A MOBILE coffee business which was boosted by Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis is putting something back by rewarding hard-working NHS staff.

On the Hoof Coffee Co. can regularly be seen outside Tesco in Dorchester and at local events, selling local coffee from a 52-year-old Citroen van.

Run by Christian Shepherd and Zeta Cuthel, the business received a lift when it won Small Business Saturday – the weekly competition in which Theo Paphitis picks deserving businesses to retweet.

To mark the 60th birthday of the businessman and TV star, more than 160 businesses from the Small Business Saturday (SBS) initiative have come together to thank him by supporting the #NHS70 campaign of a fellow winner, Nigel Richardson of Secret Hamper.

The businesses are sponsoring 70 sharing hampers for the staff at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, a cause Mr Paphitis has supported for the past 10 years.

The contents of the hampers are shared out and can reach thousands of staff, giving the morale in the hospital and its wards a boost.

Zeta said: “As Theo has given so much support to us and fellow small businesses who are part of #SBS, we were delighted to be able to sponsor a hamper to not only say a big thank you to Theo but to all the amazing, hard-working NHS hospital staff.

“There is a real support and community amongst fellow #SBS winners and we feel honoured to be a part of it.”

The Bloxworth-based founders of On the Hoof Coffee Co. serve local products including Reads Coffee from Sherborne and the brownies of Bridport-based Bayside Bakery.

They are often outside Tesco in Dorchester as well as getting to as many events as they can reach in Maurice, their 1967 Citroen HY van, which has a top speed of 45mph.