With a new Cotswalds property opening up last year, and two new hotels on the way in 2025, The Pig is fast on its way to becoming the next Radisson Blu. We’re joking, but there’s good reason why their long-running concept is so popular. It’s mid-range, decent value, it’s centered around quality drinking and dining, and it has a very particular, inoffensive aesthetic: countryside chic.
The Pig Near Bath opened just over a decade ago, as the third in the chain, but it’s still in pretty good nick and avoids looking overly dated. You pull up the winding drive to a converted Georgian mansion, which in itself, is pretty nice, all faded stone and wysteria around the door, surrounded by an outside dining and drinking area and further flung fields of deer. The chicken coup plonked right next to the car park did feel slightly like someone shouting in your face ‘Look! We’re in the countryside!’, but the grounds are generally in good shape (and bear in mind this is in winter).
Inside, you’ll find welly boots lined up in the porch and various cosy lounging areas, all decorated with painted portraits of unnamed white men and stag heads planted on walls next to fireplaces. The bedrooms themsleves are neutral and tastefully done, with ‘The Pig’ cookbooks and volumes on foraging piled next to the roll-top bathtub. You’ll be tempted to take it slow here, to make a cup of The Pig’s own-branded tea, run yourself a bath and look out the window onto the grounds, which is what it’s all about, really.
The main draw is the restaurant, which is genuinely top-notch, serving up modern British fare such as pork loin and bubble and squeak and smoked fish chowder. They offer a ‘25 mile’ menu, where everything is sourced or prepared in close proximity to the property – some is done on-site, like the salmon in the smokehouse, others, from local producers, such as baked goods from nearby Bertinet Bakery and game from John Jones. Don’t miss a scoot around their kitchen garden, which is well-stocked with the very seasonal veg you’ll find on the menu. (For us, that was brussels sprouts and fluffy sprigs of purple kale.) Dinner is king but breakfast is decent too, with eggs from the hotel chickens and other local jams and bits and bobs – though at £17.95 for the buffet and upwards for the cooked dishes, it did feel a little steep.
Due to its location, you might get a bit cabin-fevery here (you really do need a car), but if you’re looking for a bit of a slow-down, with comfortable surroundings and delicious food, you can’t really go wrong.
Nearby
It might be called The Pig ‘Near Bath’, but to be honest, it’s not really. A 30-minute drive from the city centre, and Bristol 25 minutes in the other direction, you’ll need some wheels to fully make the most of the area, though you might be better off fully embracing the countryside vibes and pondering down the country roads to the nearby Mendip Hills.