A British staple once seen as a modest lunch is back at the centre of fast food. Jacket potato vendors across the UK report long queues and brisk trade as new outlets, pop?ups and market stalls draw attention online and in city centres. Sellers have expanded menus with loaded toppings and filmed customer interactions for TikTok and Instagram, helping the baked potato reach new audiences. Among those leading the resurgence is SpudBros, a family?run business whose founders say short?form video has driven a surge in demand. “We thought: how can we make the jacket potato sexy again?” said co?founder Jacob Nelson, describing a push to modernise the classic dish and broaden its appeal.
The trend has emerged across towns and cities since 2023, including in Preston, where SpudBros set up in the city’s Flag Market during lockdown. It follows the closure of the Spudulike chain in 2024, a moment seen by many in the sector as the end of a chapter for a once?familiar high street name.
A fast?food favourite returns to high streets
Vendors now serve jacket potatoes with an expanded range of toppings, from traditional fillings to heavier, meal?style combinations. Many stalls and shops have focused on speed and visibility, operating from high?footfall locations and adapting service to cope with queues. Organisers of pop?up markets and food events report steady interest in potato?focused traders, while videos of loaded spuds circulate widely.
This renewed attention follows years in which the baked potato receded from fast?food menus. The closure of Spudulike in 2024 ended a brand presence dating back decades. In the gap, independent operators stepped in with new formats, distinct branding and more emphasis on presentation, both in person and online.
SpudBros builds a following through social video
SpudBros, run by brothers Jacob and Harley Nelson with their father Tony, began trading during the pandemic. Early footfall proved thin. “It was an absolute ghost town,” Harley said of their first days at Preston’s Flag Market. A passerby urged the brothers to use social media. They started filming their service and customers’ reactions, then posted consistently.
Their videos gained traction in 2023 and brought steady crowds. The family refined their menu and service to handle demand, while keeping the focus on short?form content that showed orders being prepared. Jacob said their aim from the start was to refresh the image of the baked potato for a younger audience: “We thought: how can we make the jacket potato sexy again?”
Crowds, queues and a changing customer mix
Reports from traders describe lines that include teenagers, tourists and older customers who grew up with the dish. Some vendors say younger customers now treat loaded potatoes as an alternative to burgers or wraps at lunchtime and after school. At busy sites, queues form for extended periods, especially after new clips gain traction online.
High?profile visitors have also been seen at popular stalls, according to traders and social media footage. The mix of guests mirrors the online audience that drives visibility: local regulars, visitors who travel for well?known vendors, and social media users who seek out places they have seen in videos.
A classic dish adapted for modern formats
The jacket potato remains a simple, familiar base: an oven?baked potato served hot with fillings such as butter, cheese, beans or tuna. Vendors have expanded on those basics with layered toppings and sauces, positioning dishes to be both filling and visually striking. The approach suits platforms that reward short, high?impact clips and clear before?and?after preparation shots.
This format also streamlines operations. Traders can prepare potatoes in batches, keep toppings ready and assemble orders quickly. The result is a street?food service built around a recognisable item that can scale up for queues. The dish’s core appeal remains its warmth and customisation, which traders say helps it stand out in colder months and at outdoor events.
Social platforms drive discovery and footfall
Short?form video has become central to how new vendors gain attention. Clips of steaming potatoes, loaded toppings and customer reactions perform well on platforms that promote engaging visuals. For operators, that means filming service, replying to comments and posting regularly to maintain momentum.
The approach has also changed how vendors interact with customers. Many traders ask permission to film orders, then share snippets that feature the buyer’s reaction. That feedback loop can bring repeat visits and draw in friends or family who saw the clip. For viewers, a recognisable dish and a quick, satisfying reveal often prove shareable, which pushes clips to wider audiences.
From lockdown setbacks to renewed street trade
Several vendors began experimenting during lockdowns, when restrictions made trading unpredictable and footfall dropped. For those who persisted, the return of street markets and regular trading hours offered a chance to test new menus and branding. In that period, some traders refined recipes, customer service and filming styles to better suit social platforms.
Those adjustments aligned with a wider shift toward mobile?friendly discovery. Customers increasingly used apps to find nearby food and browse menus before visiting. Traders who posted clear, frequent updates often saw faster growth once restrictions eased, with social engagement translating into real?world queues.
What this means
Customers across the UK now see more jacket potato options in markets, food courts and pop?up events. For vendors, the dish offers a flexible menu item that can support higher volumes at peak times. The focus on filmed service and visual presentation has become part of standard operations, alongside traditional steps like batch baking and quick assembly.
For city centres and local markets, the resurgence adds variety to fast?food offerings and draws footfall to stalls that create visible, shareable experiences. The format also encourages repeat visits, as menus rotate toppings and customers return to try new combinations. Traders say the growth of potato?focused outlets reflects a wider trend: familiar dishes, presented clearly and delivered quickly, perform well both on the street and on social media.
To date, the jacket potato comeback has shown itself in busy queues, expanded menus and strong online engagement. Vendors who built an audience in 2023 and 2024 continue to post regularly, with clips documenting service, customer reactions and menu updates. The result is a fast?food category that blends a long?standing British favourite with digital?first promotion and on?site pace.
When and where
Details in this report reflect developments in the UK since 2023 and were described on 22 January 2026 in a feature published by The Guardian, which included comments from SpudBros founders Jacob and Harley Nelson and referenced the 2024 closure of Spudulike.
