'Why I queued almost 24 hours in rainy Sheffield for a jacket potato'

Simon Thake/BBC A security guard looks out at a large crowd of people in a long queue in a town centre. Some have hoods up, others carry umbrellas. — Hundreds of people queued in the rain at the opening of the shop in Sheffield

On a grey and wet November morning, a queue of over 150 people – which will later swell to over 400 – is stretching down Fargate in Sheffield city centre.

Amelia Sorby, 33, stands proudly at the front of the queue after arriving at 18:30 the previous evening, armed only with a camping chair and a thick winter coat.

The hordes of people have braved the weather for the official opening of Spud Bros – a jacket potato business started in Preston which has grown to become a TikTok sensation.

Ms Sorby is one of about 4.8 million social media followers of the company’s founders, brothers Jacob and Harley Nelson, but, for her, being part of the queue in rainy Sheffield is less about the spuds and more about the “great vibes”.

“I didn’t sleep last night. I was so excited, I just walked around,” she explains.

She describes the Nelson brothers as “great people” who “give something back”.

Amelia Sorby said she was “excited” to be first in the queue at the opening

Simon Thake/BBC A woman with a black hoodie and black baseball cap turned backwards, smiles at the camera holding up two thumbs — Amelia Sorby said she was “excited” to be first in the queue at the opening

Ryan Colton, 20, did not sleep overnight on the streets of Sheffield either, however he did get up at 04:00 to secure his place in the queue.

He says he travelled 40 miles (64km) from Gainsborough in Lincolnshire to queue up in Sheffield.

“I caught three buses and a train to get here,” he remarks.

“I’ve seen it on Tik Tok for a while and I just really wanted to try it. I’m having garlic butter, cheese and chilli.”

As he stands in the rain, Mr Colton adds ruefully: “My gran thinks I’m mad.”

Ryan Colton said he travelled on three buses and a train to make the opening event

Simon Thake/BBC A young man with fair hair and a grey hoodie smiles at the camera — Ryan Colton said he travelled on three buses and a train to make the opening event

Father and daughter Jay and Sharna Henshall also rose early to make the trip from Chesterfield in Derbyshire.

Mr Henshall admits that although it was his daughter who took the initiative, he did not need much persuading.

“She told me she’d been following it and that they were opening one in Sheffield,” he explains.

“The thing is, I really love a right good jacket spud with all the filling in, so I thought, why not?”

Sharna, who was hoping to purchase a potato filled with cheese, beans and tuna, remembers the first time she saw them on TikTok.

“I thought they looked banging,” she says.

Father and Daughter Jay and Sharna Henshall travelled from Derbyshire

Simon Thake/BBC A man with grey hair and glasses and wearing a grey sweatshirt stands next to a younger woman with purple hair tied back on her head. — Father and Daughter Jay and Sharna Henshall travelled from Derbyshire

Although there have been criticisms over the number of boarded up shops in Sheffield city centre, the council has recently invested £470m in a bid to revive its fortunes.

Asif Iqbal, one of the owners of the new Sheffield franchise attracting the 400-strong queue, describes the opportunity to take on the new business in the city centre as a “dream come true”.

He explains: “When we started in June and picked up an empty shell in Fargate, we thought the premises were perfect.

“There are fewer shops, but the feedback has been brilliant. People are happy we’re here. It feels like a special time to be in the area.”