Our Story
How it all started
THE PIG was born in 2010 when our founder, Robin, walked into the rather unloved Kitchen Garden of a hotel outside Brockenhurst in the New Forest.
Something about this walled garden sparked his imagination – for a start, even full of weeds, it was the loveliest thing about a place that had, back then, become a bit down-at-heel.
He began to imagine it as the heart of a new style of country hotel: homey, informal, deeply comfortable and decidedly unshiny, serving unpretentious but delicious home-grown food, and rooted in the English countryside.
It would be called THE PIG, because… well, why not? Sociable, down-to-earth and keen on dinnertime – it felt right for a place that revelled in its connection with the countryside and the local farming communities.
Home grown in every way
That first PIG, at Brockenhurst, opened in 2011 and right from the start it was a family affair. Not just Robin’s own family – with wife Judy taking charge of the furnishings and son Ollie working in the Kitchen Gardens – but a bedrock of talented people who quickly became part of our ever-growing team.
Our PIG people tend to stay with us a long time, trying new roles and developing new skills – they’ve even shared some of the tales they’ve gathered along the way. We love it that almost all our Head Chefs and Hotel Directors have risen through the ranks! Even a fair few PIG couples have met while working here (including Ollie, now Group Head Kitchen Gardener, and his partner, Jo – responsible for our big family of bees).
Our Homemade Ethos
The Kitchen Garden is the heartbeat of THE PIG. Whatever we can’t grow or rear ourselves, we source locally, the basis of our 25 mile menus. We’re always looking for new ways to reduce our impact on the environment, whether that’s bottling water on-site, cutting down food waste and packaging, seeking out sustainable suppliers and charity partners, getting into beekeeping or improving our composting skills. We’re not saying we’re perfect, but you can be sure that we are thinking about every detail, every day and making a positive difference wherever we can.
Our Efforts
Here at THE PIGs, it’s always been part of our core to champion local suppliers and produce, to help our environment thrive, and provide real opportunities for our PIG people to develop their talents. Ever since we opened our doors in 2011, it’s been part and parcel of how things work at our place – it’s our way of life! So, we couldn’t be more excited to share that THE PIGs are B Corp certified.
Unstuffy and Unshiny
We keep as many original features as possible, inside and outside THE PIGs, and we restore and renew as much as we can to give our higgeldy-piggeldy things a new lease of life. You’ll discover a very personal mix of old furniture and paintings, mismatched China and junk-shop finds across each individual PIG.
Like our food-producer friends, we seek out small-scale makers and artists who work locally and use natural materials – whether that’s for our terrace parasols or recycled sari-fabric lampshades.
The same goes for all the outbuildings, stables, barns and sheds too. When we first discovered a little spot beyond the pond in the gardens at Brockenhurst, where the potting shed would have been, we thought it would make the perfect place to have a relaxing massage. And so, our Potting Shed Treatment Rooms came into life, decorated (as Judy likes to say), like Mr McGregor’s garden shed!
Our locations
The Growing Litter
We only open a hotel when we find the perfect building in the perfect spot, taking our lead from the spirit of the building, the countryside and the local ingredients and food culture.
Keep an eye out for new PIGs on the horizon...
