EVERYONE told the SpudBros they were completely mad.
Two lads from Preston walking away from steady jobs to build a global empire selling jacket potatoes sounded less like a business plan and more like the setup to a bad joke.
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Brothers Harley and Jacob Nelson have turned a family potato business into one of Britain’s biggest social media food sensations Credit: Tobi King
SpudBros have opened their biggest store yet in London’s Mayfair after building a huge following online Credit: Tobi King
Yet, just a few years later, Jacob and Harley Nelson have become two of Britain’s most unlikely success stories.
They’ve amassed more than eight million followers across social media, served Hollywood stars, opened stores across the country and are now teasing a major move overseas that could take the humble Lancashire potato all the way to the Middle East.
I caught up with Jacob and Harley at the launch of their new flagship London store last week and, despite becoming bona fide internet celebrities, they still seem slightly baffled by what they’ve achieved.
Jacob laughed: “We just sell potatoes.”
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But the reality is considerably bigger than that.
The family business dates back to 1955 when Ernie Rhodes first started serving jacket potatoes on Preston’s Flag Market. The stall became a local institution before eventually passing through generations and into the hands of the Nelson family.
Harley and Jacob’s dad Tony took over the business after the death of legendary owner Keith Roberts, who had given both boys their first Saturday jobs as teenagers.
But while the business itself has been around for seven decades, its transformation into a global phenomenon happened remarkably quickly.
The brothers told me: “Our dad did it. He got up to like 60,000 followers. He was doing his little dad dances and stuff. A 60-year-old man with 60,000 followers – good for him.”
But it was Jacob’s decision to quit his job and go all-in that changed the family’s fortunes forever.
Jacob told me: “I quit my job. I said to Harley, let’s build a global brand. Everybody thought we were crazy. We just said, let’s use social media. Everybody’s on their phones now.”
The brothers rebranded as SpudBros and started posting videos showing customers ordering potatoes from their Preston tram.
They shared: “We started posting raw, unfiltered, natural videos of customers coming up, giving free potatoes and it just skyrocketed from there.”
Today they have built a community they affectionately call the Tram Fam and boast more than eight million followers worldwide, including 5 million on TikTok.
The secret, Harley insists, is surprisingly simple.
He said: “I think people like interaction. There’s no secret formula. We’re just two lads from Preston.”
Jacob added: “I always go by the motto, treat everyone else like your best friends.”
It’s a philosophy that appears to be working, because these days the queue for potatoes doesn’t just include ordinary customers but some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
Over the past year, everyone from actor and singer Joe Jonas to popstar Alex Warren has stopped by for a loaded spud.
And while Jacob refuses to pick favourites, one megastar clearly left a lasting impression for Harley.
He admitted: “Glen Powell was the nicest guy I’ve ever met. He came in, he didn’t want to leave. He was absolutely lovely.”
Will Smith also made an impression on the lads, who said he was “full of energy, full of vibes.”
Despite the celebrity names, the brothers insist they refuse to treat famous customers differently.
Jacob said: “We just treat people the same, whether it’s a customer out there or a Hollywood celebrity.”
Of course, there is one famous face they’re still desperate to serve – and it’s quite the ambitious target.
In a public plea, they said: “I know Kim K just opened a shop round the corner, and I know she loves her jacket potatoes. Kim K, if you’re listening to this, get yourself over. She needs to bring Lewis Hamilton as well.”
Whether Kim answers the call remains to be seen. But considering they’ve already lured celebrity royalty through their doors, I wouldn’t bet against it.
With Hollywood already on board, attention has inevitably turned to expansion.
The brothers have just announced the rollout of 30 new Express locations across England and have plans for significant growth over the next few years – including north of the border.
The SpudBros proudly shared: “We’ve just announced that we’ll be opening up Scottish stores. They’re absolutely buzzing. Tatties. They’re going to go crazy for it.”
But it was their answer on international expansion that really caught my attention. When I asked whether overseas stores were on the cards, the brothers exchanged a knowing grin.
“Well yes, we have. We can’t say much yet. Stay tuned. We obviously went over to Abu Dhabi to do the F1. You can read between the lines there.”
The brothers built a fanbase of more than eight million followers by sharing videos of themselves serving jacket potatoes Credit: TikTok
Celebrity fans including Will Smith, Glen Powell, Joe Jonas and Alex Warren have all stopped by for a SpudBros jacket potato Credit: Tobi King
Six years ago, anyone suggesting a Preston potato business would one day crack the Middle East would have sounded bonkers. Now, it’s only a matter of time.
Yet despite building a food and social media empire, neither brother appears interested in becoming a traditional celebrity – although reality television isn’t completely off the table, as I discovered when I asked whether they’d ever swap potatoes for prime-time TV.
Jacob said: “I can’t dance. I’m getting married on Saturday, so I don’t think I can go on Love Island.”
But there is one show that might tempt Harley.
He confessed: “I think the only one would maybe be I’m A Celebrity. If the opportunity came, I’d be in it.”
Naturally, he’d want to bring potatoes into the jungle.
Harley said: “We’d have to serve potatoes there. Mealworms and slugs – Australian special.”
Though they might not have secured a potato stand next to Kiosk Kev in the I’m A Celebrity jungle just yet, they have conquered one of the most exclusive postcodes in Britain.
I joined the launch of their new Mayfair store where fans had travelled from as far afield as Australia and California just to get their hands on a jacket potato.
One devoted supporter told me: “I’m a big fan and have been since they started. I got to Bond Street Station about 7.50 this morning and I’ve had potatoes on my mind ever since.”
When the doors opened, confetti cannons exploded, the theme tune blasted through the speakers and fans poured inside.
For all the viral fame, celebrity customers and expansion plans, the SpudBros remain remarkably unchanged.
Back in Preston, the dream was simply to keep a beloved family business alive.
Today, fans are flying in from around the globe, Hollywood stars are queuing up for spuds and the brothers are taking their potatoes overseas.
A jacket potato shouldn’t really become a global phenomenon.
Yet somehow the SpudBros have pulled it off.
