You’ve been doing baked potatoes all wrong! Spudman, who became a TikTok sensation by selling 1,000 meals a day, says to use two small potatoes instead of one and never wrap them in foil

It is a British staple that can be easily prepared by anyone at home.

But according to Ben Newman – better known as the Spudman – many people make mistakes when serving the popular meal.

Ben, 39, who became a TikTok sensation thanks to his delicious stuffed jacket potatoes, told Ninja Kitchen about the most common mistakes people make.

The Tamworth chef said you should actually use two potatoes and never wrap them in aluminum foil.

Mr Newman pictured outside his caravan in Tamworth, where he sells hundreds of meals a day

Ben, also known as @spudarmy on TikTok, has amassed a massive following of 1.9 million by sharing his culinary tips, often handing out free jackets to a few lucky customers

Make sure you use the right type of potato

‘It’s about the variety of the potato and not the way you cook it.

‘If you buy baked potatoes, avoid ‘Nadine Potatoes’ – this is a variety of potato that can be found in many supermarkets. Although they look great and are likely to produce a high yield, the preparation is simply awful.’

Use two small potatoes instead of one large one

‘The cooking time depends on the size of the potato. If the potato fits in the palm of your hand, cook for about an hour and a half.

“Everyone makes the mistake of buying the biggest potato they can find, but it’s better to buy a few smaller ones and have two.”

‘They cook more evenly and there are no hard bits in them.’

Do not wrap your potato in foil

While many people think you should wrap a potato in aluminum foil, Spudman says you shouldn’t. “I never wrap my potatoes in aluminum foil at home. You’re less likely to burn them in your own oven than in an industrial potato oven that reaches 300-350 degrees.”

Mr Newman has previously revealed the honest reason behind his rock star looks after battling health issues of his own.

The king of the baked potato opted for the punk haircut to raise money for kidney research, and it’s still alive and kicking.

His business has exploded since he started uploading videos to TikTok last year just to “keep an eye on my kids,” and the son of a potato trader is regularly mobbed when fans see him walking around town.

It exceeded his wildest dreams and seemed unthinkable when he started his company under a different name twenty years ago, at the age of 18.

He now sells up to 1,000 meals a day, for between £4 and £5, from his close-knit cream-coloured caravan.

He underwent three failed kidney transplants – in 2014, 2016 and 2019 – and will be on dialysis for the rest of his life.

People from the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia have flocked to his humble van after his videos took the internet by storm, amassing 2.6 million followers and 41.6 million likes on TikTok.

“It’s all beyond my wildest dreams,” he said.

“I’m just trying to have fun with the videos. People seem to enjoy the live streams, but I enjoy filming people’s reactions when I give them a free pudding.

“I’ve seen the Binley Mega Chippy comparison but I feel like we’ve worked a little harder.

“They were a meme and it just happened. We know it will die down but we want to keep going as long as we can and put Tamworth firmly back on the map.

“If we do it right, the city will do it right. It’s all about promoting local businesses and also any baked potato vendor.

‘There’s one in your own city, go support them.

‘My grandfather was a farmer and my father was a baked potato trader. I think they would have been proud.”