Have you ever wondered why your bed feels so insanely comfy when you check into a PIG? It’s not just that, if you are staying at ours, you have probably finally managed to get away and take some time for yourself (though that definitely helps). It’s also that many of our PIG bedrooms – are kitted out with luxury Vispring mattresses, which are made to an exactingly high standard.
“It all started back in 1899, with a guy called James Marshall, a British engineer living in Canada, who invented the pocket spring,” says Martin Gill, Managing Director of Vispring. “His wife had become ill, and he wanted to ease her pain and give her a better night’s sleep. A traditional mattress is one piece; but what he invented was individual springs that sit in pockets, which, as your body moves on the bed, simultaneously move within the mattress. It’s really good for supporting your body in all the right places.”
It turned out that James Marshall’s wife wasn’t the only one who appreciated this game- changingly comfy bed – as our PIG guests can testify. “Vispring was the first brand to bring pocket-spring luxury mattresses to the UK,” continues Martin. “The brand turns 125 years old in 2026 and we still make our beds almost exactly the same way. We use calico [cotton mix] pockets, nested in a honeycomb shape, to allow the mattress to move with your body. As you move, only your springs are responding rather than the other side of the bed, where your partner could be sleeping at the time – so it also benefits the person next to you.” Another reason for getting a better quality of sleep here than on your average mass-produced bed is that you’re far less likely to feel sweaty and overheated at night. “The pocket springs act almost like bellows, and the calico lets the air through to vents to the side of the mattress, to push any moisture outside,” says Martin. “Whereas on a foam mattress with no vents, the foam is almost like a sponge soaking up any moisture.”
In terms of production, “Everything is made in the UK, in our Plymouth factory, where about 200 craftspeople are based. “All the mattresses are still built by hand: all of the pockets are hand-sewn together, and then they’re side-stitched into the frame of the mattress,for support right the way up to the edge of the mattress.”
Long before anyone, anywhere, talked about sustainability in terms of corporate responsibility metrics, the long-established mattress brand was using natural materials that were, where possible, locally sourced – and that remains the case today. “We’ve always used natural materials, we’ve never used any foams, any glues, any chemicals,” says Martin. “It’s all naturally sustainable materials. Roughly 78% of our materials come from the UK, including wool from the Shetland Islands. More than 300 tonnes of wool per year go inside our mattresses; we also use horsetail, cotton and silk. It’s a bit like a cake mixture of different ingredients.”
Martin feels the Vispring brand shares many values with THE PIGs: “The emphasis on sustainability, local expertise and the use of natural materials are all values that are really key to all of us, at Vispring and at THE PIGs. We also have a shared appreciation for the value of authenticity. When I stay at a PIG, the experience that I get there is a level of luxury, but without feeling over the top. It’s the luxury that comes from giving genuine care and attention to every detail.”
Why not try one out for yourself? Sleep on Vispring mattresses, found in all of the rooms at our PIGs, by booking your next stay PIG here.
