Latest news with #JacobNelson
BBC News
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
How Preston's Spud Bros became TikTok stars with jacket potatoes
"You can never get sick of spuds," says Jacob Nelson, one half of the Spud Bros, whose fun videos of jacket potatoes loaded with various fillings have garnered them over seven million followers worldwide across all their social 30, and his 22-year-old brother Harley run their business from an old tram carriage in Preston's Flag have been tuber-based offerings on the site since 1955 when Ernie Rhodes set up his hot potato cart before passing it on to Keith son Keith junior "became an absolute legend for Preston," Harley said. When Keith died, Harley and his dad Tony bought the business. "We started in 2020 with the second [Covid-19 pandemic] lockdown, Tony said. "Me and Harley were there and we opened the hatch and there wasn't a soul around. "I turned to Harley and said 'what have we done?'." But then older brother Jacob, aka Jake, came on board."Jake's vision was to create a global brand from a small potato truck and inspire the youngsters that you can do anything," dad Tony seems to have all gone according to plan. Millions have watched the videos from the tater tram and the Spud Bros now boast 4.2 million TikTok followers and more than seven million followers worldwide on all their credit their dad, the "Spudfather" for their unlikely fame as he was the one who started the TikTok account, gaining 60,000 followers with his "dad dancing" and "dressing up in some questionable costumes"."We rebranded to Spud Bros in 2023, and I think within two or three days of posting our second video, it went viral," Jacob said."It just snowballed from there." The Lancashire lads have recently joined YouTube and already have more than a million subscribers."We post 'day in the life' and 'behind the scenes' long-form videos," Jacob said. "We've got Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, so we're across all platforms and producing 500 million views a month - and that's just from a potato."The support from everybody is unreal and we're forever grateful."It is hard work, but we just keep going, doing Preston proud, we love it."They are known for their generosity, giving away free potatoes to the first in the queue - and there's always a for anyone wanting to know the most popular topping? Garlic butter, cheese, beans "our famous tram sauce" and crispy onions - and the potatoes are sourced from local farmers. They are also hoping to replace their original Flag Market tram with a new unit the size of two shipping containers and plan to have shops in London, Liverpool and "we're also going global, we're going to Amsterdam".But their hearts will always remain in their home city - and they've just been announced as the front-of-shirt sponsor for Preston North End for 2025-26."Everything that we do is for Preston," Jacob said. "Even though we are collaborating with some of the biggest influencers out there like Mr Beast and Will Smith, we will always come back to Preston."With hard work, passion, vision, you can achieve anything." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
TikTok stars SpudBros sponsors Preston
With domestic football matters put to one side over the summer months, fans don't have a great deal to get excited fixture dates and a kit launch is the best most clubs can offer about throwing a new sponsor into the mix?Preston have announced viral potato sellers SpudBros will be their front-of-shirt sponsor for was founded by brothers Jacob and Harley Nelson and has amassed 4.2m followers on TikTok by selling the lunchtime staple out of an old tram in Preston city centre."What more can I say? This is a dream come true," Harley said. "We're here to help PNE make history. Let's take it to the top this season and show the world what Preston's all about."Preston finished 20th - one point clear of relegation - in the Championship last season."We're honoured to be part of the legacy of the club," Jacob said."From running around the pitch as mascots to seeing our brand on the front of Preston North End's shirt - it's beyond special."We're proud Prestonians and will always give back and support the city that made us."It is not just big-name, world-renowned companies that have long fought for the prime real estate on a football remembers Hull's iconic 2015-16 number with North Yorkshire theme park Flamingo Land plastered across the front?Scottish band Wet Wet Wet also kept it local in the 1990s when agreeing to sponsor Sheeran - a minority owner in Ipswich Town - has been the leading leading sponsor since 2021-22. They had the logo of his tour name on their shirt as they were relegated from the Premier League last the mid-1980s the West Midlands Health Organisation paid to have 'No Smoking' displayed on the West Brom is not just on UK shores that left-field partnerships have been 2023 Barcelona teamed up with the Rolling Stones, featuring the band's iconic tongue and lips logo on their shirt for the El Clasico meeting with Real 2, Peter Pan, Zorro, Bad Boys II and White is just a selection of the 16 sponsors Atletico Madrid had on their shirt in 2003-04 after agreeing a deal with Columbia Spanish club featured a new movie from the film studio each time a new release hit the cinema.
