Hundreds of people queued nearly 30 minutes for a jacket potato when internet sensation Spudman opened at Cardiff's Winter Wonderland. Ben Newman, known online as Spudman, has run a jacket potato business in Tamworth, England, for over 20 years.
Spudman's viral rise and Cardiff arrival
Since joining TikTok during the Covid-19 pandemic, Newman has amassed more than four million followers on the platform. Fans travel from across the world to try his jacket potatoes, with Ryan Reynolds and Queen Camilla having tucked into one of his spuds.
After announcing he would be at Cardiff's Winter Wonderland this year, many TikTok users and spud lovers started planning a trip to the Welsh capital. The famous food truck opened at its new festive location at 5pm on Thursday and will remain there until January 3. It is located to the left of the big wheel as you enter Winter Wonderland at the museum.
Queues, prices, and menu
Queues formed early on Thursday, with customers travelling from across south Wales, from places such as Brecon, Caerphilly, Newport and Swansea, to get their hands on a Spudman spud. Prices started from £6, with an average cost of around £10. The most expensive spud was pulled pork for £12. Other toppings on offer included classics like cheese, beans and tuna.
Benches are available nearby, under shelter, around 15 yards away, where customers can sit and enjoy their spud.
Review: The verdict on the viral spud
A reporter queued for around 25 minutes to try the most popular menu item: BBQ pulled pork with garlic butter, cheese, crispy onions and hot honey. The truck was staffed by several members, including Spudman's son, known online as 'Lil Spud'.
The reviewer described it as probably the best jacket potato they had ever had, noting the BBQ pulled pork was salty and sweet, the garlic butter added flavour, the cheese was mature, and the crispy onions gave a lovely crunch. The hot honey was the finishing touch, bringing sweetness and heat that tied everything together.
The portion was described as enormous, enough to feed two people, and the reviewer did not manage to finish it. The price was lower than anticipated for Winter Wonderland. The final score was 8/10, with the reviewer saying it lives up to the hype and is ten times nicer than any spud they have had elsewhere, such as Cardiff Market. The truck will be serving from 5pm every night until January 3.
