So. The morning after the last night in the Pod. We were all pretty shattered by now. All that fun and fresh air is tiring don’t you know.
Anyway, a beautiful morning, the sun was shining and the temperature had showed mercy and gone up again.
A 12 o’clock ‘checkout’ from the Pod meant a relatively leisurely breakfast and then a not-so-leisurely packing up of all our stuff with a baby in tow, but we managed it. After a few trips with the little cart, the car was packed and our time with Deer’s Glade was at an end. For now anyway.
We’d pre-booked to eat at The Pigs in Edgefield on the way home with some friends who were staying in Cromer over the Easter holidays. Having heard about the delights of their Piggleplay outdoor play area, I though it’d be a fab, family-friendly way to end our holiday.
Now. The Pigs. What can I say? To me (and bear in mind I’m a vegetarian), The Pigs has pretty much nailed it. Their branding and styling in particular is, frankly, amazing. Inside is beautifully, yet rustically formed. The Pigs is ultra-family friendly, with inside and outdoor play areas, a children’s menu and all the other facilities and bells and whistles you might require. Beneath the surface, the service was darn near perfection. Our Waiter was extremely attentive (without ever seeming annoying) and the staff at the bar were polite and helpful.
The Menu. This is, as the name might suggest, heavy on the flesh. Meat and fish feature seriously – and I mean really meaty: from Pigs Ears and ‘Dirty Beef Dripping’ to Glazed Pork Ribs and Belly of Pork, meat lovers will love The Pigs. Everything on the menu is good quality and, for the most part, locally sourced. There is enough for veggies like myself too, but The Pigs may not suit strict veggie or vegan types.
I had the Mushrooms on Toast with Cauliflower Fritters, while the other three adults in our party had the 1/2 Pint of Smoked Prawns. And these are no pre-peeled, processed jobs. You can see the blacks of these little guys eyes, so you can. The Children had Sausage and Mash from the ‘Piglets Menu’. The kids meals looked great and were very decent portions, but the mash (herby rather than ‘straight’ mash) was a bit too ‘fancy’ for the kids taste.
This ‘leaving of the mash potato’ could, however, have been in part due to a desire to leave the table to continue to explore Piggleplay. With a Tree House, zip wire, slides and ‘Dig a Pig’ (if you uncover all the pigs you can go to the bar and get a lolly, which our lot dutifully did of course), the pull of the play area is far greater than any food I expect.
The whole lunch for us 3 (Littlest Man had his own baby meal) was about £25. While we were all pretty shattered from the holiday, I did enjoy our time at The Pigs, which I believe is seriously underrated and is a great place for families and foodies alike. We’re definitely going back soon. Well, those fabulous sounding new Spa Rooms won’t try themselves…
We set off for home having had a ludicrously lovely time enjoying the sites and places to eat around North Norfolk. A highly recommended experience to anyone looking for some quality family-time in a wonderful corner of this planet.
The End.
*All images taken on an iPhone.