Voted Best Essex Restaurant for the second year

EssexLive readers sent in nominations for the second-ever EssexEats awards and Pig & Whistle Restaurant made it onto the shortlist. Following a vote against two very popular restaurants in Essex, Pig & Whistle Restaurant secured their second win after also scooping the award in 2023.

This has been a good year for Pig & Whistle Restaurat after being awarded two AA rosettes as well as winning Best Essex Restaurant with Essex Life Magazine.

Justin said, "When we bought Pig & Whistle Restaurant, it was quite basic, and has taken pretty much eight years to get it to where we want to be! We can also express all different cuisines and cultures in the restaurant, such as a nod to my husband being Irish, with lots of cosy candles and dim lighting.”

"Our set menu is great, and it has lots of options, and you can get a two course meal for £19. People often say this is very reasonable considering we cook all of our dishes from fresh - and our chefs have two AA Rosettes!"

"If we had to describe ourselves in three words, it would be quirky, eccentric, enchanting. We are very unique in the fact that we don't have children at the restaurant, and have a strict over 10s policy.”

Awarded Two Rosettes in AA's restaurant award scheme

Pig & Whistle Restaurant has been inspected in AA's award scheme to achieve Two Rosettes, a restaurant award of excellence. 

AA Rosettes are a highly sought-after award in the restaurant industry. Our kitchen team were able to show great technical skill, combining and balancing ingredients, to achieve high standards.

Only 10% of restaurants nationwide are of a standard that is worthy of one or more rosettes.

The AA Inspector said of us, 

“Grown-up dining in delightful surroundings.”

“Set in lovely countryside near Chelmsford, the Pig & Whistle is a 16th-century building that’s been given a splash of colour and some loving care. But be warned, it’s not a family affair. Children under 10 are not admitted, so you won’t find highchairs, children’s menus or space for buggies. On the other hand, you will find adult, sophisticated dining and a welcoming atmosphere.”

AA's rosette award scheme was the first national scheme for assessing the quality of food and service. Inspectors visit a restaurant on one or more visits to decide whether the establishment is worthy of the accolade.

The AA Rosette award, first awarded in 1956. Inspectors have an unrivalled wealth of experience in assessing quality throughout the UK so receiving the award is a huge achievement not to be underestimated. The Rosette is an award, not a classification: Rosettes are awarded annually on a rising scale based on a meal visit by one or more of our inspectors.

Voted Best Essex Restaurant

Pig & Whistle Restaurant, Chelmsford has been voted Best Essex Restaurant in the Essex Live Essex Eats Awards 2023.

Thousands of votes were cast by foodies across Essex to crown Pig & Whistle Restaurant the best in the county.

With over 3000 places to eat in Essex this achievement places Pig & Whistle Restaurant as a top choice with the people of Essex.

Offering a British and European style of food and drink in a cosy, intimate and romantic space, the restaurant has a charming chilled ambiance in the Chelmsford countryside.

The gorgeous interior provides a relaxed and welcoming homely vibe decorated with opulent and interesting antiquities.

Working closely with other Essex businesses, the restaurant uses local vineyards, breweries, distilleries and fresh food suppliers to serve up delicious freshly prepared food and drink.

During the mid week the restaurant offers a low cost 2 course or 3 course set menu and on Sundays, offers a range of roast dinners alongside their popular a la carte menu. Popular tasting events continue to provide an extra food and drink experience to guests and have included a range of themes to tickle the taste buds. The restaurant also has the license to host small wedding ceremonies. 

The restaurant boasts a fabulous outdoor area overlooking the fields of Essex and ideal for balmy summers evenings or a relaxing lunchtime feed. With water features, low lighting and greenery, the courtyard has become a popular space to relax and unwind.

ESSEX LIVE ARTICLE - Essex Eats Awards winners: The best pub, restaurant, cafe and takeaway as named by EssexLive readers

Celebrating 10 years

For 10 years we’ve been celebrating the moments of your life with great service of delicious food & drink.

We’ve made some great memories for hundreds of thousands of guests and in 10 years we‘ve served over a quarter of a million dishes of food & drink using fresh ingredients in our cosy and intimate restaurant in the Chelmsford countryside.

Over ten years we’ve never stood still, whether that’s updating our menus, changing our decor or battling the challenges of a pandemic.

Please help us celebrate 10 years by sharing your memories in our comments section.

Our first 10 years at Pig & Whistle Restaurant

Brendan & Justin get married

If you’re a couple and own a restaurant with a wedding license, why not get married at home.

Brendan & Justin tied the knot this July alongside 30 of their close family & friends. Here’s a few photos of the special day which included a horse back groom, jazz singer and a delicious three course meal.

Pig & Whistle Restaurant is a 16th century English public house, lovingly transformed into an award winning romantic restaurant and licensed for weddings and civil ceremonies. Our traditional venue is intimate and cosy, a home away from home, and the ideal location to celebrate the union of two loved ones with close family and friends. We’re the ideal choice for a small ceremony and a sit down meal for up to 30 people.

For more information about our wedding celebrations please visit pigandwhistlechelmsford.uk/ceremonies

We're the Best Restaurant in Essex - Muddy Stilettos Awards 2022

After six weeks of voting, Pig & Whistle Restaurant has been voted Best Restaurant in Essex in this year’s Muddy Stilettos Awards 2022.

Pig & Whistle Restaurant is a cosy, intimate, romantic restaurant in the north Chelmsford countryside serving locally sourced fresh food and drink. The flamboyant and opulent interior of the 16th century building is decked with antiquities and the tables are laid with white linen, candles and Tiffany lamps. In 2020 the restaurant, well known locally as a romantic venue, added the ability for couples to get married on the premises.

Owners Brendan Curran & Justin Mullender are foodies at heart, keen to provide a seasonal menu with a spine of freshly prepared, classic British dishes, complemented by a few exotic influences here and there.

The restaurant hosts 70 guests inside and 40 outside, employing 10 staff on a full time and part time basis. During lockdown the team extended their kitchen space, painted their exterior walls and created an outdoor courtyard dining area. The drinks menu supports the local economy with Essex based gin, wine, vodka, ales and soft drinks. Owners Brendan and Justin work full time front of house to serve customers while running and managing the business behind the scenes.

Muddy Stilettos is the ultimate ‘urban guide to the countryside’ – a witty, super-useful insider’s guide to the very best food, walks, boutiques, day trips, hotels, interiors and events for smart, fun-loving women living outside London.

This is the ninth Muddy Stilettos Awards, and this year includes 27 categories from the arts, hospitality, to beauty and family attractions, and is voted for by Essex Muddy readers, not editors.

Following the win, owners Brendan Curran & Justin Mullender said, “We’re so proud to be voted best restaurant in Essex. Thank you to all the guests who voted us top in Essex.”

Pig & Whistle Restaurant as well as every Essex winner will be put forward for consideration in the Muddy Stilettos National Awards 2022, finalists announced in September with the winners announced this October.

To check availability and to book visit - pigandwhistlechelmsford.uk/bookings

Details of all the Muddy Stilettos Awards 2022 winners 

• https://essex.muddystilettos.co.uk/awards/winners/

Our new courtyard

We’ve been very busy with our green gardening fingers creating a chilled outdoor dining area so you can enjoy those bright summer months.

Full of olive trees, summer blooms, water features and cosy tables, our new outdoor dining area is ideal for a lunchtime dinner with drinks alongside your friends and family.

The sun shine beams across our courtyard during lunchtime providing a sun trap, while our umbrellas and foliage will provide shade.

As we’re situated at the top of a small Essex field we have a lovely view across the Essex countryside.

Taste of East of England Awards

We’re through to the Visit England Tourism Awards for Excellence after getting Highly Commended at last nights Taste of East of England Awards!

We were up against 5 finalists from across Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire & Essex in the Taste of East of England Award 2022.

Our judge commented, “We had a fantastic experience at Pig and Whistle and it was a genuine sadness when our meal came to an end. The food was of an exceptional standard, both in terms of presentation and taste, and was accompanied by delicious wines. All staff were professional, polite, knowledgeable, calm, efficient and courteous throughout; they were unflappable and seemingly in control of any situation or enquiry that was made of them. It was clear that this restaurant was run by people who had a genuine passion for good food and good company. This was combined with the creation of menus and dishes that could not fail to wow, all cooked to perfection.”

Media coverage - Essex Live

All the winners - Tourism Awards

All the finalists in our category…

UKs Top 50 most romantic restaurant

We pride ourselves on creating the best dining experience... world class ingredients, impeccable service and a unique ambience. We’re so proud that our customers have reviewed us, for the second consecutive year running, to be one of the UK’s 50 most romantic restaurants for 2020.

Our traditional venue is intimate and cosy, a home away from home, and the ideal location for a first date, marriage proposal and anniversary. We’re now the newest venue licensed to celebrate the union of two loved ones where we can host wedding and civil ceremonies, the ideal intimate location to celebrate with close family and friends.

Located in north Chelmsford between Writtle and Broomfield, our sun terrace has stunning views across the Essex countryside, and the most magical sunsets, the ideal backdrop for romance.

The romantic restaurant list, created by OpenTable, is determined by analysing more than 1,080,000 reviews from more than 8,500 restaurants across the UK - all submitted by verified diners.

Although the restaurant is fully booked for Valentines Day evening you don’t have to leave the romance to one date in the calendar.

• Ceremonies & celebrations at Pig & Whistle

• Valentines Day

The majority of Pig & Whistle Restaurant customers make the short journey into the countryside between Writtle and Broomfield to enjoy the hospitality, some travelling across Essex to enjoy a visit. In 2017 this led to the restaurant to become a finalist in the Essex destination venue category, nominated for Essex restaurant of the year at The majority of Pig & Whistle Restaurant customers make the short journey into the countryside between Writtle and Broomfield to enjoy the hospitality, some travelling across Essex to enjoy a visit. Last year this led to the restaurant to become a finalist in the Essex destination venue category as well as being nominated for Essex restaurant of the year at the 2018 British Restaurant Awards and then winning best customer service at the Essex Life Food & Drink Awards in 2018.

Best customer service

Pig & Whistle Restaurant is located in a 16th century building with a long history of serving customers as a public house. When Brendan Curran first set his eyes on a run down public house in the Chelmsford countryside he had dreams to transform it into a restaurant fit for like minded foodies.

Over the years, due to changes in smoking and drink driving laws, the level of drinking customers had dwindled for the Chignal Smealy building so when Brendan took over in 2013 he set about turning the space into a restaurant. Six months later he met restaurateur Amanda Hudson and they set about creating the perfect restaurant which this week was awarded the best customer service award at the Essex Life Food & Drink Awards 2018.

The popular Chelmsford restaurant, consistently in the top 10 for Chelmsford on TripAdvisor, is the brainchild of Brendan Curran. Brendan, originally from Waterford transformed the countryside venue in the village of Chignal Smealy. He said, “Pig & Whistle Restaurant is only 10 minutes from Chelmsford city centre. We have a love of good food, drink and good customer service and we’ve created a restaurant our customers love.” Irishman Brendan is the showman of his restaurant floor. He previously served as cabin crew for an irish airline and sets out to provide the same standard of service he likes to receive when he dines out. Brendan loves good food, drink and has a flair for unique decor. He has an eye for picking colours and furniture to create a homely vibe which customers rave about on TripAdvisor, Facebook and Instagram.

The Essex Life award for customer service was judged on the restaurants ability to understand and anticipate customers’ needs, to have a good knowledge of menus, dishes and drink matching as well as a personable approach that complements the establishment to enhance the visit. Amanda added, “From the moment you walk in the door, the Pig & Whistle Restaurant aims to give you the best customer experience. Whether it’s a relaxed lunch, candlelit evening or relaxing Sunday lunch, our team are here to create a relaxed, friendly environment for people to meet for great food and drink.”

The majority of Pig & Whistle Restaurant customers make the short journey into the countryside between Writtle and Broomfield to enjoy the hospitality, some travelling across Essex to enjoy a visit. Last year this led to the restaurant to become a finalist in the Essex destination venue category as well as being nominated for Essex restaurant of the year at this years British Restaurant Awards.