A new breed of farm resorts offer sumptuous luxury and hands-on harvesting in some of the world’s most gorgeous rural settings — pitchforks optional.
By: Becca Hensley<h3">The Pig, New Forest, England
You’ll be living high on the hog at The Pig in Arcadian Hampshire near Brockenhurst, a “restaurant with rooms” that lies within the realm of the fabled New Forest — a National Park. Known for its robust breed of ponies, the untouched woods also have deer and cattle grazing on the heath. during the autumn pannage season (when domestic pigs are allowed in the forest), hogs run free to feed on acorns and chestnuts, a diet said to improve the quality of their meat. The hotel has a grand, but lived-in country house atmosphere with 30 rooms, and decorated with wide plank floors and mismatched, plush furniture. The walled kitchen garden provides most of the produce found on the menu, and if it can’t be grown at home, the chef buys from vendors no more than 15 miles away.
Room to Book: The 30 guest rooms range from “snug” and “comfy” in the main house to hideaways, cabins and lodges. Honeymooners: go for the intimate Hen House.
Roll Up Your Sleeves: Join the hotel’s forager and pluck wild salad greens from the hedgerows in the spring and nuts and berries in the fall or follow him to the coast to find seaweed and shellfish. Attentive staff share their tips on chicken raising, gardening, fly-fishing and meat smoking. Room rates start at $225 a night.
Photo courtesy of The Pig
Photo courtesy of The Pig
Photo courtesy of The Pig
