"Drayton's ready for us": Excitement as The Hog House officially opens second site after weeks of anticipation

Hoggies Hog Roast is the brain child of friends Mark Legg, Lewis Filer and Simon Hartnett who opened their first site in Marmion Road, Southsea, in September last year.

The popular venue left customers craving more, prompting the trio to get stuck into a new project in Drayton. And after taking over the former Valletta, in Havant Road, the friends have spent the past five weeks renovating the site ahead of the grand opening which took place on Monday, March 9.

Simon said: “We’re really excited to be open. We’ve got loads of new things coming, new food coming - it’s a big step forward for us. It’s all about classic British food, that’s what I’ve done as a chef for 20 years before this working all along the south coast and it’s always been about classic British food.

“It’s been good - really good - it’s been packed and we’ve had so many people over the last few weeks walking by as the finishing touches are done, talking to us and trying to come in the day before we opened so I think Drayton’s ready for us.”

The restaurant will be dishing up popular meals including beef brisket and Guinness pie, sausage and mash, risotto, and more.