Fiddlin’ Pig brings British cuisine, culture to Smithfield
Published 12:25 pm Friday, October 4, 2024
From left, back row, are Town Councilman Mike Smith, Chamber of Commerce board member Jonathan Toms of Smithfield Foods, Town Councilman Jim Collins, Fiddlin’ Pig owners David and Mischelle Goodman, Chamber of Commerce President Marci Levine, Smithfield Mayor Steve Bowman, Vice Mayor Valerie Butler, and Councilman Jeff Brooks. In front, from left, are employees Ashley Lozano, Connor Morton, Madison Chappell, Gerardo Alvarado, Sergio Alvarado, Emmi Goodman, Zach Kartchner, Eddy Lozano, Abby Lichty, J'Kwon Johnson and Jett Herron. Not pictured are employees Amber Guinn, Maggie Johnston, Wyatt Elliott and Paige Rainey. (Photos by Stephen Faleski | The Smithfield Times)
Bagpiper Heather Moore of Gatling Pointe, who plays with the Tidewater Pipes and Drums, performs outside the Fiddlin’ Pig at its ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Bartender Abby Lichty serves beer from a tap.
From left are Jacque Kettler, Meagan Pugh and Joe Connelly.
David Goodman serves a buffet of pub fare.
The Fiddlin’ Pig includes several “snugs” or small rooms or cubicles to promote small gatherings.
The ribbon-cutting included a spread of cheeses and fruit.
The old-fashioned phone booth Isle of Wight, England, gifted in 1986 to Isle of Wight County, Virginia, has a new home outside the entrance to The Fiddlin’ Pig, a new British pub at the corner of Main and South Church streets in downtown Smithfield.
It’s a none-too-subtle signal to patrons that the town’s newest restaurant aims to replicate not only authentic British cuisine but the atmosphere of historic village pubs in England’s rural Cotswold region, to which Fiddlin’ Pig owners David and Mischelle Goodman have traveled many times.
The Goodmans purchased the former Chamber of Commerce office at 100 Main St. in 2023 after the Chamber relocated to 319C Main St. in the same building that houses the town’s visitor and arts centers. When the Isle of Wight County Museum, located opposite Main Street from the Fiddlin’ Pig, learned of the couple’s plans to convert the space into a British pub, Museum Director Jennifer England offered – and the Goodmans accepted – relocation of the museum-owned phone booth to the pub, which was originally built in the early 20th century as a gas and service station.
The pub opened Aug. 11 and held a ribbon-cutting ceremony, featuring bagpiper Heather Moore of Gatling Pointe and a sampling of pub fare, on Oct. 1.
“Small businesses are the heart and soul of thriving communities,” said Smithfield Mayor Steve Bowman.
“The town, the county, everyone here was a vital part of our journey,” David Goodman said.
Inside, diners will find a bar serving Irish and Scotch whiskey, gin-and-tonic cocktails and a draft beer menu featuring imports from England and local brews, including “cask ale.” The term refers to a traditional British method of brewing and serving beer.
“The ale is put into a ‘firkin’ and it continues to, what we’ll call it, condition in that vessel,” David said. “It naturally ferments.”
Unlike American beers, cask ale doesn’t come out of a keg pressurized with carbon dioxide. Rather it’s served via the Fiddlin’ Pig’s two hand-pump “beer engines” designed for cask ale, David said.
He said he’s encountered only one other pub, in Northern Virginia, serving authentic cask ale, making the Fiddlin’ Pig the only establishment in Hampton Roads to offer it.
There’s also a dinner menu featuring British staples such as fish and chips and meat pies.
“The Fiddlin’ Pig offers authentic British dishes as part of their local pub experience, including the tradition of serving Sunday Roast each Sunday,” Mischelle Goodman said. “On Saturday and Sunday mornings, the pub is open and hosts Premier League (soccer) watch parties as well for Formula One races. In keeping with typical British pub food offerings, there is a full English breakfast available at all times.”
As tipping is not the custom in England, there’s no tipping at the Fiddlin’ Pig either.
“We offer all staff members a living wage, and we profit-share,” David said. “We respect their hard work each day, and we want to ensure they are paid adequately each day. This way we can ensure everyone gets the same level of excellent service. If you want to tip the staff, come often and bring your friends.”
The interior has been renovated with a replica tin ceiling tiles, wood paneling, textured plaster walls, fireplaces and Union Jack and Scottish flags hanging from the ceiling to match the decor of British pubs in England. As with any renovation of a historic building, the Goodman’s found surprises along the way, including one concrete floor poured on top of another when they were putting in plumbing.
The layout includes several “snugs” or small rooms or cubicles to promote a more intimate dining experience.
It’s supposed to be very close, very connected,” David said. “That’s what we think this town needs.”
“We just loved the experience of going into a pub and having that instant feeling of king welcomed with the warmest hospitality, meeting and talking with new people, and getting to know each other,” Mischelle said, stating the couple aimed to create a “culture of getting to know your neighbors if you’re local and getting to know the people of Smithfield if you’re visiting.”
The Fiddlin’ Pig currently opens at 4 p.m. each day, seven days per week, for dinner, but plans to expand soon to offer lunch hours during weekdays. Updated hours can be found on the pub’s social media pages on Facebook and Instagram.
“Everyone involved has been so helpful, cheering us on, and helping in so many ways,” David said. “We really felt like the town, the county, everyone involved were making sure we could get the pub open as soon as possible. Of course, our family was a big help to getting to today’s celebration, but along the way many of our team became like our family, so this is really a testament to everyone who believed in us and the pub.”
