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PIG & WHISTLE

PIG & WHISTLE

 

“Give my people plenty of beer, good beer, and cheap beer, and you will have no revolution among them.” – Queen Victoria

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you are having a fantastic weekend.

 I’ve just come back from a wonderful countryside restaurant called Pig & Whistle. It was pretty much an impulsive decision to have a bite out somewhere. It’s beautiful weather here in London/Essex and it would be a shame to waste a whole day stuck in front of the TV (or more likely playing Candy Crush).  

I must tell you that this is not just another average dining place that you can find in the countryside. Visitors to Britain’s shores frequently comment that there is nothing quite like the English pub to be found anywhere else in the world. The quite extraordinary thing is that many of these pubs have a historical background – albeit potentially transformed – that goes back centuries. As long as church establishments in many cases, and older than royal families.

Out of curiosity I did a little bit of research about British pubs’ history and it appears that the great British pub actually started its life as a great Italian wine bar, and dates back almost 2,000 years!!

We all know (or should remember from school) that the Roman army first brought their roads and towns. What they also introduced to these shores in 43 AD were Roman pubs known as tabernae.

Not lager or cider but Ale was the native British brew, and it appears that these tabernae quickly adapted to provide the locals with their favourite drink, and the word eventually transformed to tavern.

Those taverns survived a number of invasions including the Angles, Saxons and Jutes. Over the centuries they continued to adapt to an ever changing clientele. We know all how much the British like their pint (or a few) and it seems like it was not that much different centuries ago. People enjoyed the drink so much that around 970 AD one Anglo-Saxon king, Edgar, even attempted to limit the number of alehouses in any one village. He is also said to have been responsible for introducing a drinking measure known as ‘the peg’. The peg was a means of controlling the amount of alcohol an individual could consume, hence the expression “to take (someone) down a peg”. Tut tut tut.

Around the reign of King Henry VII ale houses, inns and taverns collectively became known as public houses and then simply as pubs (as we know them today). A little later, in 1552, an Act was passed that required inn keepers to have a licence in order to run a pub and this remains in place until today.

Back in 1577 the ratio of public houses to people was around one pub for every 200 persons. To put that into context, that same ratio today would be approximately one pub for every 1,000 persons!!

You probably have an idea by now that beer has always been a staple of the British diet. I don’t want to justify anything however the brewing process itself was a much safer option than drinking the water at the time.

You may ask but what about other drinks like coffee or tea? Well, those were introduced into Britain around the mid-1600s, however their prohibitive prices ensured that they remained the preserve of the rich and famous. Just a few decades later however, things changed dramatically when cheap spirits, such as brandy from France and gin from Holland hit the shelves of the pubs. The social problems caused by the ‘Gin Era’ of 1720 – 1750 are recorded in Hogarth’s Gin Lane. And we do know what the British are capable of during Happy Hour!

The Gin Acts of 1736 and 1751 reduced gin consumption to a quarter of its previous level which ultimately increased beer consumption and this has continued to remain quite high until now!

We all must remember that the great British pub is not just a place to drink; it is a unique social arena, very often the focus of community life in villages, towns and cities.

The Pig & Whistle pub goes as far back as the 16th century and it’s truly a diamond in the rough. The walls had been given a splash of colour, the tables dressed with linen, and the candles lit to reveal a beautiful cosy restaurant in the countryside. 

So where does such an extraordinary name comes from? Like many old pub names, for example ‘The Dog and Duck’, ‘The Fox and Hound, the derivation of ‘The Pig and Whistle’ is uncertain. There are several suggested origins. Most of these propose that the ‘pig’ part of the name derives from the name of a drinking vessel or container. The names given are various, ‘peg’ (a set of pins fixed at intervals in a drinking vessel), ‘piggin’ (a wooden drinking vessel or ladle), although most seem to have missed the rather more obvious ‘pig’ (an earthenware pot or pitcher). The ‘whistle’ element is harder to pin down. ‘Wassail’ has been suggested. This is the expression used in toasting a person’s health – the reply being ‘drink-hail’. And you can go on and on trying to pin point the origin of the name. 

Without further adieu lets dive straight into the beauty of this cosy countryside restaurant,

The whole place has an amazingly relaxed ambience. As soon as you get out of the car you can see beautiful eye pleasing green fields and what’s more ….that unforgettable smell of cut grass… (I must remember to light a lemon grass candle when I get home).

As you walk in the very friendly and attentive staff welcome you. Within minutes you are led to your table, served drinks of your choice and your order is taken. Wow! Bliss

Then you have a minute or two to have a good look around… glowing tiffany lamps, cask ales and a back bar crammed with malts and gins, lots of pictures, cushions, genuine beautiful old furniture, fresh flowers, real wooden floors, spots to dine in the sunshine, nooks and crannies to eat in private and, of course, really nice people to look after you.

No TV, no gaming machines, you just fully focus on your great company, food and drink.

Thank you so much for reading and have a fantastic day!

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28 Comments

  2. Ellese
    July 20, 2017 / 1:37 am

    This place looks so quaint and right out of the movies! Love the quote you started the article with. Made me laugh a little! Thanks for sharing this gem. Xo, Ellese

    Rock.Paper.Glam.

    Reply
  6. Radi
    July 11, 2017 / 3:50 am

    From the outside it looks so welcoming and homey. Great for taking the friends and enjoying a nice meal.
    Happy week!

    http://www.fashionradi.com

    Reply
  8. Carmelatte
    July 10, 2017 / 9:29 pm

    This place looks like from a fairytale! The outside area is the cutest <3

    Carmelatte

    Reply
    • Elegant Duchess
      July 10, 2017 / 10:21 pm

      Thank you lovely and what a Beautiful photo story you shared! Really enjoyed reading your post with so much yummy food and great wine. Xx

      Reply
    • Elegant Duchess
      July 10, 2017 / 10:16 pm

      Thanks Jessi. I really enjoyed your Hamptons recap, beautiful post and you look stunning as always. Xoxo

      Reply
  13. Yvonne
    July 10, 2017 / 6:33 am

    This looks like such a beautiful little spot with very charming decor. I even love the name of that place. Thanks for the lovely discription! Have a wonderful start to the week!
    xo Yvonne
    http://www.aproposh.com

    Reply
    • Elegant Duchess
      July 10, 2017 / 8:00 pm

      thank you lovely for warm words. I really like your review of the Lalique place. beautiful restaurant. xx

      Reply
    • Elegant Duchess
      July 10, 2017 / 8:04 pm

      thank you hun, that little gem is such a cosy and warm place. I really enjoyed your blue denim with red accents post xx

      Reply
  16. Rena
    July 9, 2017 / 9:05 pm

    Thanks for the interesting research! And wow, Pig & Whistles seems to be really a fantastic place in the country to have a meal. The interior is so creative and I see the portions are everything other than small 🙂 Love your elegant black on black look! You look absolutely fantastic!
    xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
    http://www.dressedwithsoul.com

    Reply
  20. Sarah Wells
    July 9, 2017 / 3:12 pm

    Looks so cosy

    Reply
  21. Paul Fuggle
    July 9, 2017 / 3:11 pm

    Looks delicious

    Reply
  23. Brenda Fuggle
    July 9, 2017 / 2:13 pm

    Interesting descriptions.
    Just a small lunch!

    Reply
  24. John
    July 9, 2017 / 2:12 pm

    Looks a great place for Sunday lunch.

    Reply

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