Pig in a Poke opened a couple of months ago, taking over the Rose Street premises where Zea used to trade. It specialises in hog roast rolls, with a pig in the window to prove it.

This was always going to be a hard one for me to review when I heard initial reports describing it as “not as good as Oink“. Unlike the vast majority of visitors, I’ve consistently found Oink totally underwhelming.

Anyhoo, I was passing Pig in a Poke in need of quick sustenance so I ducked in. The offering is simple: hog roast on a white roll, brown roll or in a wrap. They all come in small or large size. I opted for the large brown roll.

Toppings are slightly more complex. Firstly, I was asked if I wanted stuffing and crackling to which I said yes. Next there was a range of sauces and so on. I asked for a recommendation, so received coleslaw and barbecue sauce. I was unconvinced that these flavours would all work together.

The roll was a solidly good effort. The pork had some good flavour and better moisture than the Oink pork I’d tried previously. The crackling was like a boiled sweet rather than being brittle and crisp. The coleslaw was just sloppy mayo and the barbecue sauce clashed with the stuffing. It was a really mixed bag.

So overall, I think Pig in a Poke has some work to do to refine their offering. Their pork was pretty good but the toppings didn’t quite come together. But even with better execution, this is light-years behind the quality on offer from pulled pork purveyors like Jones & Son or the Shore Deli, so it’s a style that simply doesn’t particularly appeal to me.

Scores
Blythe scores Pig in a Poke
3/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
3.5/5 for setting
3.5/5 for service
giving an overall 13/20

I ate: hog roast roll

I wore: linen

Total bill: £4.70