A hearty handful of our original gang started where it all began at THE PIG in the New Forest – including our Group Head Chefs, Andy, Lex and Kamil.
For fifteen years, they’ve collected favourite memories and meaningful milestones from the kitchen, the garden and our growing litter. Here’s a glimpse into their stories…
How did you start at THE PIG, and where are you now?
Andy: I joined THE PIG in the New Forest as a Junior Sous Chef and worked to become Head Chef at THE PIG-on the beach when it opened in 2014.
I then stepped up as Regional Head Chef for THE PIG in the New Forest, THE PIG-on the beach and THE PIG-on the wall.
Now, I’m Group Head Chef, overseeing the food operations and all the kitchens across our nine PIGs and The Village Pub.
Lex: I started as Head Pastry Chef, but my role has really varied over the years spanning across kitchen recruitment, pastry development, managing our Chef Apprenticeship Programme, and working alongside local schools and colleges to raise awareness of hospitality as a career.
I do what I can to support our PIG kitchens with whatever they need – be it staff, equipment, suppliers, recipes or anything else!
Kamil: I joined THE PIG in 2011 starting as Sous Chef in the New Forest and opened THE PIG-near Bath as Head Chef in 2014.
I then became Head Chef for the openings of THE PIG-at Bridge Place in 2019 and THE PIG-in the South Downs in 2021. I’m now Group Development Chef, supporting all the kitchens and Head Chefs across the group.
Looking back, what first attracted you to join?
Andy: I had just come back from travelling after working in London and was living at my parents.
My granddad mentioned that a new place had just opened in the New Forest called THE PIG and they had a walled garden. Coming from London, the idea of a walled garden, local sourcing and foraging and growing your own really appealed to me.
Lex: Having worked with THE PIG’s founder, Robin Hutson, for 8 years at Hotel Du Vin, I heard he was opening somewhere in the New Forest and I knew I wanted to be a part of it.
When we opened THE PIG, there weren’t many other menus or restaurants thinking about sustainability and local produce, so it was all very new and exciting.
Is there a moment you’ll always remember from the early days that guests would never have seen from behind the scenes?
Lex: The month before the first PIG opened, we were all tasked with getting stuck in wherever possible to get the grounds ready – this included installing the electric fence around the original Kune Kune pig enclosure.
It was the height of summer and there was absolutely no shade, but we managed to get it done… and no pigs escaped!
Andy: I’ll never forget sitting under a plastic shelter in the rain, plucking pigeons with Kamil. Or floating our deliveries under the bridge at the bottom of the driveway when it was flooded!
We had awful snow the first winter THE PIG opened, where cars were abandoned on the A31 and we couldn’t leave the property – so a few of us lived there for 3 days straight, cooking for the few guests who stayed… that was surreal.
What do you think has been the secret to THE PIG’s fifteen years?
Kamil: Our founder, Robin Hutson, made us feel like part of the family from the very beginning and like we were all growing the business together – he wasn’t just our boss.
Andy: Also the uniqueness and personality of the staff; allowing everyone to bring their character brings a certain feeling to a place. What people don’t see is that most teams start out as colleagues and turn into friends.
What do you think still makes your team so unique after all this time?
Lex: Roles change over the years, but there have always been constants – for me, they have been Andy and Kamil. It's not often you work alongside the same two people for 15 years, throughout 10 openings, and you all still get on!
What moments have made you most proud over the years?
Kamil: It makes me proud that so many of our original team are still here, we’re all still friends and we still work so well together.
THE PIG has made me grow up and I am now a completely different person compared to when I started. For the better.
Lex: There are quite a few moments, it’s hard to pin it down. I could never have imagined being involved in writing a book, but to have done both of our PIG books is something I’m very proud of.
Hosting the Cateys was also pretty epic! And winning the Boutique Hotelier ‘Unsung Hero Award’ was very special.
We’re celebrating our 15th birthday, and you have been here to share every one – what has made you stay?
Andy: The culture, the opportunities, the never standing still. If you come with the right attitude where you want to learn, make notes and be excited you will always grow here.
Kamil: I'm still here because of the people around me, the support I have received and the friendships. That’s what it really comes down to at THE PIG.
For more insider stories from our PIG People, classic recipes and untold tales from our supplier friends, pick up a copy of THE PIG: 500 Miles of Food, Friends and Local Legends.