The Eco Weekender: The Pig at Bridge Place, Kent

The back story

This farm-feel rural retreat is a reimagined 17th-century manor house that enjoyed a spell as a music venue. Back when Led Zeppelin or The Kinks were headlining at Bridge Place Country Club in the 1970s, the term ’boutique hotel’ was a long way from being coined. (The jury’s still out whether it was Ian Schrager’s Morgans in 1980s New York or Andre Balazs’s Mercer in Soho, which properly launched this concept of a sexy, small, indie hotel.) Robin Hutson’s flavoursome chainette, meanwhile, hasn’t compromised on charm since the OG Pig opened in the New Forest in 2011. Couples, families and small groups now have Pigs aplenty and their popular eateries to enjoy from Hampshire to Cornwall, with South Warwickshire coming soon. Jim Ratcliffe’s stake was bought out in 2022 by a US-based private equity firm and there are plans to roll out lots more. This hasn’t diluted the character — in fact it lends a sense of optimism that this wholesome group can now scale their nourishing, nature-loving experiences. 

Look and feel

The Pig at Bridge Place is a Grade II-listed English heritage mansion with 10-acre grounds in the Nailbourne Valley, a Potting Shed spa and the cutest patio in the kitchen garden where the best possible flatbreads are baked in the pizza oven. With 31 individually styled rooms and stand-alone suites and huts, it’s hard to imagine this cute, country house retreat segued from Jacobean manor to nightclub. Nowadays, the only noise likely to wake you is the birdsong or babbling stream. Robin’s wife, Judy, has excelled at conjuring a characterful look for the main house suites, which feel a step up from their signature rustic-upcycled shtick. The main hotel has the original features (including a ghost, rumour has it, if that’s your kink), exposed beams, vintage furnishings and eclectic decor. If you want quirky, go for the Steam Wagons or Hop Pickers Huts, which are an upmarket homage to the fact that up until the 1950s, tens of thousands of migrant workers used to flock to the fields of Kent to pick hop flowers for the beer industry.

The green credentials

The Pigs have just won Sustainable Hotel of the Year from Country and Town House magazine, and they are sticklers for sustainability — from what you taste to how they tick. If your metric for upping positive impact is all about energy saving, The Pig at Bridge Place implements measures throughout, such as using efficient lighting and waste-reduction strategies. The hotel also focuses on recycling and composting to minimise waste sent to landfills and has water-saving fixtures and practices. All of the Pigs also have a partnership with Clean the World, a social enterprise dedicated to reducing soap and plastic waste from the hospitality industry. This means housekeeping cunningly collects leftover bars, which are then hygienically re-formed into new bars to be distributed to vulnerable communities.

The eco-USP

There are lots of personal, rustic, home-spun touches that could seem like eco window dressing, but here you feel the paper-bagged goodies and hand-written notes play into bigger-picture thinking. These oinkers deserve high-fives for revving their now-famous 25-mile-radius menu into the mainstream. Sourcing most ingredients from local suppliers is part of the farm-to-table dining experience. See with your own eyes that its lovingly tended kitchen garden provides fresh produce. Be sure to get a tour — say hi to the chickens in their coop and give a nod to the real-life Tamworth pigs, who seem blissfully ignorant of the fact they will eventually end up on the menu.

Out and about

One of the greatest perks of this particular Pig is that it’s easy to access by train from the capital. Less than an hour from London, and only three miles south of Canterbury. Exploring the countryside on foot is always going to be the greenest way to spend time on an eco-minded escape. The super lovely staff can shepherd you to nearby walking trails where wildlife worth looking out for includes deer, birds and butterflies. Whitstable is but a 25-minute drive away. Or dose up on history at Dover Castle. The sea-view Harbour Inn in Folkestone is a stand-out pub not so far away. When it comes to time in this county, Blean Woods is one of the largest areas of ancient broadleaf woodland in southern England, a 20-minute drive away towards Whitstable. If you’re driving from London, Kent Wildlife Trust, is a finalist in this year’s VisitEngland’s Awards for Excellence and it’s en route, near Maidstone.

Stays at the Pig at Bridge Place start from about £200.