Food review: The Pig, Brockenhurst
THE exceptional quality of food served at The Pig in Brockenhurst is widely agreed on, but for me the standout draw of the restaurant was the exceptional customer service.
The staff – ever-smiling, eager to help, and happy to be there – took every care to ensure we, and every other guest, had the best experience.
I dined there with a friend one Thursday evening, and our servers were so friendly, so passionate about the place where they worked and the dishes they were presenting – it was almost as if they were having as much fun as we were.
With big smiles and an enthusiasm that’s hard to fake, they anticipated needs we didn’t know we had.
On our arrival we were invited to enjoy a drink in the hotel’s cosy, panelled bar area, which has plenty of British charm with its high ceilings and ornate, carved wooden cocktail bar, straining with spirits and colourful glassware.
It was heaving with guests enjoying a drink from battered leather armchairs and sink-in sofas, and soaking up the lively atmosphere.
I settled on the HB’s Old Fashioned, a mix of Michters bourbon, green apple cordial, hazelnut and chocolate bitters. It was a great twist on the classic, bringing nutty cocoa notes.
Dinner was in the glorious light-filled greenhouse restaurant, which is a really beautiful space. There’s colourful, mosaic flooring, a colour scheme of soothing, earthy shades of green matched with chalky grey, and huge pots bursting with herbs and plants mirroring the lush greenery of the New Forest on the doorstep.
From The Pig’s notorious 25 -mile menu, we opted for some ‘Piggy Bits’ to start – these were oyster mushroom vol-au-vents, smoked cod roe and croutons, and crispy pork belly and honey mustard.
Small dishes that are big on flavour, all were delightful, but the highlight was the cod roe. A rich, creamy, salty dip, it had sublime flavour and a silky smooth texture.
My main course was chalk stream trout with garden kalettes and chive butter sauce, and we ordered sides of tobacco onions, January king cabbage, bacon and ranch dressing, and truffled mash to share.
The trout, with its sweet and buttery flavour and fall-apart texture, should have taken centre stage – but for me the kalettes (a cross between kale and a Brussels sprout, for those not in the know), grown in The Pig’s kitchen garden, were what I enjoyed the most. Never had I tasted a vegetable with such robust flavour.
This was a beautifully indulgent dish, swimming in a rich and glossy sauce, but the kalettes really balanced it out by bringing just-picked freshness and a pleasing wholesomeness. They had a great crunchy texture, and a sweet, nutty taste – plus they looked very pretty on my plate.
The sides were all delicious accompaniments, but again the humble vegetable was the star of the show.
The cabbage, albeit pimped up with bacon and a creamy ranch sauce, really hit the mark for me. It had a wonderful sweetness that stood up well to the salt in the meat, and a satisfying crunchy texture.
Winter vegetables can be hugely under appreciated, but The Pig pushes them to the fore so they get the attention they deserve.
Dessert was chocolarder mousse with cherries preserved in brandy, and homemade sorbets – one crystal apple cucumber and the other blackberry.
Light as air, with deep, rich flavour, the mousse was a perfect end to our dinner. Its sweetness was countered well by the tartness of the sorbet, which was bursting with fruit and crisp, grassy green flavours.
We finished the evening with another cocktail in our cottage, fuelling our late night chats before we retired for the night.
I left on a real high, having been extremely well looked-after by staff who couldn’t have done more for us and having indulged in the most memorable food that celebrates indulgence and wholesomeness.
For more information on The Pig or to book, visit www.thepig hotel.com/brockenhurst
• To be in with a chance of winning a midweek lunch for two and kitchen garden tour, pick up a copy of the latest A&T
