The PIG
I must confess that I’ve been a fan of The PIG for some time; I honeymooned at the one in Devon, and birthday-ed at the one near Bath, so I was delighted to hear of another opening this time closer to London. But I also felt trepidation; would a further of replica of the PIG’s inimitable style feel unauthentic? I decided to pack my bags and off I went to find out.
Founded by Robin Hutson (ex-Hotel du Vin and the man behind the luxurious Lime Wood Hotel in the New Forest) and wife Judy (who is responsible for The PIG’s enviable interiors), it all started in 2011, with a dilapidated walled kitchen garden and a tired country house hotel in the New Forest.
There are now an impressive six PIGs in the litter, all of which share the same winning formula - beautifully restored historic house, laid back feel, picturesque kitchen garden and a restaurant skilfully dishing up locally sourced food.
The latest opening, just outside Canterbury in Kent, has only been open for 6 months and has already been named as best in the south-east in The Sunday Times' Best Places to Stay list - a prestigious guide to the UK's top 100 hotels, and at a mere 56 minutes by train from St Pancras it’s an easy escape for food-loving Londoners such as myself.
We chose to drive, and with equal ease, we arrived and parked up overlooking fields of pigs, sheep and chickens. Immediately our shoulders dropped. With its position on the outskirts of the small town of Bridge and its proximity to Canterbury, this new PIG definitely feels less rural than the others, but it’s inviting, nonetheless.
The imposing historic red brick house is a beautiful and intriguing old building, which over the past four decades has been home to some infamous parties and concerts, playing host to the likes of Led Zeppelin, The Kinks and more (you can find the original gig posters in the downstairs loos).
The house is filled with endless period features, from sweeping wooden staircases and grandiose fireplaces, to atmospheric wood-panelled rooms and endless nooks and crannies, all sympathetically preserved and enhanced by an uber-stylish mixture of modern and vintage furnishings.
We were greeted like old friends and shown to our room; number 20 in the Coach House is described as a ‘Hideaway Room’ but to give you an idea of size, it has its own entrance hall. Antique furniture is mixed seamlessly with all the mod cons – a luxurious roll-top bath, a gargantuan rainfall shower, a bed the size of my flat, and beautiful views across the kitchen garden. Not forgetting the in-room ‘larder’ aka the minibar of dreams, which tempts you with the likes of posh nuts and nibbles, luxury chocolate, craft lagers, a half bottle of Bollinger (!), etc. Endless distressed wood, sumptuous velvets and antique trinkets all add to the shabby chic sumptuousness; much like the rest of the hotel, it’s incredibly stylish but ever so comfortable.
We explored the hotel’s immaculate grounds, and the charming head gardener showed us round the picture-perfect kitchen garden, giving us a mouth-watering preview of what might be on the dinner menu. Thanks to a handy print out from reception, we then slipped on a pair of Hunter wellies (provided by the hotel, of course) and ventured out on a 1.5-hour romp through the Kentish countryside, passing historic oast houses, a disused railway and old hop frames along the way.
Jake Eastham
The Pig, Bridge Place, Canterbury, Kent, hotel, boutique hotel, gardens, restaurant, bar
Having worked up quite a thirst, on our return we headed to the hotel’s beautiful bar and sunk into a vast velvet sofa in front of a roaring fire, surrounded by all manner of bottled booze infusions, historic portraits and vast windows overlooking the surrounding countryside.
We tucked into a selection of delightful ‘Piggy Bits’ – crackling and apple sauce, cod’s roe with crunchy carrots, crispy oyster mushrooms, and more, all served on vintage crockery and washed down with a glass (or two) of English fizz. The afternoon slipped away in cosy, delicious bliss, and before long it was time for dinner.
The hotel’s restaurant has a slightly more ‘new build’ feel than the other PIGs, mainly because it is just that (The Coach House is a new wing that has been sensitively added to the main house by the hotel), but it’s still an atmospheric feast for the eyes. Bottles of extraordinary pickles and ferments line the shelves, sprawling plants and colourful veg adorn every surface, and vintage lights (salvaged from Battersea Power Station, I am told) twinkle overhead, whilst the open kitchen (unique to this new PIG) provides fascinating foodie theatre.
Jake Eastham
The Pig, Bridge Place, Canterbury, Kent, hotel, boutique hotel, gardens, restaurant, bar
The PIG’s obsessive commitment to homegrown and local produce means that the menu unfailingly celebrates the seasons, and the kitchen uses only what is fresh and available; the chef, kitchen gardener and forager work hand in hand to create a menu of uncomplicated and simple British garden food. Whatever can’t be grown or reared on site is sourced locally, adhering to the hotel’s ‘25-mile menu’ concept.
We enjoyed a truly memorable caramelised cauliflower risotto to start – rich, cheesy, comfort food at its best, alongside beautifully earthy-but-sweet beetroot, served with spicy watercress and pickled quail’s eggs.
Then came a succulent fillet of flaky cod fresh from Folkstone Market, served with a mountain of deliciously roasted courgettes from the garden all covered in a silky cockle butter sauce. The thyme-roasted celeriac was buttery soft, lifted by the zingy preserved lemon dressing and crisp toasted almonds.
On the side, we had more courgettes – this time with truffle which were heavenly, and The PIG’s infamous crispy tobacco onions (thin strips of seasoned fried onions, said to look a bit like loose-leaf tobacco) which were completely delicious and dangerously moreish.
For pudding we shared another PIG special – a raspberry ‘choc ice’; smooth, punchy raspberry ice cream encased in a thick layer of seriously good dark chocolate.
Having already enjoyed an interesting and delicious English wine flight over dinner, but wanting to eke out our evening for as long as possible, we once again retreated to the bar - our pretend, dream sitting room for the weekend - and found a lovely little snug complete with glowing wood burner, perfectly formed for an after-dinner espresso martini.
Jake Eastham
The Pig, Bridge Place, Canterbury, Kent, hotel, boutique hotel, gardens, restaurant, bar
Following a good night’s sleep and after luxuriating in the roll top bath for an hour or so, it was suddenly time for more food - ‘quaffing and troughing’ is The PIG’s mantra, after all. Breakfast was another gourmet yet homely affair – BBC Radio 4 is played and papers are read, whilst the breakfast table offers piles of homemade granola, breads, fruits, local jams and honeys, juice, Kombucha and more, as well as the option to boil your own eggs.
We also indulged in the cooked breakfast menu, just so we could try The PIG’s group chef director James Golding’s oak smoked salmon, which did not disappoint. It’s worth pointing out here that breakfast is not included in the price of an overnight stay, which ruffles some feathers. I quite like this approach, however; some don’t want to set their alarm and overindulge purely because it is included, and it very much fits The PIG’s relaxed, ‘do whatever you fancy’ approach. There's a choice of the plentiful, continental breakfast buffet for a reasonable £12, or you can ‘upgrade’ to a cooked breakfast for £16 (which also includes the buffet table).
Check out is a very civilised 11 am, although sadly this did not provide enough time for us to get the locks on our bedroom door changed, scuppering our chances of staying forever.
My initial fears about this newest PIG feeling inauthentic were thankfully, completely unfounded; to put it simply, our stay felt a bit like visiting the sumptuous and stylish second home we all dream of owning; it’s beautiful, sophisticated and feels like a treat, but there is not a hint of pretension or stuffiness – it is the definition of delicious comfort.
The staff are charming and skilled, and the atmosphere relaxed and soothing, and when it comes to food – not only is it plentiful and sublime, but it’s also the real deal; the kitchen garden is not a gimmick, you really are eating what has been picked that day. Not only is this delicious, but it adds to the overall, nourishing experience of the place. The PIG modestly describes itself as ‘a restaurant with rooms’, but it is so much more than that.
Rooms from £110; room 20 from £305 a night, breakfast not included; thepighotel.com
