The Hampshire Hog

 

The Primrose Hill set may have mourned the loss of The Engineer, one of the pioneering pubs of the gastropub movement which shut on 1st October 2011, but their loss is Hammersmith's gain. Forced out of their original premises, Abigail Osborne and Tamsin Olivier, the people behind The Engineer moved West to set up their second venture, The Hampshire Hog, on King Street which opened on 17th October 2011. The large, light room is split into two sections - the pantry to the
left and the main dining room to the right, with a gorgeous beer
garden out the back where they plan to grow their own, starting with
herbs, moving on to veg. As you'd expect from a team that takes pride in the sourcing of their raw ingredients, the produce they use is organic where possible and there's a focus on seasonal ingredients. Menu choices change frequently but a typical selection would be whole grilled bream, served with lentils and salsa verde, partridge or savoy cabbage stuffed with mozzarella. Follow with hot chocolate and lavender pudding and wash down with a cocktail, wine, beer, Caravan coffee from Exmouth Market or a Rare Tea Company brew. If the 17-year tenure enjoyed by The Engineer is anything to go by, The Hampshire Hog is sure to become a much-loved local institution.