A glass of wine at lunch is the travel indulgence of choice for Robin Hutson, the London-based founder of England’s food-focused Pig retreats. Hutson’s latest project, the Pig at Combe, debuts in Devonshire this spring.
Let’s play spin the globe—name the one place you’ve always wanted to go. Cartagena, Colombia.
What’s your spirit city? (Where do you want to return to over and over?) New York.
Do you have a travel ritual? I always wear moccasins, which are comfortable and easy to slip on and off at security. I also always travel in a shirt with a breast pocket so that I can put my passport there and always know where it is.
Do you maintain any routines from home while traveling or does it all go out the window? Usually all goes out of the window.
Sorry, you only get to eat one regional cuisine for the rest of your life. What is it? Simple Italian food from Piedmont with loads of white truffle.
What one piece of advice would you give to someone traveling abroad for the first time? Pack light.
Describe your travel personality in three words. I hate queuing!
Are your trips very planned, or very spontaneous? A bit of both, but more often very planned. I like the planning process.
What’s the one travel souvenir you’d save in a fire? My BMW GS800 motorbike that I have crossed Africa on.
What book/movie most inspired you to travel? To the Ends of the Earth by Ranulph Fiennes.
Who’s your ideal travel partner?Depends what sort of trip. My wife Judy for most trips, for motorcycle adventures my mate Tim Garner, and for fishing trips my mate Mark Hix.
Which travel experience do you prefer: plugged in or unplugged? Unplugged—with some barefoot elegance.
What’s a custom from another culture that you’d love to implement in your life back home? A siesta each afternoon.
What’s the first thing you seek out in a new place? The WiFi code.
What’s the one thing you indulge in on a trip that you don’t at home? A glass or two of wine at lunchtime.
What’s your first travel memory?Endless ‘sunny’ summers on the beach at Bournemouth with the family.
