in the middle of the night, needing help finding their way back after one too many drinks. A particularly memorable shindig was the party THE PIG team threw for the NHS post-lockdown, when about 70 local key workers were given a room and a meal for the evening. “To do that on the first opening night after lockdown was amazing. The atmosphere was really emotional, as we hadn’t done a service in a long time,” says Chris. Later that night, the porters helped a guest back to his room, when they found him wandering the hallways dressed only in a hotel rug. As Mark says, “I think the NHS were ready to let off a bit of steam!” The hotel has also hosted many a famous guest. Devon lad and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin has stayed, as have Marcus Mumford and Carey Mulligan – who are apparently partial to a game of Dobble. Then there was Colin Farrell, who charmed the whole team. “He took so much time to talk to 10
the staff, the girls were just besotted with him.” Many of our guests are similarly enamoured with our resident wildlife. From the cows that often wander in from surrounding fields to the rare-breed piglets, chickens and lambs in our own little farm. “We offer guests, especially children, to pop down of a morning and help us feed the animals,” says Mark. “We have a little orchard with an apiary in the corner, and some rare-breed chickens that lay lovely multicoloured eggs for the restaurant.” Some new arrivals seem keen to join the fun: Mark recently spotted a couple of young beavers nearby. The big-toothed mammals were recently reintroduced to the River Otter, for the first time in “probably 400 years”, and had made their way upstream. There are certainly worse places to call home. After a long day’s work, Chris loves to head to the Folly to watch the sunset and take in the view: “You can sit on the lawn and – wow – it just doesn’t look real.” He finds the garden especially lovely when there’s live music on in the Folly on a Friday night. “The sound travels, this really nice acoustic music and you’ve got the fire pits going outside. It’s a lovely atmosphere,” he says. So what will the next 10 years bring? Mark has a yearning to add some ducks and geese to the menagerie, and there’s a handful of exclusive-use weddings planned, which Chris says will be “really fun big parties”. We’re sure they will be. And who knows? Perhaps someone will finally find those priest holes – perhaps after some late night wanderings.
THE PIG - AT COMBE \ HOGWA SH \ AUTUMN/ WINTER
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 two of our favourite walking routes
ST ORIES FRO M 1 5 YEA RS O F T HE P IG
MAGIC NUMBERS: TABLE FL AGS HAVE BEEN A HALLMARK OF OUTDOOR DINING AT THE PIG-ON THE BEACH SINCE IT OPENED
Flying the flag The quirky handmade flags that mark your table at THE PIG-on the beach are handmade with care, repurposing fabrics from across all of our PIG hotels in loving, sustainable style WHEN THE PIG-ON THE BEACH OPENED back in 2014, it was an instant hit. Such a hit, in fact, that there were always more people trying to get a table for lunch than there were spaces. Hardly surprising – there are few lovelier ways to while away an afternoon than gazing out at Old Harry Rocks from the hotel’s sunny lawn. The wood-fired pizzas from the Garden Oven were especially popular, so we hit upon the idea of letting people bring a picnic rug and be served on the grass if all the tables were full. As Beach, as everyone calls our gingerbread house perched above Studland Bay, is all about old-fashioned English charm, our original interior design queen, Judy Hutson, came up with the idea of beach-inspired numbered flags, and the system instantly became part of the hotel’s relaxed, seaside vibe. A decade (and many thousands of pizzas) later, those original, hastily made flags were looking a little the worse for wear, so Darryl Harris, one of the team at THE PIG-at Bridge Place, came up with an inspired plan to update them. “I’ve worked for THE PIG for 13 years,” he explains, “and I was working with Judy, before she retired, as part of the interiors team, so I got a peek behind the curtain and saw her process – the thousand details that make THE PIG what it is,” he says. He decided that, with another busy summer approaching, the flags needed a reboot. Darryl’s idea was to re-use remnants of fabrics used in PIG interiors to make the new flags. “It might seem like a small detail,” he says, “but to me it tells a story about what THE PIG’s all about.” To kick off, he tracked down as many old broom handles as he could. Next, “I spent the day going through the fabric store at our New Forest HQ – an Aladdin’s cave of PIG! I piled it all into my car and drove back to Bridge.”
Darryl remembered that Siahn, the partner of THE PIG-at Bridge Place’s Restaurant Manager, Liam, was a very good seamstress. He got in touch and, although the job needed turning around in just two weeks, Siahn was delighted to help. “I love projects like this,” she says. “I was so excited, I stayed up the first night till 12, working out the pattern and the best way of doing it.” Taught to hand-stitch by her stepmother, Siahn has always loved sewing and now, alongside her day job working for a dancewear company, she often does her own craft projects. “I gave Siahn some little rectangles of fabric that were used in the very first hotel and at THE PIG-in-the-wall,” says Darryl. “Then there were fabrics from our newest hotel in the Cotswolds and the new bedrooms at Bath. A particular favourite is one we used in the bedrooms in the New Forest – Judy chose it because she thought the bird looked cheeky!” Just ten days later the flags were ready to collect – all 35 of them. In a gorgeous array of PIG fabrics, with the numbers hand-stencilled on by Darryl, and stiffened with lollipop sticks inside so they would stand proud, the flags were delivered to THE PIG-on the beach and immediately put to use. “Guests love them,” says Darryl. “A few people have even asked if they could buy them, or recognised a fabric from a bedroom they’ve stayed in. If you lay all 35 on the floor, you can walk through the story of THE PIG chronologically.” Darryl would love to work with Siahn again. “She’s so talented. And I love the fact it was a way of keeping it in the family. We could have got one of our fabric suppliers to make them, but why wouldn’t I go to the Restaurant Manager’s partner? That’s the PIG way!” Look out for our flags when you sit down to eat with us at THE PIG-on the beach
“It tells a story about what THE PIG is all about”
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In a Pickle Serves 1 · 40ml Sapling Gin · 20ml Cocchi Extra Dry Vermouth · 15ml cucumber juice (this
the skin) or simply muddle a couple of 1cm-thick discs of fresh cucumber in the cocktail shaker, and double-strain to remove the skin at the end.
lasts 2 days in the fridge – add a little citric acid to extend the life to 4 days) · 5ml pickle brine (juice from shop-bought pickles works) · 2 drops dill oil (recipe below. Alternatively, infuse
For the dill oil, blitz a good handful of fresh dill with extra virgin olive oil in a blender (add in a little spinach if you want this extra green) and strain through a coffee filter.
some of the vermouth with a little dill for 2 days beforehand)
This is our homegrown spin on a classic martini – nice and savoury with great flavour pairings and freshness! To make the cucumber juice, either put a cucumber through a juicer (which will remove
Then place all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake hard and finely strain to serve straight up in a chilled Nick and Nora cocktail glass or a classic martini glass. Garnish with a cucumber ribbon. Learn how to rustle up even more of our simple PIG classics by watching our YouTube series PIG Tales – visit youtube.com/ @ThePigHotel/videos
Makes 12 For the ham hock
For the breadcrumb coating
• 1 ham hock
• 100g flour
• 4 pig cheeks
• 2 eggs, whisked
• ½ onion, ½ leek, ½ carrot,
• 100g breadcrumbs
and ½ stick celery, chopped • 1 bay leaf • 1 thyme sprig • ½ teaspoon black peppercorns • a good pinch chopped parsley • salt and pepper
For the Brock eggs
• a sprinkle of celery salt
For the mustard dressing • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar • 1 tablespoon Colman’s mustard • 250ml rapeseed oil • salt and pepper
• 12 quail eggs • salt
Put the ham hock and pig cheeks in a large pan with the veg, herbs and peppercorns, and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil then turn down to simmer on a medium heat for 2½ hours or until the meat falls off the bone. Remove from the heat and leave the ham to cool in the cooking liquor for about 30 minutes – until it is cool enough to touch. Drain and discard the veg. You can keep the stock to use in other dishes, for instance to enhance a soup or sauce.
What to drink with this dish…
While the meat is cooking, place the quail eggs in a pan of boiling salted water and cook for 2½ minutes. Then place them in a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. When they’ve cooled, peel off the shells, taking care not to split them open.
Our PIG Group Beverage Director, Luke Harbor, recommends three perfect pairings for these tasty bites
Once the ham has cooled enough to touch, pick off the meat and shred it by hand into a large bowl (don’t eat it all now!). Add the chopped parsley and season to taste.
Pinot Nero Bressan, 2021
Divide the meat into 12 pieces, then spread out each piece into a thin circular shape, about the size of a saucer, on your work surface. Very gently wrap the quail eggs in the meat, being extra careful not to squeeze them.
Earthy, savoury and a little bit wild – just the thing for ham hock, pig cheek and crispy crumbs. This is a red with enough freshness to keep these Brock eggs properly moreish.
Panorámico “O” Blanco Rioja, 2014
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These are everyone’s favourite. They were on our first menu 15 years ago – and we still get through thousands each month! Back when we were coming up with the idea of little nibbles to eat with a drink – which we now call piggy bits – we had a crack at making the ultimate Scotch egg. We do a punchy Colman’s dressing to go with them, as there’s nothing better than a Scotch egg with mustard.
Leave to set on a tray in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Golden, textured and nutty, this white rioja loves the richness of the meat and the punch of mustard. A unique wine for one of our legendary little dishes.
Now for the breadcrumb coating. Roll each ball in flour then dunk it in the whisked egg, roll in the breadcrumbs and deep fry. If you want, you can also colour them in a non-stick pan and flash through the oven, if needed.
Chapel Down “Kit’s Coty” Blanc de Blancs, Kent 2014
When they’re crispy, season with celery salt and serve with the mustard dressing.
An extremely special English fizz from a historic Kent vineyard. Bright, chalky and toasty, you’d be forgiven for thinking it had come from our neighbours over in the Côte des Blancs.
To make the dressing, put the vinegar and mustard in a food processor and, while mixing slowly, add the oil until it starts to thicken. Season with salt and pepper and put a nice big dollop under the Brock eggs.
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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 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 the hotels – chefs, kitchen gardeners, waiters, sommeliers, bar staff, housekeepers and everyone behind the scenes – is helping to shape the future of caring and considered hospitality. From the newest apprentice to the most experienced manager, they are what make THE PIGs a happy place to be and the reason our guests enjoy their time with us. We couldn’t be more proud of them – and you couldn’t be more welcome here! 14
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THE PIG IN In 2026, we proudly maintained our three-star Food Made Good rating from The Sustainable Restaurant Association
5,000 The number of trees (to date) that we have planted by working with our group spirit partner, Sapling
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Together against hunger
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300, 000 Over
Here at THE PIGs, we are long‑standing supporters (14 years and counting!) of Action Against Hunger – a global humanitarian organisation dedicated to ending world hunger. One of the ways that we at THE PIGs offer our support is by getting behind the charity’s annual Restaurants Against Hunger campaign. Every September and October, we add a voluntary £1 donation to all restaurant bills, offering our guests a simple and accessible way to make a meaningful difference. For the 2025 campaign alone, our guests’ generosity helped raise £25,506, contributing to the charity’s vital work in preventing hunger and malnutrition. So, when you head down to one of our cosy restaurants this autumn, as well as enjoying some wholesome and hearty homegrown dishes from our kitchen, you can also help to make a positive impact as a force for good.
seedlings produced at our Central Nursery in 2025
170,762 THE PIGs’ lifetime contribution in £ to our group charity partners, Action Against Hunger HOGWASH \ AUTUMN / WINTER
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THE PIG-at Harlyn Bay
THE PIG-at Combe
THE PIG-on the farm
THE PIG-in the Cotswolds
THE PIG-near Bath
THE PIG-in the wall
THE PIG-in the South Downs
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.
THE PIG in the New Forest
THE PIG-on the beach
... find out more here
THE PIG-at Bridge Place
OVER AND OUT
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