The Pig at Bridge Place, Kent

A foodie retreat with Rock ‘n’ Roll cachet in The Garden of England 

By Serena Knight 

Located in a storybook Kentish village just an hour’s train from London and near Canterbury’s Medieval cobblestones, The Pig at Bridge Place stands as the sixth swine in the group’s ever-swelling collection. But it’s this Jacobean red brick pocket-sized pile that enjoys serious rock ‘n’ roll cachet, having hosted legendary acts like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd during its 1970s heyday. Set within 10 pretty acres of rolling parkland and water meadows, the house has stepped into a substantially calmer era of yoga, kitchen gardens and post-prandial walks in wellies. 

There’s a sense that no one’s shortchanged on the rooms, with all 31 brimming with character – expect structural quirks, hidden staircases, and cosy nooks. From the main house’s eccentric chandeliers to the Coach House’s hefty four-poster, and rich green panelling adorned with William Morris wallpaper, the design captures the bonkers eccentricity and enviable cosiness of English country living. Romantics should pine for the Hop Pickers Huts – charming wooden retreats crafted from reclaimed materials and found at the bottom of a meandering walkway. These snug havens are equipped with log burners, luxurious monsoon showers, and baths positioned at the foot of the beds, embodying that easy-going, kick-your-shoes-off, chic style that celebrated designer Judy Hutson has made her hallmark. 

And true to Piggy form, the impressive kitchen garden and restaurant takes centre stage, with the group’s renowned commitment to local, farm-to-fork munching. The dining room warms its toes around a magnificent 17th-century fireplace, while the chefs beaver away in the open kitchen and, on balmy days, the scene spills out onto a terrace overlooking a flourishing kitchen garden. Here, all produce is sourced either from the garden or the surrounding area, creating a menu that celebrates the best of Kent’s bounty.

It’s almost obligatory to begin with the ‘Piggy Bits,’ (honey and mustard chipolatas or hock eggs with Colman’s dressing). The plant-based offerings are equally tantalising, with dishes like ‘0-mile’ mushroom pâté and polka courgettes with black garlic mayo, often yanked from the soil that very morning. Walled garden pickles elevate the monkfish tail and venison terrine, while nearby Kent producers supply the main meat and fish dishes, including Folkestone market gurnard with hollandaise and Turner’s Estate lamb accompanied by garden greens and wholegrain mustard. 

Insider tips to know: To fully embrace the PIG hotels’ puritanical approach to locality, try their new-to-the-scene home-grown wines, which will soon appear on all Pig wine lists, (look out for an Alpaca Block Chardonnay, Alpaca Block Field Blend Rosé, and Where Eagles Fly). And should you need more than the country air to relax, wind through the walled kitchen garden, past a stream lined with weeping willows, and you’ll arrive at The Pig’s Potting Shed Treatment Rooms. Quite literally wrapped in nature, this small-but-mighty spa offers organic, seaweed-based body and face products by VOYA, and first-rate therapists (the resurfacing radiance facial is a guaranteed glow). 

Sustainability: Sustainability is woven into the very fabric of The Pig Hotels, where locavore flavours sit front and centre. The ethos here is driven by the kitchen gardener, forager, and chef, ensuring that anything not grown on-site is sourced from within a 25-mile radius. This commitment to community and the environment makes each dining experience not only wildly delicious but also, and importantly, a celebration of the land and its age-old rhythms. 

Family-friendly: The two Lodge rooms, each with two bedrooms, are perfect for families, while various details such kids menus, mini bath products and nearby Howletts Wildlife Park make this a great weekend escape for the whole clan. 

Access: There are two specially adapted ground-floor rooms. 

Doubles from £225 per night, not including breakfast

Book: thepighotel.com 

Location guide

Whitstable town: renowned for its seaside oyster spots and restaurant scene. Book lunch at The Sportsman then mooch along the rows of independent shops selling soaps, antiques and pastries. 

Canterbury: a UNESCO World Heritage Site that punches well above its weight. Saunter through its Medieval interior for The Good Shed (a modern spin on the traditional farmers market), wonky shops such as Sir John Boys House bookshop and, of course, the stonking Cantebury Cathedral with its soaring Gothic spires. Book brunch at the Refectory kitchen and lunch at No 35. 

Margate: Shoreditch-on-sea. Visit The Turner for a strong dose of contemporary art, lunch at Dory’s walk-in seafood bar or Bottega Caruso for home-made pasta, and, having hunted for vintage trinkets, walk along Margate beach, whatever the weather.