A Food Made Good Success Story: The PIG Group

In the heart of the New Forest, THE PIG describe themselves as ‘restaurants with rooms’ where everything starts with the Kitchen Garden.

Since they opened the first PIG in the New Forest in 2011, they have been obsessively focused on sourcing locally and working closely with their valued suppliers, always striving to operate in a responsible way and considering the impact they have on their communities and the environment.

They are always looking for new ways to reduce their impact on the environment, whether that’s growing their own produce, , rearing their own livestock, bottling water on-site, cutting down food waste and packaging, seeking out sustainable suppliers and charity partners, getting into beekeeping or improving their composting skills. They’re not saying they’re perfect, but you can be sure that they are thinking about every detail, every day and making a positive difference wherever they can.

All this hard work saw them win the ‘Sustainable Restaurant of the Year’ at the National Restaurant Awards in 2012 just one year after opening. THE PIG Chairman Robin Hutson said,“We are all absolutely thrilled to be given this award. We are particularly delighted that the judges recognised the genuine and responsible commitment we have to our food sourcing. The entire team is on board with this commitment and this award is very much for them.”

The PIG has maintained a three-star rating ever since despite increasing difficult standards in the criteria.

Pick of the litter

As THE PIG expanded, they didn’t want to showcase their New Forest site as the pick of the litter. Their commitments run deep across the Group, as can be seen through each restaurant’s distinct 25-mile menu. As one can imagine, working with such a large pool of suppliers across the nation, it takes a concerted effort to gather all the evidence and detail required for the Food Made Good Standard. The dedication from the team is so strong they were on hand to provide photos of their Kitchen Garden crops, invoices, notes from suppliers and even case studies from their PIG books to prove they are doing exactly what they claim to be doing.

The seal of approval

It’s clear the whole group are working hard to be as sustainable as possible, but the definition of sustainability can be open to interpretation and unfortunately, there is a lot of greenwashing out there. THE PIG wanted to showcase their holistic approach to sustainability and receiving a third-party verification from The Sustainable Restaurant Association adds credibility to their sustainability journey.

Working with The SRA since THE PIG was born has meant the team have benefited from knowledge across the network and tailored suggestions through their annual reports, specifying how to maximise the positive impact they have on the food system. The original site at Brockenhurst became a founding member, and the relationship continues to grow!

Today, THE PIG’s sourcing and staff policies are second-to-none, and their commitments to community engagement strongly reflect how embedded the Food Made Good Framework is to the core elements of THE PIG’s business culture.

Why stop at one?

Just as one star wouldn’t be good enough, neither was one restaurant. Strengthening their commitment, in 2023 THE PIG put the entire litter to the test, attaining an outstanding three-star achievement across all sites and repeating this in 2025. This is a clear reflection that THE PIG recognises a responsibility to be a force for good and make sure their patch is looked after.