AT most weddings, the bride might steal the spotlight but in one wedding held in a Holsworthy venue, it was the groom who stole the show after setting himself a challenge to devour a whole hog roast.

Looking to serve up something spectacular for their guests, the couple (who had not planned for the groom to eat the whole hog himself) turned to Add to Event, a leading UK-based platform that connects organisers with their perfect event suppliers.

Their search led them to North Devon Hog Roast, a community-driven husband and wife team passionate about serving up slow-roasted, locally-sourced hog roasts.

Sam and Andy, owners of North Devon Hog Roast, recount the tale of one hog, one hero, and a whole lot of crackling.

Situated at the beautiful Glebe House Cottages, in Holsworthy, the groom boldly declared that he was going to eat the entire hog himself.

“From the moment we arrived, and the unmistakable smell of 12-hour slow-roasted pork drifted through the air, the groom made his mission clear.

“Naturally, we assumed he was joking. At first, we laughed – we get enthusiastic guests all the time. But then, he stepped behind the serving table.

“With the seriousness of a man on a military operation, he was a Royal Marine, after all, he positioned himself like a general overseeing his troops – or in this case, guarding the crackling like it was classified intel.

“Guests laughed, phones came out, and the bride rolled her eyes with love and just the tiniest hint of concern.”

Despite insisting no one would leave hungry, he stepped up to the plate – literally – and helped himself to the first (and very generous) portion, balancing his meal like a work of art: meat piled high, crackling stacked like golden roof tiles.

A few minutes later, he was back for seconds, declaring it “too good to stop now”.

“Luckily, his best man diplomatically guided him back to his table with a solemn promise that he could return whenever he liked.”

And he did.

Sam and Andy continued the story, adding: “If you’ve ever had one of our portions, you’ll know this is no small feat!”

In fear that the groom was really going to go the whole hog, so to speak, a scuffle broke out amongst the guests over the last bits of crackling.

“Think polite elbows, exaggerated side-eyes, and one guest who offered a bribe of extra cider in exchange for the crispiest piece. Moments like these remind us just how seriously people take their pork!”, they said.

“Thankfully, the groom didn’t manage to eat the whole hog (that would’ve been awkward for the rest of the guests), though he gave it a valiant try.

“His enthusiasm captured everything we love about weddings: people coming together, having a laugh, and bonding over good food.”

So while he didn’t manage to conquer the whole hog, his mission sparked laughter, full bellies, and a wedding tale no one will forget.