A Bolton man says he has eaten lunch at a hospital every day for two years just because he loves the food.

Omar Shaf, 33, who lives in The Haulgh, shot to TikTok fame this week with a video of him having his favourite healthcare cuisine, chips and beans, in Royal Bolton Hospital.

Omar’s fondness for a medical-setting meal began in 2022 when he would visit his dad in Royal Bolton after working late shifts – meaning the canteen’s food was sometimes the only meal he would have.

Since then, the 33-year-old has become the UK’s number one NHS grub aficionado, with his enthusiasm taking him across multiple hospitals in the region to test out their grub.

He said: “I’m really embarrassed to say but I visit all the hospitals to eat in their canteens.

“It reminds me of having school dinners and I can’t exactly wander into a school and ask for a school dinner as that would get me onto some sort of register.

“So I go to the hospitals.”

If Omar isn’t grabbing a bite at his beloved Bolton canteen, he may also be found in Manchester Royal Infirmary where he enjoys their jacket potatoes.

Omar’s TikTok video showing off his chips and beans has more than 80,000 likes and has been seen by nearly 900,000 viewers.

He joked: “I’ve given the game away a bit now, all the doctors and nurses have started to look at me.

“I used to sometimes go twice in one day, and then have to go home in between and get changed so they wouldn’t recognise me.

“But I think I’ve grassed myself up now.”

It’s not just the chips and beans the self-employed businessman loves to tuck into.

He added: “They’ve got really good cakes at Bolton, freshly made lemon drizzle ones.

“If I’m ever in the mood to treat myself I’ll go down and have one of their cakes.”

Omar arrives at the hospital on his motorbike, which he says puts a smile on patient’s faces, he thinks more people should visit his hospital lunch haunt.

“I think it’s one of the best ways to support the NHS, the money I spend will go back to the NHS, and we should all come together to make the place look busy,” Omar explained.

“It’s like a takeaway at the end of the day, if it’s empty fewer people will go there to eat.

“Bolton Hospital gets a lot of criticism but I think it’s fantastic, the staff are really friendly and the absolute best bit is the canteen.

“I’m not going to stop going until I’m told I can’t.”