Piggin’ Out, Stayin’ In | The Pig In The Forest, Brockenhurst, Hampshire

The trouble with putting off visiting somewhere you think you’ll love is that it gets very hyped up inside your head. This is exactly what happened with The Pig. It’s probably been about six years since we first talked about going there but the dates just never worked out. Self-employment has made things more flexible (although somehow we have far less time) so we took advantage of their January mid-week offer as our Christmas presents to each other.

First impressions are so important… Photograph: The Pig

Of course it was raining, standard weather situation when we go away, so instead of stopping off for a mooch around the forest and a spot of lunch, we headed straight to The Pig. Now I don’t know if it’s just us, but we judge somewhere predominantly on their interaction on social media (maybe it’s just because of what we do for a living). The Pig hadn’t engaged with us whatsoever so the massively warm welcome that we received was a little bit unexpected. The girl from New Zealand (we think) on reception was like a long-lost friend – she is so working in the right field, she has hospitality down to a T.

Give it some welly

We were led to our bedroom in the main house (the better rooms are in the courtyard but we went for the lower end of the budget). A little cosy room with decent views (despite the rain) and everything we needed, from a Nespresso machine, TV with DVD player, dressing gowns and a welcome bottle of sparkling English wine – not champagne, hooray!

Now we were starving, OK – I was starving so we wandered downstairs for a light lunch. It felt very much like being at a relative’s on Boxing Day – couples lounging about eating, drinking, reading books or newspapers and not talking to each other. Great for people watching but it felt a little flat. There was an older couple lunching with their beautiful greyhound/lurched type dog laying beside them so we naturally gravitated towards their table.

Not wanting to spoil our evening feast, I went for a Grilled South coast mackerel, rocket and fennel salad (£8) and Ade a thick cut Bacon and egg mayo sandwich (£8), plus a few ‘Piggy bits’ to share. Ade tested my misaphonia to the max whilst crunching down on his sandwich and munching on his vegetable crisps in such a quiet environment.

Next up, was a walk around the grounds before it got dark, the greenhouse and garden area where the kitchen source a lot of their produce is vast and fascinating. We got as close as we could to the resident pigs but a huge puddle and my ‘suede’ boots stood in our way, we admired the cute potting shed treatment room, wishing we’d splashed out on a massage – especially as I was aching.

We snooped around the better rooms, gazing wistfully through the windows at their log-burning fires and god knows what else they had inside. Back to our little room, I wished I hadn’t been so nosy, often when we visit hotels it’s for review purposes and complimentary which nine times out of ten meant it would be us in those top rooms so I shouldn’t really be jealous. Ade reckons there is no pleasing me, I always want more. I don’t know what he’s talking about. [it’s true – Ade]

Bringing the outside in… Photograph: The Pig

A quick catch up on work back in our room, a bottle of bubbles and then it was time for dinner. Compared to earlier in the ‘library’, dinner was buzzy with way more atmosphere but not so noisy that we couldn’t talk. The waiting team were fantastic and obviously worked off their feet, yet still smiling.

Everything on the menu is sourced from within 25 miles – with the odd exception. We started with some delicious teeny Brock eggs & Colman’s dressing (£3.95) – scotch eggs from the quails in the garden and super noisy Saddleback crackling & apple sauce (£3.95) – the best crackling, ever.

We had these in place of starters, even though we were tempted by them too. Mains were tricky to decide on, it had to be meat but which dish? I used the fact it was National Pie Day to help me in my decision-making and went for The pie @ The Pig – beef and Hampshire rise ale with buttered greens (£18). I was a little underwhelmed by it, not as beefy as I hoped and the meat slightly tough, the flavour was far more subtle like a chicken pie although the pastry was perfect, with a golden sheen. The veg was beautiful and fresh but lacking in seasoning – obviously this was easily rectified but still.

Ade’s Pan roasted ox liver & colcannon with crispy onions and red wine sauce (£16.50) proved a total hit. He’s a huge fan of liver, I’m not, so he orders it whenever he can. It was cooked perfectly with a soft paté like texture served with a rich silky gravy (we hate the word jus) and a creamy buttery colcannon. But luckily I got to share his side of Tobacco onions (£3.95), the best thing I ate all day, shoestring thin sliced onions dusted in paprika flour and deep-fried… a-maze-ing.

Now I was sure I’d spotted the older gentleman with the dog at lunchtime eating a lemon posset so had already decided upon that for my dessert. Our waitress hadn’t the foggiest idea what I was talking about so perhaps I had dreamt it after all. Instead I had the Baked Alaska with lemon curd ice cream (£7.50), the lightest and most citrusy replacement I could see. Ade went old school with a Yorkshire Triangle rhubarb jelly with poached rhubarb (£7.50) – served straight up in a pretty little granny glass bowl like the good old days.

Shake it like a polaroid picture…

Bellies full, it was time to slope off to the bar which was conveniently situated right next door. A really interesting little spot, stocked full of homemade concoctions – we wanted to try them all. Alas we chose one drink each – for me a Smoke on the water (£10) with burnt rosemary and blackberry infused Monte Alban, mezcal, Chartreuse Jaune blackberry liquer, lemon juice and honey syrup. Ade’s a sour lover so had the Sour Power (£10) – clementine infused Lapostolle, pisco and Cointreau. Sipping on cocktails whilst sat next to the crackling log fire – a perfect end to an evening.

We slept like logs, me more so because I bought my own pillow. One day Ade will start following suit. I couldn’t wait to get back downstairs for breakfast, usually when we go away I’m too hungover to eat it but as it was a school night I’d taken it easy so my stomach was raring to go.

Exactly what breakfast should be…

Now in my eyes, breakfast was the highlight. An abundance of freshly made bits and bobs from three different types of granola to freshly baked sourdough. All presented in a beautiful homely fashion, it was truly wonderful. As we were up early working this enabled us to try as much as we could before it was all whisked away at 10am. We have very high standards for a cooked breakfast (blame The Table Cafè) and The Pig’s scored pretty highly – the bacon especially was incredible.

The rain was back with back with a vengeance so it was straight home and back to work for us after breakfast (via one of the many local farm shops, naturally). We do love that The Pig is all about the food – seasonal, freshly picked from their very own garden and every changing depending what’s on offer and perhaps I just chose badly with that pie. But if you want our advice and finances allow, do it properly and go all out with top rooms and treatments in the potting shed.

Find out more about The Pig here
Beaulieu Road, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, SO42 7QL
Email: info@thepighotel.com
Telephone: 01590 622354

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Nearest station: Brockenhurst (42 mins walk / 6 mins drive)

We ate as guests of The Pig this does not affect our review in any way. We always write with complete honesty.