Why Spud Man had to come back to Liverpool for Christmas

“Scousers you’re brilliant – and I can’t wait to serve you some spuds!

There’s no denying the excitement of Spud Man – aka Ben Newman – as he prepares to head to Liverpool this weekend to team up with the city’s own jacket potato entrepreneur, John the Spud.

After a successful summer pop-up at the Bus Yard in Crosby, the TikTok spud supremo is setting up his van at the Christmas Market outside St George’s Hall, having turned down London to take on Liverpool.

Sky-high costs and proximity to his Staffordshire home have played their part in his decision to swap the capital for Liverpool and spend the next six weeks here. But there’s another reason too: “We just love Scousers!” says Ben.

“Me and the team had such a good time at the Bus Yard.

“We had people queueing for three hours and they still had a smile on their faces when they got to the van. There was bantering and we had a good laugh – and that’s what it’s all about.

“We didn’t have one bad customer. People were so lovely.”

Ben, whose fans include A-list celebrities like Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, was originally due to sell his spuds at the famous Christmas Market in Hyde Park, until a phone call from the city changed his mind.

Now he’s looking forward to a festive stint in the city – and getting to know it a little better.

He said:

“I only got to see a bit of the city when I was here last time, so I can’t wait to see more,”

“Andy from the Bus Yard has promised to take me around the local spots and John the Spud’s a proper Scouser, so I’m sure he’ll have a few ideas of where to go too.

“We are staying right in the middle of the city, so I want to be a proper tourist and do all the fun stuff, like the Beatles tour and things – if I get the time.

“And I love food – so I want to eat my way around Liverpool.”

Ben, 41, is planning to be in Liverpool four days a week, leaving 18-year-old son Dylan – known as Lil Spud – and the rest of his team in Liverpool seven days a week, while he returns to his Tamworth pitch for the other days.

With so many other stalls selling festive fayre, Ben plans to stick to his regular menu, although he says there might be a few seasonal specials: “We might put a bit of turkey on.”

And he adds:

“I’ve never tried scouse, so 100% it would be great if someone brought down some scouse so we could stick it on a spud!”

Another thing is certain too: “If it goes well in Liverpool this Christmas, our visit to Liverpool could be an annual event.

“I never count my chickens, but I am hoping we’ll be busy, and it’ll be great to spend time in the city.

“I’m looking forward to linking up with John the Spud, learning more about Liverpool, and serving loads of lovely Scousers with the humble jacket spud.”

The only problem Ben can foresee, is the language barrier.

He laughs:

“When we were in Crosby, we obviously got a lot of Scouse customers which was great … except that I’m from the Midlands and originally from the South, and I sometimes struggle to understand a really strong Scouse accent.”

So is there anything we can do to help Spud Man? “Yes please, just speak really slowly for me.”