The whole hog: Three brothers from Bristol give Southmead nurse two-metre hot dog to mark over 20,000 meals for staff
Three brothers from Bristol have supplied more than 20,000 free bacon baps to hardworking NHS staff.
Bristol brothers Max, Olly and Josh Kohn who form the family run sausage company, The Jolly Hog, have exceeded their initial target of 20,000 at Southmead Hospital.
The Bristol-based team have been on site at Southmead with their van, nicknamed 'Miss Piggy', three days a week for 10 weeks on the trot.
The brothers were inspired to do it after asking a friend who worked at Southmead what they could do to help lift spirits and mark the efforts of key workers during the pandemic.
The community spirit caught on as other Bristol-based companies got in touch with the brothers saying they wanted to help.
Hobbs House Bakery, Wild Beer and Kinetic Kitchen all joined the effort to provide rolls, beer and doughnuts.
The brothers praised the team effort saying they 'couldn't have done it without them'.
The support has continued on as donations have come in far and wide for the brothers - from generators to PPE - helping them to help the staff.
Other members of the family even stepped in, with Max's mother-in-law Shiela baking more than 1,000 pieces of cake for the Southmead staff which 'went down a storm'.
Today (Friday 5 June) was the brother's tenth and final week providing hot meals - both meat and vegan - for staff. By the end of the day they exceeded their target by 781 baps.
The team went the whole hog and marked the 20,000th bap by giving a surprised staff member a two metre long roll.
The 'socially distanced' roll was made especially for the occasion by Hobbs House Bakery and the brother's filled it with 10 hot dogs.
Southmead staff have expressed how much it meant to them, with one sending an email saying it helped her during an 'emotional and traumatic' shift.
She said: "It may just seem like a hog roast bap to you but on that day it was the difference between reflection and going home and bursting into tears in front of my small children."
Sarah Harrisson, Director of the Southmead Hospital Charity, was there on their final day to thank the team for supporting the hospital.
She said: "Over the last few months we have been really inundated and hugely grateful for all the support that the public and donors have given to support our staff and patients during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Today we're celebrating all the support that The Jolly Hog team - Olly, Josh and Max - have offered to our staff over the last 10 weeks providing free sausage, bacon and vegan baps.
"And today it all comes to an end with the 20,000th bap having just been served to our wonderful staff, having brought smiles to their faces over the last several weeks.
"Thank you so, so much. We are really, really grateful."