THE PIG’s Pickling Workshop with Mr Pickle in the South Downs
THE PIG-in the South Downs | Tuesday 14 April 2026Join our very own Mr Pickle, Kamil, and Bar Manager, Taylor, at THE PIG-in the South Downs for a hands-on workshop on how to preserve and pickle your homegrown garden goodies, and have a go at creating your very own pickled tipple in a cocktail masterclass before your two course feasting lunch in the Garden Room overlooking the vines!
10:30am - 3:30pm
£105 per person
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At THE PIGs, working with the seasons and growing our own is part of our DNA. The warmer months bring heaps of hearty, fresh fruit and veg in our garden beds and polytunnels so our chefs can use what they need for our daily menus – and they preserve what’s left over, so everything is used up and absolutely nothing goes to waste. It’s been a core part of our kitchen ethos since day one!
So, this spring, we’re throwing open the doors to invite you to come and learn how to pickle and preserve, THE PIG way, from our Group Training Chef, Kamil Oseka (aka Mr Pickle!). Kamil introduced pickling to THE PIG way of life back when we opened our very first house in the New Forest in 2011 – he’s the reason why you’ll always spot pickling walls full of Kitchen Garden produce in every one of our PIGs.
Join us at THE PIG-in the South Downs where you’ll get to pick your own veg fresh from our veg beds through a private Kitchen Garden tour, and bring them into our Garden Room, tucked behind the restaurant. You’ll get involved with prepping your chosen veggies, and Mr Pickle will pickle them using THE PIG’s pickling liquor – you’ll learn how to make it, so you can create even more of your own at home.
We’ll then move to The Cellar, the beating heart of where our very best bottles are kept in the restaurant. Taylor will lead you through a workshop to make your very own pickle tipple – and you'll hear stories from how Mr Pickle came to be… well, Mr Pickle. Then, after working up an appetite, you’ll head back to the Garden room to tuck into a two-course feasting PIG lunch packed with hearty Kitchen Garden veg harvested the same morning. You’ll head home with a Kilner jar of your handpicked and pickled veg – and Mr Pickle’s secrets!
Where & when?
Tuesday 14th April 2026 at THE PIG-in the South Downs
What time?
Arrive at 10.30am – depart at 3:30pm (after lunch)
Settle in and meet your fellow picklers with a hot drink and freshly baked pastries at 10.30am on the outdoor garden terrace, overlooking our very own vineyard, at THE PIG-in the South Downs. Your Kitchen Garden tour will begin at 11am, before heading inside to learn THE PIG way of picking with Kamil. At 1pm, you'll head into the Cellar with Taylor for the Cocktail Masterclass.
Afterwards, you'll tuck into a feasting style lunch about 1.30pm in our cosy Garden Room
How much & what’s included?
£105 per person, which includes teas, coffees and pastries on arrival, a two-course PIG feasting lunch with a glass of PIG Cut wine or a non-alcoholic Kitchen Garden cocktail, and a 1L Kilner jar of your handpicked pickled veg to take home with you.
Why not really make the most of it and book a room to stay a while longer and sleepover at ours – so you can relax, enjoy the day and leave the rest to us!
Meet your hosts
Kamil Oseka (aka Mr Pickle!)
Kamil is our longest serving chef, having joined THE PIGs when we first opened our doors in 2011 – and he famously has his own dedicated pickle room behind the kitchen at THE PIG-in the South Downs, and a pickling wall in the restaurant at THE PIG-at Bridge Place; their shelves heaving with a rainbow spectrum of hefty glass jars of his creations. “My nickname here is Mr Pickle – I even have a chef’s jacket with ‘Mr Pickle’ on it!” he says.
“Pickling is a great way to use veg from the garden, especially the wonky ones. It’s what always makes our PIG menus interesting in the winter, because we preserve what was in season in summer – we make jams, marmalades, syrups, compotes and we even use the pickling liquid for our cocktails at the bar. Anyone can pickle; I’m excited to show you how.”
Taylor Marlowe
Taylor has spent the past four years at THE PIG-in the South Downs, working their way through a variety of front-of-house roles before becoming Bar Manager. Along the way, they discovered a real passion for drinks and the role a well-run bar plays in creating a memorable guest experience.
Now as Bar Manager, Taylor looks after the day-to-day running of the bar, from training the team to developing new menus, always with a focus on quality and consistency. Taylor holds WSET Level 2 qualifications in both Wine and Spirits and has a particular love for champagne, cognac, and whisky.
