Hog HQ joins Wapping Wharf's growing community

Bristol independent business The Jolly Hog has moved its headquarters, known as Hog HQ, to the city's harbourside neighbourhood, Wapping Wharf.

Image: Josh, Olly and Max Kohn, brothers and founders of The Jolly Hog outside the new Hog HQ at Wapping Wharf.

The Jolly Hog is a Bristol-based, family-run business, which sells award-winning British outdoor-bred, RSPCA Assured sausages and bacon, with its brand now available in major supermarkets including Asda, Tesco's, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Ocado.

With a team of 13, including owners, co-founders and brothers Max, Josh and Olly Kohn, the business also has a much-loved eatery, Pigsty, which is already based at Wapping Wharf within CARGO, a popular hub of independent businesses housed in converted shipping containers.

The Jolly Hog has now moved its base into its newly fitted out office, also made of converted shipping containers, along Museum Street next to CARGO 2. Having previously been located on Gloucester Road, Hog HQ moved into its events storage space in Frampton Cotterell at the onset of the pandemic, not anticipating its stay would last 18 months at the time. 

The Jolly Hog's exciting new HQ office at Wapping Wharf provides an open plan workspace for staff, a board room for meetings and kitchen, which will be used for food photography and product development, as well as space for entertaining.

Max Kohn, co-founder of The Jolly Hog, said: "We are really looking forward to being in Wapping Wharf, the atmosphere down there is amazing. It's also a great food hub and inspiration for our retail new product development. The office itself is looking just how we wanted it, and you can hardly miss us if you walk past! The new location will aid our retail business alongside Pigsty and we are really looking forward to that. Thanks to Stuart and the team at Umberslade for all their help too."

Stuart Hatton, managing director at Umberslade, the developer of Wapping Wharf, said: "We are delighted to welcome Hog HQ to Wapping Wharf. Pigsty has been part of the CARGO community since the very early days; it's been great to see this wonderful independent business go from strength to strength over the years and now expand its presence within the neighbourhood. We wish the whole team all the best with the exciting next chapter in their Jolly Hog adventures."

The Jolly Hog was originally founded in 2007 when Olly was playing rugby for the Harlequins and was out of action with an injury. With extra time on his hands and an extra large love of sausages, Olly started making his own using a sausage-making machine bought for him as a present. Josh and Olly joined forces and The Jolly Hog was born with Max helping with events initially before moving back to Bristol from London in 2011. The rest is history - and to this day the sausage making machine is kept in Pigsty at Wapping Wharf.

Hog HQ is based in the unit formerly home to the Wapping Wharf Living marketing suite.

Wapping Wharf is in the heart of Bristol's historical and cultural quarter, with its tree-lined pedestrian and cycle route, Gaol Ferry Steps, providing an important connection between south Bristol to the city centre. Now home to over 40 independent businesses, many of which are based within CARGO, Wapping Wharf is home to some of the city's best independent restaurants, shop, cafes and lifestyle businesses.