Spuddy brilliant
The baked potatoes EVERYONE’S talking about
The world has a new superhero... Forget Batman, Superman and Ant-Man, it’s time to meet Spudman. His mild-mannered, unassuming alter ego is Ben Newman, 39. Thanks to social media – he has 2.2 million followers on TikTok watching his videos – he is a global sensation.
Spud-obsessed punters queue up for hours for a taste of his cuisine, with visitors flocking from as far away as Australia, specifically for the world famous jackets from his humble food van in Tamworth, Staffs.
One Birmingham man was so desperate for his spud fix he offered £75 for someone to wait in the queue to ensure he wouldn’t miss out.
And confirming his superhero status, Ben is using his fame to raise thousands of pounds for kidney research after undergoing three failed transplants himself.
He says: “I can’t have any more as my body rejects them. The last 10 years has been about saving money to get through having a transplant as you have to have six months off work.
“Now I know I won’t be having transplants any more, my goal is to buy a house. I know that I’ll be on dialysis for the rest of my life and I can live a long time if I remain healthy.
“A lot of my followers are on dialysis so it’s nice putting out a positive message to them... that they can be normal while having kidney failure.”
What makes the food so enticing he manages to sell 1,500 taters a day?
I get to the Spudman trailer at 10am, thinking it means I’ll have beaten the rush. But I couldn’t be more wrong, with around 30 people queuing before the mohawked chef has even started serving.
Beside the picturesque St Editha’s church, the van is easy to spot thanks to the huge “jacket spuds” lettering emblazoned on it, alongside a caricature of Ben as a potato, no less.
Some people have queued for three hours in the past, but luckily I only wait for half an hour. A couple behind me travelled from Rugby, Warks, just under an hour’s trip, to celebrate a 40th birthday with a Spudman special.
One man in the queue has travelled from South London for a taste of the famous potatoes – waking at 6am to get here. And I overhear a young lad excitedly telling his family: “My friends are going to be so jealous I am at the actual Spudman’s van.”
Ben isn’t shy of making bold claims. His website says: “If Carlsberg did jacket potatoes they still wouldn’t be as good as mine.”
The menu features classic toppings, including cheese, beans and tuna mayo, but Spudman also rustles up homemade chilli con carne, chicken curry, pulled pork and minced beef.
With most of the jackets being £5 or less, prices feel reasonable.
When I finally get to the front of the queue, Ben tells me he cooks 300 potatoes an hour, and sometimes still runs out.
He says: “I start at 8am, preparing the potatoes and making the toppings.
“We open at 10am and we always have a queue waiting for us.”
My classic jacket with cheese and beans is glorious. Ben doesn’t scrimp
They came from Malaysia to little old Tamworth solely for a jacket potato
on toppings. Mine is heaving with baked beans and grated Cheddar. I’m shocked at how heavy the spud is in my hands.
It’s a comforting meal for a bleak winter morning.
The spud cook, whose late dad was a potato merchant, has been running his trailer for over 20 years.
Ben says: “I was 17 years old, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my life. Then I heard the previous owner of the jacket potato pitch was retiring, so I took over.” Now he’s got an incredible 41.6 million likes on TikTok, and a fan base in Hawaii.
He says: “It’s made the town busy and the other traders are doing well off it, and it’s nice to see.
“I was a one-man band happily selling here for 21 years, and then the power of social media took over and now there’s four of us in the trailer.”
His profile soared after his third video, all thanks to his son showing him the world of TikTok.
Ben has been posting on social media for three years. He says: “I couldn’t believe how much my video blew up, and it went from there. I now post consistently. That’s the trick, you have to keep posting.”
He says a couple visiting from Malaysia has been the most surreal moment, adding: “They hadn’t come to the UK for a holiday, they came just to see me.
“They caught a flight to Gatwick and then hired a car to drive to little old Tamworth solely for a jacket potato.
“The success has been beyond my wildest dreams.”
Ben is easily spotted thanks to his pink mohawk. He rocks the style as part of his efforts to raise money for kidney research. People are taking pictures of the trailer, and Ben happily poses for photos with fans.
He is quite the character, welcoming every customer and chatting to those who have come to visit.
You can see why he is so popular solely from his personality – and his love for jacket potatoes.
And what is his go-to spud? He says: “My favourite is a cheese, curry and crispy onion potato.”
Sounds s-mashing...
BEN NEWMAN ON HIS MOST SURREAL MOMENT TO DATE