'A desire for sincere, genuine hospitality should not be overlooked'

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By Jennifer Glatt | Mint Pillow

Tom Ross, CEO of The Pig Hotels, leads a beloved collection of British countryside escapes defined by its “grown in the garden, not flown in” ethos. Known for hyper-local sourcing, sustainability and relaxed luxury, each Pig property blends rustic charm with standout food and character. Under Ross’s leadership, the brand continues to champion authenticity over formality, offering guests a stay that’s rooted in place, unpretentious and a little bit wild—in the best possible way. Here, a glimpse into how he and his team keep the properties “full of soul.” 

How do you balance creating a bespoke experience at each location with the need for operational efficiency across the group?
At scale, standardization is inevitable for operational efficiency and consistency, but it does not have to be at the expense of a bespoke experience at each site. Key to this is our people; many staff have been with us for years, and we have always had a strong policy of promoting from within. This provides a deep understanding of our culture, and by allowing our staff to be themselves while still excelling at their craft through standardized training. They have a rapport with the guests that makes it feel like an individual experience. We have guests that visit multiple sites and know many of the staff by name.

Sourcing locally and using your kitchen gardens is central to The Pigs’ ethos. What are the biggest challenges and rewards in maintaining this commitment?
Our kitchen gardens are the heartbeat of everything we do, and we have an amazing team of talented kitchen gardeners. There is a required level of effort, investment and expertise needed to ensure that the gardens produce what is needed for the kitchens on a daily basis. Guests often comment that it must be nice to have all this ‘free produce’! We view the cost of running the gardens as much of a marketing spend as a food spend. It is incredibly rewarding to see guests walk around the kitchen garden before or after a meal seeing the items that they have eaten. It is a very special environment to work in for our teams, understanding how the seasons affect the way we eat and where our food comes from.

How do you ensure that the 'soul' of each property isn't lost with growth?
Our properties are full of soul. This comes from the buildings we choose, the level of effort and love we put into the interiors, and the teams that we put together for each site. Each property is carefully chosen, and we have a checklist that we work through, which is as heartfelt as it is practical—‘how did the building make you feel when you first saw it’ is one question and is just as important as ‘what are the current utility connections?’ Every interior is different and reflects the personality of the building and its location. Our team spends a huge amount of time sourcing individual items from antique shops and reclamation sales—literally thousands of items per property. Our teams are hand-picked from our other properties and new staff go through an induction process to ‘piggify’ them. Attention to the million details is how we try to retain soul.

What trends do you see shaping the future of boutique hotels?
I am a firm believer that some ‘trends’ never go away, and in an age of digitalization and uniformity, a desire for sincere, genuine hospitality should not be overlooked. People want to feel looked after and experience exceptional hospitality. Trends by nature are fleeting, hospitality is part of humans’ DNA and this should continue to form the basis of our business. In terms of other trends, there are obvious moves into the wellness and experience space that have enormous demand. Boutique hotels can enter this space with relatively low investment. No need to spend millions on a spa when you can install prefabricated saunas and ice baths—as long as it is underpinned by great hospitality, it is the experience that the guest is after.

Above: The Pig at Combe in the United Kingdom (Courtesy The Pig Hotels/Jake Eastham)

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