The story
The Pig near Bath in Bristol builds its Modern British menu around a strict twenty five mile radius. Guests often begin their visit with a stroll through the walled kitchen garden to see where the daily harvest grows. The kitchen treats seasonal freshness as its primary directive, stripping away heavy techniques to highlight natural flavour. This transparent approach to Modern British preparation secured a well deserved recognition in the 2026 Good Food Guide.
Inside, the main hall features artfully distressed tables arranged among abundant potted greenery. Mismatched fine bone china rests on wooden surfaces that feel intentionally lived in rather than staged. Large glass panels frame the transition into a sunlit conservatory that houses the most sought after seating. Uniformed staff move quietly between these zones to refill glasses without interrupting conversation.
Kitchen garden on toast combines finely shredded vegetables and lemony dressing over toasted Bertinet bread slathered with creamed almonds. Whole Newlyn plaice arrives dressed with agretti and tiny edible blue flowers to split comfortably between two diners. Simple sweet finishes like zero mile gooseberries pair fresh fruit with thick cream and crisp meringue. An extensive wine list dedicates a full section to English tipples alongside broader international selections.
Recognition
Details
History
2 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence
If you’re after a stunning location and laid-back luxury, the Mendip branch of this upmarket hotel chain doesn’t disappoint. Whet your appetite with a pre-dinner stroll round the beautiful walled kitchen garden, whence the restaurant’s ‘25 mile menu’ draws much of its produce. (Perhaps avoid visiting the hotel’s deer park and piggery for the same reason, unless you’ve a heart of stone.) The tastefully cluttered dining room with its mismatched fine bone china, artfully distressed furniture and abundant plants opens into a charming conservatory, where the best tables are found. The ultra-local menu (with a map of suppliers on the back) offers simply cooked and beautifully presented British food, with freshness its calling card. With such impeccable provenance, there should perhaps be a few more fireworks on the plate. Still, starters such as ‘kitchen garden on toast’ (finely shredded veg in a lemony dressing on a slab of toasted Bertinet bread slathered with creamed almonds) are like a mouthful of summer. To follow, a whole Newlyn plaice, topped with agretti and tiny edible blue flowers is as pretty as as picture, exquisitely cooked and easily enough for two. If no-frills puddings such as ‘zero mile gooseberries’ with cream and meringue don’t excite, there’s a wickedly tempting cheese menu. Service from a coterie of uniformed young staff is attentive but not intrusive. The extensive wine list, which includes a large section devoted to English tipples, is a tad pricey but offers many interesting choices.
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