PIG People: Tom Sheppard cooks up a storm at Lymington Seafood Festival
We don't always keep our chefs in the kitchen.
Earlier this month, Senior Sous Chef Tom Sheppard from THE PIG in the New Forest headed down the coast to the Lymington Seafood Festival, joining fellow local chefs on the Chefs Stage for a live cooking demonstration.
Tom has been part of THE PIG family for more than seven years. After leaving college, he honed his craft in the one Michelin-starred kitchen at The Montagu Arms in Beaulieu, where his passion for seasonal cooking first took root. A Hampshire local through and through, he knows the New Forest like the back of his hand, making him the perfect person to showcase the incredible produce found right on our doorstep.
Just a stone's throw from us, the festival is a celebration of everything we love most – fresh seafood, local growers, passionate producers and good food shared with good company.
Taking ingredients from our stretch of coastline and surrounding countryside, Tom served up a dish that championed simple, seasonal cooking, proving that when your ingredients are this good, you don't need to do much to them.
For us, it's never just about what happens back in our kitchens. It's about celebrating the brilliant people, producers and places we're lucky enough to call neighbours. Whether we're picking from the Kitchen Garden, meeting the day's catch on the quay or getting out into our local community, it's these connections that inspire the food you'll find on our table.
When he's not in the kitchen, you'll often find Tom making the most of the New Forest's peaceful woodland trails – the perfect way to switch off after a busy service, and another reminder of why this special corner of Hampshire inspires so much of what we do.
A huge thank you to everyone who stopped by to watch, chat and cheer Tom on. We loved being part of another brilliant weekend celebrating the very best of our local food scene.
Keep up with what our PIG People are getting up to.
From local festivals and collaborations to Kitchen Garden stories and seasonal feasts, there's always something happening at THE PIG. Explore our latest stories or plan your next visit.
