Latest news with #ThePig
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
6 of the best restaurants with rooms in the UK
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). A meal at a great destination restaurant is the ideal activity around which to plan a trip — and what better way to extend the experience than by checking in overnight and doing it all again at breakfast the next day? Restaurants with rooms, where you come for the food and stay for the, well, stay can be found all over the UK. Here are some of our favourites, from a former pub in Yorkshire to a castle in the Scottish Highlands. Having started life in the New Forest, The Pig is now an 11-strong chain of restaurants with rooms, all with the same focus on seasonality and traceable sourcing. As is the case at all the Pigs, the outpost near Bath, in the Mendip Hills, has an extensive kitchen garden, with beds of greens, roots, herbs and fruit — as well as a mushroom-growing shed. It's all used to great effect in the restaurant, alongside produce from trusted local farmers, fisherfolk and foragers. The chefs' love of curing, smoking and pickling is visible in dishes such as smoked chalk stream trout with pickled cucumber and cider dressing, and spiced duck and smoked bacon terrine. Spread across the main house and a series of other buildings on the estate, guest rooms are tastefully decked out in muted tones and many have roll-top baths. Some even have their own wood-burning stoves. Doubles from £265, room only; three-course meal for two around £100, wine from £9 a glass. Sheffield's fine-dining favourite has moved from its shipping container home to the edge of the Peak District, taking its Nordic-Japanese-inspired food and contemporary flair to the revamped 19th-century Oughtibridge Paper Mill. Seven spacious loft suites sit above a cosy bar, deli shop and terrace backed by the peaks, and a cathedral-like dining room and show kitchen. Here, Luke French leads a studious team serving adventurous menus of British produce that packs an Asian punch. Expect likes of Hampshire trout with yuzu beurre blanc and local duck with kampot pepper, exquisitely presented on ceramics made specifically for each dish with knives crafted from Sheffield steel and Derbyshire fell wood. Doubles from £100 per night, B&B signature tasting menu £125. In a pretty Dales village just outside Skipton, The Angel at Hetton has garnered numerous accolades, including a Michelin star and a spot on the National Restaurant Awards' top 50 list. Despite being housed in a 15th-century pub building, it's a place for special-occasion meals rather than quiet pints, with a la carte and tasting menus of beautiful, delicate dishes. Expect quality produce such as Isle of Mull scallops (served with calamansi, melon and yuzu ponzu) and tete de moine cheese (in a tart with plums and beetroot pastrami), plus some of the best milk bread this side of Hokkaido. Accommodation, meanwhile, is in 16 rooms across the main building and a converted barn across the road. All come with minimal-yet-cosy decor — white walls and wooden beams — and opulent bathrooms with deep, statement tubs. Doubles from £560 including five-course dinner and tasting-style breakfast. Tucked away in 1,000 acres of sprawling north Norfolk farmland, close to the picture-perfect village of Docking, the Nest Farmhouse delivers cool and cosy in equal measures. The former cattle shed-turned-restaurant with rooms opened in summer 2024 and offers just five pastel-hued bedrooms and an open-air restaurant headed up by local lad and head chef, Grant Cotton. His menu is a carefully thought-out homage to local produce: standouts include the melt-in-your-mouth Dexter sirloin (served with roasted shallots and crispy potatoes), roasted bone marrow (with pickled shallots and focaccia) and the hand-dived Orkney scallop (with swede, garlic and fermented chilli) — and almost everything is either grown on site or sourced within a 10-mile radius. For the perfect night cap, order the signature farmhouse martini, made using homemade pickled sea fennel. Doubles from £200, including a welcome drink and breakfast; dinner around £30 a head. A firmament of Michelin stars has arisen in Liverpool's leafy hinterland. Moor Hall's five-acre grounds host a walled kitchen garden furnishing menus at its 16th-century manor-set Moor Hall Restaurant (three Michelin stars and a Michelin Green Star) and adjacent Michelin-star Barn, complete with curing and aging rooms. Lancashire chef Mark Birchall celebrates the homegrown and foraged: local sea buckthorn sharpens garden carrots while preserved raspberry complements Cornish mackerel. Punchy plant colours punctuate the 18-course Provenance menu, beginning with garden-inspired aperitifs and sculptural 'snacks'. Chic garden room cabins with hot tubs, emperor beds and fireplaces, from £400 B&B set menus from £125. Positioned on a windswept promontory jutting into the Sound of Mull, Mingary Castle dates back to the 13th century, and in 2021 it was reborn as a restaurant with rooms. Expect grand, The Traitors-style interiors, with wood panelling, soft furnishing providing pops of colour and four-poster beds in the four suites — each of which is named after a clan linked to the castle. The three-AA-rosette restaurant, meanwhile, serves a daily-changing tasting menu on which produce from Scotland's west coast is the star of the show. Expect smart dishes like poached Sound of Mull lobster with cherry tomatoes, garlic and white wine beurre blanc, and Sunday roasts with a difference, such as braised feather blade of beef with confit carrots, black garlic ketchup, and Yorkshire pudding. Doubles from £320, B&B five-course dinner £60 per person. Foraging, fermenting and Somerset produce are all key to the menu at chef Sam Lomas's restaurant in Bruton. Highlights of the seasonal menu have included pork belly, pigeon and beetroot skewers with yoghurt, and Westcombe cheddar gougères (cheese puffs) with pickled quince. The restaurant is part of Number One Bruton, a former coaching inn with comfy, cottagecore rooms. Doubles from £195, B&B dinner around £40 per person. Published in Issue 27 (spring 2025) of Food by National Geographic Traveller (UK).To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
National Geographic
13-05-2025
- National Geographic
Looking for a gourmet meal and a good night's sleep? Try the UK's best 'restaurants with rooms'
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). A meal at a great destination restaurant is the ideal activity around which to plan a trip — and what better way to extend the experience than by checking in overnight and doing it all again at breakfast the next day? Restaurants with rooms, where you come for the food and stay for the, well, stay can be found all over the UK. Here are some of our favourites, from a former pub in Yorkshire to a castle in the Scottish Highlands. Curing, smoking and pickling are all on the menu at The Pig near Bath, with dishes such as smoked salmon with cider dressing, pickled cucumber and Loch Duart honey. Photograph by Jake Eastham 1. The Pig near Bath, Somerset Having started life in the New Forest, The Pig is now an 11-strong chain of restaurants with rooms, all with the same focus on seasonality and traceable sourcing. As is the case at all the Pigs, the outpost near Bath, in the Mendip Hills, has an extensive kitchen garden, with beds of greens, roots, herbs and fruit — as well as a mushroom-growing shed. It's all used to great effect in the restaurant, alongside produce from trusted local farmers, fisherfolk and foragers. The chefs' love of curing, smoking and pickling is visible in dishes such as smoked chalk stream trout with pickled cucumber and cider dressing, and spiced duck and smoked bacon terrine. Spread across the main house and a series of other buildings on the estate, guest rooms are tastefully decked out in muted tones and many have roll-top baths. Some even have their own wood-burning stoves. Doubles from £265, room only; three-course meal for two around £100, wine from £9 a glass. 2. Jöro, Sheffield Sheffield's fine-dining favourite has moved from its shipping container home to the edge of the Peak District, taking its Nordic-Japanese-inspired food and contemporary flair to the revamped 19th-century Oughtibridge Paper Mill. Seven spacious loft suites sit above a cosy bar, deli shop and terrace backed by the peaks, and a cathedral-like dining room and show kitchen. Here, Luke French leads a studious team serving adventurous menus of British produce that packs an Asian punch. Expect likes of Hampshire trout with yuzu beurre blanc and local duck with kampot pepper, exquisitely presented on ceramics made specifically for each dish with knives crafted from Sheffield steel and Derbyshire fell wood. Doubles from £100 per night, B&B signature tasting menu £125. The bedrooms at The Angel at Hetton in North Yorkshire are minimalist yet still cosy, with opulent bathrooms. 3. The Angel at Hetton, North Yorkshire In a pretty Dales village just outside Skipton, The Angel at Hetton has garnered numerous accolades, including a Michelin star and a spot on the National Restaurant Awards' top 50 list. Despite being housed in a 15th-century pub building, it's a place for special-occasion meals rather than quiet pints, with a la carte and tasting menus of beautiful, delicate dishes. Expect quality produce such as Isle of Mull scallops (served with calamansi, melon and yuzu ponzu) and tete de moine cheese (in a tart with plums and beetroot pastrami), plus some of the best milk bread this side of Hokkaido. Accommodation, meanwhile, is in 16 rooms across the main building and a converted barn across the road. All come with minimal-yet-cosy decor — white walls and wooden beams — and opulent bathrooms with deep, statement tubs. Doubles from £560 including five-course dinner and tasting-style breakfast. The Nest Farmhouse is a former cattle shed-turned-restaurant with rooms, led by local chef Grant Cotton. Photograph by Nathan Neeve 4. The Nest Farmhouse, Norfolk Tucked away in 1,000 acres of sprawling north Norfolk farmland, close to the picture-perfect village of Docking, the Nest Farmhouse delivers cool and cosy in equal measures. The former cattle shed-turned-restaurant with rooms opened in summer 2024 and offers just five pastel-hued bedrooms and an open-air restaurant headed up by local lad and head chef, Grant Cotton. His menu is a carefully thought-out homage to local produce: standouts include the melt-in-your-mouth Dexter sirloin (served with roasted shallots and crispy potatoes), roasted bone marrow (with pickled shallots and focaccia) and the hand-dived Orkney scallop (with swede, garlic and fermented chilli) — and almost everything is either grown on site or sourced within a 10-mile radius. For the perfect night cap, order the signature farmhouse martini, made using homemade pickled sea fennel. Doubles from £200, including a welcome drink and breakfast; dinner around £30 a head. Moor Hall is home to a three-Michelin-starred restaurant and five acres of grounds, containing a walled kitchen garden and a barn with curing and aging rooms. Photograph by Moor Hall Restaurant with Rooms 5. Moor Hall, Lancashire A firmament of Michelin stars has arisen in Liverpool's leafy hinterland. Moor Hall's five-acre grounds host a walled kitchen garden furnishing menus at its 16th-century manor-set Moor Hall Restaurant (three Michelin stars and a Michelin Green Star) and adjacent Michelin-star Barn, complete with curing and aging rooms. Lancashire chef Mark Birchall celebrates the homegrown and foraged: local sea buckthorn sharpens garden carrots while preserved raspberry complements Cornish mackerel. Punchy plant colours punctuate the 18-course Provenance menu, beginning with garden-inspired aperitifs and sculptural 'snacks'. Chic garden room cabins with hot tubs, emperor beds and fireplaces, from £400 B&B set menus from £125. The three-AA-rosette restaurant Mingary Castle serves dishes such as confit beetroot mousse wrapped in beetroot and balsamic jelly. Photograph by Clair Irwin 6. Mingary Castle, Scottish Highlands Positioned on a windswept promontory jutting into the Sound of Mull, Mingary Castle dates back to the 13th century, and in 2021 it was reborn as a restaurant with rooms. Expect grand, The Traitors-style interiors, with wood panelling, soft furnishing providing pops of colour and four-poster beds in the four suites — each of which is named after a clan linked to the castle. The three-AA-rosette restaurant, meanwhile, serves a daily-changing tasting menu on which produce from Scotland's west coast is the star of the show. Expect smart dishes like poached Sound of Mull lobster with cherry tomatoes, garlic and white wine beurre blanc, and Sunday roasts with a difference, such as braised feather blade of beef with confit carrots, black garlic ketchup, and Yorkshire pudding. Doubles from £320, B&B five-course dinner £60 per person. Somerset produce is key to the offering at Briar, part of Number One Bruton, a former coaching inn with cottagecore rooms. 7. Briar at Number One Bruton, Somerset Foraging, fermenting and Somerset produce are all key to the menu at chef Sam Lomas's restaurant in Bruton. Highlights of the seasonal menu have included pork belly, pigeon and beetroot skewers with yoghurt, and Westcombe cheddar gougères (cheese puffs) with pickled quince. The restaurant is part of Number One Bruton, a former coaching inn with comfy, cottagecore rooms. Doubles from £195, B&B dinner around £40 per person. Published in Issue 27 (spring 2025) of Food by National Geographic Traveller (UK). To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Hotel Review: The Pig, Cotswolds
Pull up to the 17th century honey-hued manor house, push open the heavy wooden door and you're immediately enveloped into The Pig's world. Friendly staff greet you while you drink in the quirky interior design. Previously called Barnsley House, this is the latest hotel to be co-opted into The Pig family. And they have made clever use of the building's grand proportions, beautiful gardens, and excellent location to create a dreamy mini-break destination. Rooms and facilities The house is grand, so the rooms are big and furnished with The Pig's trademark mix of comfort and cool. Bedrooms are decorated in flock wallpaper from House Of Hackney, with wood panelling, velvet cushions, wool throws and a mix of brown wood and white painted furniture adding to the eclectic vibe. Full of delightful touches, there are Roberts radios, coffee machines, a pink striped paper bag full of sweets and the fluffiest, whitest towels this reviewer has ever seen. The bathrooms are equally impressive. Our room (No2) had one the size of a small apartment with on-trend pink sanitary ware, duck egg blue walls and a chaise lounge to recline on. The real 'wow' rooms are out in the gardens with their own separate lounges and Instagram worthy features like outdoor baths or private terraces. Spa facilities This Pig is the only one in the hotel group that offers a true spa experience. Head to 'The Fieldhouse' and you'll find thermal facilities (large outdoor hydrotherapy pool and indoor steam and sauna rooms). You can unwind in the indoor relaxation room or by the outdoor fire and seating area. Both have views out over rolling countryside. Treatments use Tribe517 products - created in the Welsh aountryside - and take place in rooms that have a rustic look but are ultra comfortable. I had a therapist called Lily who was excellent. Food & drink The Bar is cosy and cool with plush green velvet chairs, worn leather banquettes and a full cocktail menu with drinks utilising local spirits and beers. (My personal favourite is The Barnsley Spritz with Sapling gin, Campari, orange bitters and soda.) If you fancy drinking al fresco, you can sip yours on the sunny terrace under a parasol. Dinner in the restaurant uses fresh, local food with much of it grown in the hotel's garden. It's a relaxed affair. Breakfast features a groaning buffet table with lots of healthy and homemade offerings like rhubarb compote and granola. Shots of apple cider vinegar await healthy types. Oh, and there's very good people watching. Hotel highlights The beautiful Arts and Crafts style garden was originally designed by horticultural legend Rosemary Verney. It feels relaxed, inviting and inspirational with an abundance of plants, ponds, covered walk ways and a big bronze pig. Who is it for? Romantic mini breaks, long languorous girl's lunches, and a great summer staycation. What to do nearby Visit the aptly named The Village Pub which is only a few minute's walk away. Stroll around beauty village of Barnsley or go a little further afield to buzzing Cotswolds towns Burford, Bourton-On-The-Water and Bibury. The garden centre at Burford is well worth a visit. Drawbacks You need to book to use the steam, sauna and hydrotherapy pool facilities even if you are a hotel guest.
Forbes
06-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Mediocrity Is The Enemy: How Successful Companies Reclaim Their Competitive Edge
Business break free from mediocrity. In 1983, I read In Search of Excellence by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman. This iconic business book featured case studies of successful companies. Forty years later, many of these companies are no longer considered 'excellent.' Some are no longer in business. Many organizations that once stood as industry leaders started operating on autopilot, allowing standards to slip, not paying attention to the competition and not keeping up with their customers' expectations. I recently interviewed John Rossman, a former Amazon executive, on Amazing Business Radio. We discussed the business challenge of sinking into mediocrity that he writes about in his new book, which he refers to as a manifesto, The Pig, the Lipstick and the Playbook of Champions. One of the intriguing sections in his manifesto is titled The Tragic Tale of Competitive Advantage, where he refers to Kodak, Blockbuster and Xerox as 'examples of once category-defining companies that could not move beyond the success that made them disrupters.' These are the types of brands whose leaders could have benefited from reading this short but powerful work. Below are several key takeaways from our interview. These are leadership principles that can help us avoid mediocrity—or worse, failure—and improve our chances for success. Rossman explains that the 'pig' in the title of his leadership manifesto refers to a successful business. The 'lipstick' represents the lies we tell ourselves. For example, leaders say, 'Next year, we'll grow more.' 'Next year, we won't disappoint customers.' 'Next year we'll innovate.' These lies create two challenges that businesses face today: To break free from mediocrity, Rossman emphasizes that change must begin with humility. Companies must be willing to admit their shortcomings, whether they've disappointed customers or employees or failed their own ambitions. He recommends instituting a formal Voice of the Customer program and paying close attention to disappointed customers. Rossman says, 'I truly believe in humility as a starting point for change. Recognizing where we fall short with customers is crucial to being able to innovate and thrive.' Rossman talked about 'gold standard' companies that slipped from playing at the top of their game, including Boeing, Intel, Nike and Starbucks. Rossman referenced an interview with Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, who summed up what happened as the company started changing its model. Schultz said, 'The worst thing that a company can do, like a sports team, is start playing defense because you're afraid to fail. That's a disease.' Rossman's response to companies in that situation came from his Amazon days, when he learned about the concept of Big Bets. The concept of Big Bets is about ambition. Rossman explains, 'The concept of big bets at Amazon is that the 'big' is the ambition, not the size of the bet. Everything is an experiment with the intention of winning, realizing that many won't. Understanding that failure comes with the game of innovation is a critical mindset.' In other words, an innovation mindset comes from running many small experiments with big intentions, knowing full well that many will fail, but also knowing that the ones that succeed will keep you competitive and can potentially transform the business. You must constantly place these bets, or your successes may eventually fall to the level of mediocrity as competition catches up and potentially passes you up. Toward the end of the manifesto, Rossman shares a Michelangelo quote that sums up his way of thinking and is a perfect way to end this article: 'The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low and achieving the mark.'
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Yahoo
The UK's best coastal spots for a spring swim revealed
Parts of England will be hotter than Spain next week, with temperatures predicted to climb into the 20s. This comes as welcome news for Britons planning staycations, with new research revealing 81 per cent intend to holiday at home this year. Popular seaside destinations like Weymouth, Brighton, and Dorset's Sandbanks are likely to see an influx of visitors eager to soak up the early spring sunshine, according to the research by the Post Office. Cornwall, renowned for its stunning beaches, is also expected to be a top choice for cash-conscious British travellers. Although a beach day might seem premature in early April, the lengthening daylight hours and surprisingly balmy forecast offer a tempting opportunity to enjoy the UK's beautiful coastline. Big skies, sands and shallow waters make this a popular destination for long, ankle-dipping strolls – and there's always plenty of space to throw down a towel on a golden expanse stretching across 20 million square feet at low tide. Admire shifted clouds reflected on silky shores and stop to wallow in pools of warm water while gazing out at the North Sea. Part of the Holkham National Nature Reserve, the beach can be accessed via boardwalks flanked with dunes and pine forests. How: Doubles at The Victoria, set within Holkham Estate, costs from £200 per night including breakfast. Visit A gently shelving sandy beach and sheltered bay make this a popular spot for swimmers at any time of the year. Located on the Isle of Purbeck peninsula, where the Old Harry Rocks sea stacks trail into the English Channel, it forms part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, famous for its collection of dinosaur fossils. How: Doubles at The Pig On The Beach cost from £329 with breakfast. Visit Even when the sun shines, British waters are undeniably bracing. One way to balance cold with hot is to nip into a conveniently located beachside sauna. Sea + Steam operate a mobile wood-fired sauna overlooking this blue flag beach in Pembrokeshire. A 25-minute slot costs from £9 per person or the six-person space can be exclusively booked for £48. Restaurants and cafes line the beach and there's a busy harbour at the southern end. How: With a gate leading directly to the beach, six-person self-catering cottage 4 The Strand costs from £1,010 for a seven-night break. Visit Not a beach as such, but this rocky headland to the south of the harbour in Penzance is an ideal jumping off point for a wild swim and it's rumoured Harry Styles once took the plunge. Anyone afraid of taking a leap of faith alone can join the Battery Belle and Buoys swimmers who come for a morning 11am dip. If it all sounds a bit too much, the Jubilee Pool is a worthy alternative. The iconic Art Deco saltwater lido celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. How: Overlooking Mounts Bay, Chapel House has B&B rooms from £180 per night. Visit
