Glenn and I were very lucky to have received the wonderful Christmas gift of an overnight stay with dinner and breakfast at the gorgeous Pig Hotel, courtesy of our son Bert and his partner Holly.
The Pig had been on my wish list for some time, located in a beautiful historic building, once owned by the Bowes-Lyons, cousins of the Queen, the 17th-century building is set in 14 acres of secluded grounds, everything about it is grand, majestic and luxurious.
There was something quite mystical about The Pig on the day of our arrival, the weather was gloomy which added to the sense of drama as we swept up the drive. Inside there was a heady smell of wood smoke and at a glimpse we could see roaring log fires in the drawing room, library and bar.
We had the luxury of one of our own self contained pig huts, beyond the main house in the stable yard.
Our hut was divine, from the four-poster bed piled high with feather filled duvet and cushions, delicious crisp white linens, a bathroom replete with a 'monsoon' shower and a claw-footed, free-standing bath, to the Roberts radio tuned in to Radio 4 and the views overlooking the stunning countryside.
We spent a couple of leisurely hours getting ready for dinner before heading back to the main house. We decided to start our evening in the bar with a glass of champagne and some of the menus delicious 'piggy bits.'
We were shown into the restaurant which by day is light and airy due to the stunning Victorian greenhouse attached to the old building which gives the room a garden-y feel and by night is transformed into something magical, the room was aglow with candles, the gentle flickering light reflected off the large greenhouse windows, the restaurant was full of people and the atmosphere felt informal yet intimate.
The owners call The Pig 'A restaurant with rooms' everything here is driven by the restaurant's chef, resident gardener and full time forager - as a result the menu boasts a 'literally picked this morning' section. There is a passion for 'responsible' produce, hence the menu title '25-mile menu' - 95 per cent of the ingredients come from less than 25 miles away. For me this was food heaven, I'm not impressed by modernist foams or fancy airs, but I do love fresh, honest, ingredients. I'll happily eat a basic 6€ menu del dia because it's honest home cooked food. The beauty of good quality ingredients seems to be lost on us these days with so many restaurants serving nothing better than industrialised ballast. Although Glenn will happily eat a meal at our local Beefeater, he really appreciated the garden leaves (fresh from the ground that morning) the seed trays on our table filled with fresh herbs, the Pennington Farm beef sirloin that was as soft as butter, the meltingly rich artisan cheeses with homemade biscuits and rich chutney and the homemade custard tart with homemade tarragon ice cream. This type of dining experience was about our senses being startled into paying undivided attention to the moment, savouring flavours and textures as opposed to just filling our faces.
We accompanied our meal with a bottle of the hotel's own label wine which was delicious before retiring to the bar where a fireside seat had been reserved for us. The ambience was so relaxing and soothing we nestled into the comfy, squashy sofa to enjoy our liqueur coffees and take in the interesting portraits and artefacts.
After a heavenly nights sleep in our pig hut, we wended our way past the majestic oak trees and the log fire heated courtyard back to the main house.
The restaurant had yet again been transformed into a room laden with a banquet of homemade granola, bread, pastries and preserves. There were boil your own eggs, still warm from the chicken run outside and that was just for starters. Glenn opted for the kippers which are smoked on site whilst I went for the full piggy breakfast.
Unfortunately the weather wasn't conducive to a long post-prandial stroll which was a shame as there was so much to see. We did venture as far as the resident pigs and chickens and the walled garden.
'I do not think that when in a hotel you have to feel 'at home.' On the contrary, you have to get the feeling that you are definitely elsewhere.'
- Aurelio Vazquez Duran.
Love Donna xxxxxxx
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