Oink oink I’m back and here to tell you all about my minimoon at The Pig hotel in the New Forest. This is the kind of retreat where you envision Rosie Huntington-Whiteley wandering around in her wellies before tucking into her foraged dinner at the restaurant.
It’s a luxury country home but without any of the pretentious tomfoolery us Brits are known for. Sit by the roaring fire, take your shoes off and sip on a massive gin and tonic. You’re in England’s green and pleasant lands now.
As soon as you arrive you are welcomed by two stocky cast iron pigs at the entrance, you know that you’ve arrived at a country hotel that has no time for stuffiness. Staff dressed in wellies and Barbour jackets greeted us enthusiastically before marching us to our extremely impressive room, the Hen House, in the stables behind the main building. The bedroom was a standard country hotel affair, but a staircase led us upstairs to the most wonderful bathroom I have ever seen. A gigantic roll top bath took pride of its place by the window to watch the pigs and chickens at feeding time. Beautiful old wooden floors housed a double sink, large day bed and TV. There was also a bookshelf and a shelf of games in the bathroom….ummm why not! And finally, there was a giant wet room with not one but two huge rain showers- I now absolutely need this in my house. This room was the best in the whole hotel and it was so wonderful to soak off our weary aching muscles.
It’s The Pig so let’s talk about the piggy bits. The hotel describes itself as “a restaurant with rooms” but add in a farm with pigs, chickens, quails, sheep and ponies and it’s a decent approximation! There is a very strong culture of farm to table and the chef tries not to serve anything that is located farther than 25 miles away. Inevitably there are a few things that come from yonder lands, but waiters proudly present diners with a map of the sources of all food served and nothing travelled farther than 65 miles to hit my plate. With regards to the food, the clue is in the name and there is a lot of pig. Sausages, bacon, pork belly and chipolatas are all there. Vegetarian options are very good, but expect to be très bored by day three. Non-meat eaters will love the giant walled garden and greenhouse which nurtures all the herbs you can imagine and many kinds of vegetables I have never heard of before!
Outside of the hotel there’s a natural playground. Rent some bikes from the reception and it’s only a six mile ride to the sister property Lime Wood. This bad boy hotel is ultra-trendy and residents of the Pig can use the spa for free. We ran out of time, but we hear it is absolutely top notch and with Angela Hartnett as resident chef this is the place to go. Weekend reservations at the hotel are mostly filled up for next year, but we will find a way to go and report back!
However, never fear if you can’t get into the Lime Wood, there is a wonderful retreat at The Pig at the end of the walled garden and down the jetty. The Potting Shed may look humble on the outside, but on the inside, there’s the most cosy massage room with a choice of oils and luxury products. The therapist worked intuitively putting my muscles on the road to recovery after a week of carrying heavy objects and too much dancing. On the way back to my room I was floating so high I had to be careful not to slip off the aforementioned jetty.
The Pig is an excellent abode for a very lazy weekend. Walking around the farm never got old and it’s been a long time since I saw a hotel bar with so much care and love built into it. There were at least thirty different vodkas and gins, each flavoured with herbs and fruits from the gardens and distilled to perfection and a wine list of over 250 varieties. I loved the “foragers fizz” with my lunch and recommend the “apple and rhubarb” cocktail for a post-dinner treat.
Vegetarians are not going to be delighted with the food but to be fair, the clue is in the name and at £250 a night we thought our massive room was an excellent value. We got by for a short trip with the small hanging space and minimal cupboards, but sadly this unique property does not meet the high standards of Citizen Femme (although meat eaters may protest that it does). I look forward to reporting back from the sister property Lime Wood in due course, but for now I think I’ve found a very special hotel in the Cotswolds, so watch this space.
Starting price for rooms is £139 per night and deserves to be everyone’s new fantasy minibreak.
The Pig near Bath, Hunstrete House, Pensford, BS39 4NS
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