Driving The Pig Trail: exploring England one kitchen garden at a time

There are many ways to explore England. You can ride the train from city to city, float down the Thames, or spend a week politely queueing for things in London. But there is another way to see the country — slower, more picturesque, and considerably more delicious.

Coloured glass adorn most of The Pig’s cocktail salons
Photo: AJT

For that journey, you follow The Pigs.

Not literal pigs (although many of their friends, the sheep, appear in nearby fields), but The Pig — one of Britain’s most charming luxury boutique hotel groups. These country‑manor hotels operate on a philosophy so simple it borders on genius: they are, in their own words, “restaurants with rooms.”

The idea is the creation of British hotelier Robin Hutson, a pioneer of modern boutique hospitality who previously co‑founded the Hotel du Vin chain before launching The Pig concept in 2011. The brand’s defining motif is their famous “25‑mile menu,” meaning most ingredients served in the property’s restaurant come from within a 25‑mile radius — many grown directly in the hotel’s own kitchen garden (in which each Pig offers a daily garden tour for their guests).