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By now you have probably already guessed how much I like supporting our local small businesses, they are after all part of what makes this area such a lovely place to live! It's absolutely no problem to me when the small business is somewhere as special as The Pigsty at Pitt either!
Set a couple of miles outside of Winchester, but close enough to walk if you are so inclined (and if you are, there are some fantastic walks on your doorstep from Crab Wood To the Clarendon Way!!) in a little patch of woodland on the edge of some of the most beautiful rolling Hampshire countryside, the Pigsty is another level of "get away from it all" (as I said on my reel on IG - it's so quiet it makes you realise just how loud your tinnitus is!), and it's just the most luxurious relaxing place. It actually won Number One globally in the most wished-for Airbnb in the world a year ago and having now stayed there, I totally get this!
Apart from deer, the odd hare, more than a few pheasants, and (perhaps the most special of all) a closeup visit from a badger, we didn't see another soul during our stay... Obviously, this level of peace and quiet does come with the fact you have to do your own cooking (breakfast items are provided, however!), so I thought I would highlight the local suppliers that we shopped at beforehand in case you needed any ideas before you go (and believe me, you absolutely should...) and it makes life easier...
There's everything you need in the well-equipped kitchen to cook a three-course meal if that's the kind of thing you enjoy doing whilst away, but we cheated and brought certain aspects with us (the Truffle Mash - thanks very much Sainsburies) because nobody needs to wash up mashed potato pans during a break away....
Our "starters" were a bottle of The Grange Estate Sparkling wine (one of my definite favourites - I am doing a Hampshire Vineyard tour there with Grape and Grain on Saturday and I can't wait!) bought from Toscannacio (along with the bottle of Borsao Bole for our weekly online wine tasting also with Toscannacio - yes the wifi is that good!) with our favourite local Giddy Nibble's from Basil Leaf Deli (the Harrisa and Chilli cheese variety - if you haven't tried these before they come in a refrigerated roll and you just slice and bake them - delicious!). Basil Leaf would be a good place to ask to put a hamper of goodies together by the way and possibly even have it delivered beforehand if you didn't want to do much shopping at all!....
The asparagus, local lamb chops and cheese for afters (the Grant's Oak Smoked Cheddar is amazing by the way!) all came from Beechcroft Farmshop - the closest shop (along with the Vale Farm Egg Shed - the Pigsty at Pitt belongs to the Vale Farm family) - you cannot get more local than most of the produce they stock. They also have a really good cafe with a great homemade cake selection, and an excellent butcher on site. We barbecued both the marinated lamb chops and the asparagus on the gas barbecue in situ at The Pig Sty, so the only thing we needed to do was heat the mash up and wash up a couple of plates afterwards.
Breakfast was easy - Vale Farm Eggs (of course - the fridge comes stocked those, croissants, orange juice and coffee) and Beechcroft Farm Bacon and Mushrooms along with fresh orange juice and coffee... The perfect start to the morning.
I have written more about our stay over on my travel blog, but should you wish to skip that and go straight to the booking part, I suggest you do so quickly. It's a minimum of a two-night stay with midweek being the soonest available option, but it's well worth waiting for a weekend if that's all you can do...
Vale Farm
Enmill Lane
Pitt, Winchester
S022 5QW
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