The Eco Weekender: The Pig at Bridge Place, Kent
The back story
This farm-feel rural retreat is a reimagined 17th-century manor house that enjoyed a spell as a music venue. Back when Led Zeppelin or The Kinks were headlining at Bridge Place Country Club in the 1970s, the term ’boutique hotel’ was a long way from being coined. (The jury’s still out whether it was Ian Schrager’s Morgans in 1980s New York or Andre Balazs’s Mercer in Soho, which properly launched this concept of a sexy, small, indie in 2011. Couples, families and small groups now have aplenty and their popular eateries to enjoy from Hampshire to Cornwall, with South Warwickshire coming soon. Jim Ratcliffe’s stake was bought out in 2022 by a US-based private equity firm and there are plans to roll out lots more. This hasn’t diluted the character — in fact it lends a sense of optimism that this wholesome group can now scale their nourishing, nature-loving experiences.
