THE PIG Hotel Anmeldelser 

This review was written following a recent visit to The Pig. I have waited a few weeks before posting as I thought it right to see if my emotions had gotten the best of me and to see if the review is just.
My feelings and those of my family remain and the review stays as is!

We were looking forward to having Saturday lunch at The Pig in the South Downs with my family, having heard so much about it.
The journey there was through some delightful countryside and the setting and approach to the hotel is fabulous. We were shown into a stunning lounge, which doubled as the bar area, and enjoyed our pre-lunch drinks in front of the log burner.
Soon our table was ready and we were shown into the restaurant which overlooked the terrace and lawn. Having an early reservation meant that the restaurant was empty and quiet! All that changed however as other guests were shown to their tables and the noisy chatter became louder and louder as diners competed with each other to be heard!
Menus were duly produced and we were given time to peruse the 25 Mile Menu. Our server returned to take our order but seemed to want to take the order without moving around the table! She was on the other side of the table to me and she was expecting me to shout my request across the table in an attempt to overcome the increasing sound of chatting diners! She appeared surprised when I asked her to come around the table to take my order!
I asked to see the wine list and it was pointed out that it had been given to my wife and hidden behind the large menu! Perhaps I am wrong but I always thought that the wine list should be given to the host or head of the table! When viewed it was a very large, pretentious wine list with overpriced wines!
A server arrived with three plates and asked who was having what? She then proceeded to reach in front of my family members to place the appropriate meals in front of them. Any properly trained server should have been informed by the order taker as to which diners were having what and where they were sitting on the table! The concept of a meal being served from the left and cleared from the right seemed to have been forgotten!
Family members chose fish for their main course but not having had steak for a long time I thought a Minute Steak would be in order! How wrong could I be! The steak was tough to cut and despite a good taste was tough to chew! After my first mouthful I sent it back! What to do, do I wait 15 minutes for a replacement while my fellow diners continued enjoying their meals? Or do I order something else? I chose the Sea Bream which was delicious.
Our overall impression of The Pig in the South Downs was not a positive one. Fabulous environment, good food, ridiculously high wine prices, noisy! Personal service lacking and for £60 a head (one child menu) not somewhere we will be going back to!

One word to sum it up – Pretentious!

Fantastic! Highly recommend to anyone who likes good food and wine. Josh is brilliant at recommending the correct courses, Daniel is beyond helpful during your stay and the team around the hotel are first class.

The venue is beautiful.
The food was good.
Service was good.
The ambience was warm.
The drinks are extortionate!
A very average bottle of wine, retailing at just over £17, was priced at £57. I found this very overpriced.

Have been to The Pig Brockenhurst for several New Year Eve meal and a dance. BUT this year was mean. Three simple courses, no extras. Meal ended at 10pm (when many staff left) and then people just sat in the lounge. All dressed up with nowhere to go. We left at 11.30pm. New Years Eve is not the same as every other night, every restaurant knows that. The Pig has changed.

Went yesterday for my birthday. It was meant to be a special ocasion. Myself and my best friend were asked to give up our table after an hour for other diners, with very, very little explanation and absolutely no prior notice; outrageous, to be honest. £140 for lunch and a table for an hour. No thanks. I think, reading other recent reviews, they are on the slide.

The Village Inn, Barnsley, Cirencester.
BRAVO - an excellent village pub that I wish was my local.
As we arrived, the door was opened for us, and we were greeted with a warm and wonderful welcome. This is a glorious country pub, and the comforting aroma of a crackling log fire greeted us as we were shown to our table.

The menu, while not extensive, was perfectly curated a feature I truly appreciate. A smaller, curated menu with creative options shows attention to quality and uniqueness. It offered a thoughtful selection of dishes, but also offered traditional bangers and mash therefore delivering comforting options.
The ethos behind the menu is equally inspiring as The Pig adheres to a "25 mile radius" philosophy for sourcing produce. This commitment to local ingredients not only supports local farmers and suppliers but also ensures the freshest, highest quality dishes for their guests. Its a thoughtful and sustainable approach that truly elevates the dining experience.

Choosing was tough; I was tempted by the bangers and mash, knowing they would be excellent, but I decided on the beetroot tart, while my friend opted for the pork chop.

We started with crunchy potatoes served with a flavourful garlic mayo. They were absolutely delightful and paired perfectly with our drinks as we soaked in the cozy atmosphere.

When the mains arrived, they exceeded all expectations. The pork chop was a revelation—so tender it rivalled a fillet steak. It was simply stunning. At £20 for the chop, accompanied by a brandy sauce and kale was quite pricey with sides on top, but the quality made it worth every penny. One small comment: my friend dislikes kale, and at that price, it would have been nice to offer a substitute. That said, it wouldn’t stop me from ordering it again.

My beetroot tart was a delightful combination of flavours, with the crunch of hazelnuts and the tangy sharpness of blue cheese perfectly complementing the dish.

What truly set this pub apart, however, was the staff. Their service was exceptional—highly professional yet relaxed, creating a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere without being overbearing. They were knowledgeable, patient, and genuinely kind.

I am already looking forward to returning soon.

Afterwards, we followed a recommendation to visit the newly opened Pig Hotel and Spa in the village. Upon arrival, we were again warmly welcomed and encouraged to explore the house and spa. Once again, the staff excelled, with a young man providing us with excellent information.

However, if I’m honest, I found the hotel far too crowded for my liking. The lounge areas and bars were packed with guests waiting for their lunchtime reservations. Having visited other Pig hotels, such as Coombe, which feels so spacious, this felt a little too bustling for me.
That said, it’s clearly a fantastic destination, and its popularity speaks volumes. It’s just a different structure and atmosphere compared to the other Pig properties I’ve experienced.

We were given a wonderful tour of the spa by a lovely lady named Lily. It’s an absolutely charming little retreat that I’m eager to visit in the future. For just £30 a day, guests can enjoy the fantastic outdoor hot tub, sauna, and steam room, as well as a beautifully designed relaxation room. It’s an incredible value for such a serene and well-appointed space!

What truly stands out about The Pig brand, based on the venues I’ve visited, is the excellence of the staff. It’s a hallmark of the brand and a credit to their ethos.

During my visit to the spa, I mentioned this to Lizzy, who spoke passionately about her experience with The Pig. She shared how the company actively supports its staff by asking about their career aspirations and helping them achieve their goals. This level of care and investment in their team deserves huge kudos—after all, a venue is only as good as the people behind it.

I absolutely adore The Pig brand and will definitely be keeping an eye out for deals as my wish is to stay a night or two and experience even more of what they have to offer.

The changeover from Barnsley House to The Pig stewardship has not been kind to the quality of this place. Food has moved downmarket to a sort of gastropub experience but not particularly well executed. Wines are expensive for the quality offered, and the dining room has been emptied of comfortable furniture and filled with cheap uncomfortable farmhouse-chic bric-a-brac.
Rooms are still good and well cared-for and staff generally cheerful and some very good. But the real killer is they charge for breakfast, even a buffet, which to be honest isn't particularly great. That's not good when you're miles from any other breakfast. Like charging for WiFi.

I had booked the PiG at the Bridge for my daughter’s 30th Birthday present and she had taken a day off work. 10 days before our trip , l received an email from the hotel saying we needed to be away from the hotel by noon the next day as someone had booked exclusive use of the hotel. I have found it really disruptive and really disappointing. We are going to the South Downs and have had to book a more expensive room because the less expensive ones were booked but l felt boxed in because l had already told my daughter we were going to the PIG for her birthday and she had taken annual leave!. At least we can also stay for lunch the next day. The Bridge were apologetic but offered no token by way of compensation. I hope that we will enjoy the South Downs hotel and it’s worth the extra travelling 🤞

We came for a birthday lunch and must say it's a lovely building, handsome bar and pretty, comfy sitting rooms. We were greeted at the door by a very friendly chap who showed us to the bar area (good choice of gins) for a drink and a look at the menus.
Our service lady was very friendly and chatty but we were generally under whelmed by the food, some of the courses were fabulous, I did have a problem with my main, which they sorted out apologetically but the service was very slow and disappointing. The ethos of the 25 mile menu is admirable but for the cost I don't think we'll be going back.

Cashing in on its surroundings
Not value for money

We had a voucher for the Pig in Brockenhurst. The menu was very limited none of the starters appealed so went straight to mains I had the pork collar which was small and no sign of fennel my husband had a small piece of mullet which was accompanied by some inedible clams which tasted only of mustard we had 2 sides of chips and tough green vegetables For sweet I had a small scoop of ice cream and my husband had petit fours. We had a half carafe of wine and the total bill was £140 we even had to pay for tap water and 12.5% service charge
Grossly overpriced and pretentious we left hungry
Will not be returning

The Pig at Madehurst is set in stunning surroundings. My husband and I take the kids and grandchildren for lunch and the food is always superb and there’s space for crazy boys of 6 & 9 to play footy and run about. Went for lunch yesterday with the hubby, whilst he had a fabulous fish main I ordered a meze of starters, how I like to eat in the summer. I had the crab salad with fresh garden produce grown in their own kitchen gardens, the smoked cod’s roe and a lamb shoulder croquette, everything is grown by themselves or sourced locally within 25m. It’s how we should all eat really. They have now produced their own wines, the Rose Alpaca is fantastic, really easy drinking, went down a treat. I think I would liken it to Whispering Angel Rose, which I like immensely. Yes it is a bit expensive but well worth it for the exquisite surroundings and fabulous food! And now wine.

We’ve been to almost all of the Pigs - some multiple times, and they are each magical! The staff are relaxed yet attentive, discreetly helpful, always there when you need them. The styling is of course top notch, that rare mix of luxury, eclectism, cozy and aspirational - a hard balance to achieve! Love the focus on local food & producers, and they always make a mean dirty martini - it’s a tough call to say our favourites but I think Cornwall, Devon and Dorset all tie! For what you get the prices are more than reasonable and we always feel like we’re at home, just better!! which is the best compliment we can give, The Pigs are a wonderful addition to UK holidaying which makes some of these strangely mean reviews so puzzling. I personally recommend them to anyone who’ll listen without fail

Popped into The Pig at Brockenhurst on a Sunday, early evening - no greeting, a band playing outside , no tables available (fair enough, we hadn't booked) took a stroll around the walled garden which was lovely. Came back settled into the Drawing Room for a drink. Eventually went and found a member of staff to get a menu as none was forthcoming - said give us a couple of minutes to peruse. 15 minutes later we'd waited long enough being ignored. Left for somewhere that valued our business. Shocking lack of service.

Style over substance.....reaffirmed. The location is amazing but the dining experience falls well short. This was the second visit. First time I came away hungry (£14 mackerel starter was a single miniature fillet...I asked for bread to pad it out which arrived too late), and last night just felt like a walking ATM and disappointedly fleeced. Won't be returning

In my opinion an appalling chain of hotels that refuse to allow dogs - even small ones. Unfortunately they appear to be slowly taking over some really good places that very sensibly did allow dogs and grew their previously loyal customer base accordingly. Parochial, insular, and definitely a chain to avoid, which I will sadly be doing in future.

This was our first stay at The Pig hotel at Bridge, no Canterbury. I was somewhat nervous having read some of the reviews here and given the expense. Luckily, I needed not have worried. We had a wonderful stay, received very good service which felt personal. Clearly there has been training invested in staff and it showed. They worked as a team. The building and the grounds are beautiful with truly instagrammable interiors to match. This was a very memorable birthday weekend and would happily recommend.

It felt as though we were staying in a shed. Plastic wood was wrapped around the room to give it a wooden chalet feel , and all of the furniture has been picked up from charity shops for nothing I would guess.
It was very dark everywhere and was like Holister - needed my phone light to read the menu
The saving grace of the room was the bedding and beautiful pillows and the buffet breakfast which was wonderful. Dinner was overpriced and underwhelming,
Sadly we won’t be coming back and will stick to Watergate Bay in future.

For the Pig near Bath. I’d been recommended a visit here and heard good things about The Pig dining so booked my friends 40th birthday dinner here. I phoned in advance to let them know it was a special birthday celebration and they said they’d make the visit special - they did nothing to make it special sadly which was really disappointing. The staff were inattentive for somewhere meant to be so nice. Food overall was good and that’s why I’ve given 3 stars rather than 2. We felt rushed as we got asked if we wanted to sit in the lounge and eat our desserts as they clearly needed the table back we felt we had to. We got sat in two arm chairs apart from each other with another couple sat in between us which wasn’t the most comfortable experience. There’s far better places to go if you want somewhere special.

Autumn lunch deal at the Pig in Studland. Great location however the dining space is crammed. Menu is good but add-ons including donation added when having water and the service charge make for a more costly deal!

Service was slow and not as attentive as would be expected considering the number of staff.