A (very lengthy) day within the lifetime of Spudman: Jacket potato vendor will get up at 4am earlier than he works gruelling 14 hour shift – all whereas juggling 9 kids and 4 hours of dialysis

With more than four million followers on TikTok, a house filled with nine children, and his own business, Spudman is certainly kept busy.

Ben Newman, 40, from Tamworth, who is facing eviction from his spot in the Staffordshire’s town centre, starts his day at 4am with a trip to the wholesalers to get supplies.

Often a day worth of supplies, including potatoes, fillings and drinks, cost him around £1,000. 

He then heads to his van, with his eldest son Dylan (affectionately known as L1LSPUD or ‘Little Spud’), in tow to set up for the day.

There they prep more than 1,000 potatoes, mix up homemade coleslaw and get vats of chilli and curry brewing on the stove to feed hungry customers.  

Later, four more staff members join him. Dylan then heads off to college in the afternoon, and they serve thousands of customers baking hot jacket potatoes – making plenty of social media content in the process.

After a 14-hour work shift, Spudman then heads home to make dinner for his nine children. 

The Mail’s food critic Tom Parker Bowles visited the Spudman last year and urged his readers to ‘believe the hype’ about the viral chef. Read his review here.

As if running a social media empire, thriving catering business and raising nine children wasn’t enough,  four days a week Spudman also has a five-hour dialysis session.

In 2010, he was diagnosed with renal failure as a result of Cresecentous Membranous Nephropathy, and since had three failed kidney transplants as a result meaning he will be on dialysis for life.   

Writing in 2021, his nurse wife Sarah Simpson, 37, explained: ‘Ben runs his own catering business and after a busy day, comes home, helps with the children then starts his dialysis session which takes around 4 hours, 30 minutes. 

‘He does this 5 times a week, luckily at home.’

Despite the gruelling schedule, Spudman does appear to have time off. Photos of his wife’s social media show him enjoying Warhammer sessions, heading on trips to a local farm and firing up the barbecue at home. 

Spudman set up his own catering business aged 18, following in the footsteps of his potato merchant father.

He’s been trading from the same spot in  St Editha’s Square, Tamworth for 22 years and was a local celebrity before blowing up on TikTok, becoming known around town for his pink mohawk.   

 ‘The mohawk came about because of a bet,’ he previously told local media.

‘We raised £5,500 for kidney research and the mohawk was one of the goals to secure the funding. 

‘I’ve had three failed transplants and been told I can’t have anymore as my body just rejects them.

After setting up the business straight out of school, Spudman welcomed three children before meeting Sarah – then a single mum-of-four.

The pair then welcomed four more children together, before getting engaged in 2023 and married in 2024.

In previous videos, Spudman has explained how he gets to his van at 5.15am, with his son by his side. 

Ben says he has been left ‘destroyed’ by Tamworth borough council’s plans to turf him out.

The busybody council wants to build a flowerbed in his place as part of renovation plans for the town centre but Ben has vowed to fight to keep hold of his spot.

‘It’s my livelihood. It’s what feeds my children, keeps a roof over their head and stuff like that,’ he said in an impassioned TikTok video.

Ben has to make trips to hospital for gruelling dialysis treatment for a kidney condition and described his business as his coping mechanism for being ill.

He had hoped to pass the business to his eldest son Dylan, who works full time alongside his father, if anything happened to him.

But he says he can longer do this and blasted council bosses for changing his contract.

‘They took away the transferable part of the contract to it to making it a non transferable contract,’ he said. ‘So I was like, that was one of the things that I was really upset about.’

The potato-influence has also spoken about his costs – revealing he needs to make around £2,000 a day to break even.

He’s also hit out at trolls who accused him of taking benefits, revealing he’s never claimed help despite his huge family and health problems. 

Ben says he has been left ‘destroyed’ by Labour-run Tamworth borough council’s plans to turf him out. 

The busybody council wants to build a flowerbed in his place as part of renovation plans for the town centre but Ben has vowed to fight to keep hold of his spot. 

‘It’s my livelihood. It’s what feeds my children, keeps a roof over their head and stuff like that,’ he said in an impassioned TikTok video. 

Ben has to make trips to hospital for gruelling dialysis treatment for a kidney condition and described his business as his coping mechanism for being ill. 

He had hoped to pass the business to his eldest son Dylan, who works alongside his father, if anything happened to him.

But he says he can longer do this and blasted council bosses for changing his contract.

‘They took away the transferable part of the contract to it to making it a non transferable contract,’ he said. ‘So I was like, that was one of the things that I was really upset about.’

His loyal supporters have rallied around him with a petition being signed by nearly 90,000 people in four days. 

He told MailOnline he has rejected offers from other councils to move to their area, insisting he wants to stay in Tamworth. 

Ben said he hopes the council ‘make the right decision’ and said he would be devastated if he couldn’t return to his original pitch stating: ‘I spend more time there than I do at home. It’s my spot. 

‘I can’t imagine it’s going to be the most famous flowerbed if they do build it. I don’t think it would be very popular,’ he said before joking: ‘Maybe we would plant potatoes in it?’

After a showdown today with local authority bosses, beloved Ben spent five hours selling one thousand jacket potatoes to customers who had been queuing for the tasty treat for up to 45 minutes.

He said the meeting was ‘positive’ and engineers and designers were going to ‘see what they can do’.   

The father-of-nine, who has been struggling to sleep, said ‘I appreciated the chance of sitting around a table with them’.

‘I want to future proof my business and instead of a trailer I have to tow in every day I want a shipping container semi static structure that can stay in situ when the new market reopens,’ he said.

‘But it seems I have lost my pitch to a flowerbed they want to install in my place. I feel destroyed by this but I will fight it.

‘My dad was a potato merchant who used to supply the stall holder here before me.

‘I’ve been here for 23 years and I am suffering from health issues and I need to have spells in hospital.

‘I have a right to this pitch but the council changed the contract for me and other traders.

‘The council now recognises that one of three issues discussed is controversial and they have apologised over miscommunication.

‘They will now be instructing specialised engineers to check positioning and drainage of the planned flower bed.

‘Maybe it can be moved and I can stay! The meeting was a step in the right direction.’

Ben was awarded Freedom of the Borough in August 2024 with his jacket potato trailer being visited by thousands of people from all over the world. 

The council statement at the time applauded him for helping to ‘put Tamworth as a town on the map’.   

As he busily filled yet another baked spud with topping, Ben told MailOnline that he had cleared the first hurdle in his battle to stay at his market stall in Tamworth, Staffordshire, where he had been for 23 years.

He said: ‘The meeting at 8.30 this morning was all about replacing me with a flower bed. I bring so much custom to the town. It’s crazy!

‘They are now weighing up the lesser of two evils – upsetting me or moving the proposed bed!

‘The world all knows I can shout out loud!’

The savvy businessman has amassed a huge TikTok following with four million fans and shares clips about his success.

He sells £5 hot potatoes with speciality BBQ Pulled Pork priced at £8 five days a week, bar Wednesday and Sunday, from a trailer at a temporary pitch whilst the market place where he and fellow traders had been based, in the shadow of St Editha’s Church, is closed whilst undergoing a huge costly development.

Now more than 72,000 people have signed a petition supporting the 39-year-old father-of-nine.

Ben said: ‘I think the council are getting a bit worried now because if signatures reach 100,000 it can go to Parliament.’

Masses flocked to support Spudman with queues snaking down the road in the busy town. Many were first time customers, young, middle aged and old, who had seen footage on social media of his ordeal.

Others were school children and students enjoying a half term break.

Birthday girl Ashley Granger’s face lit up when she was given a cheese and beans potato with a sparking candle on top.

The mum-of-two, celebrating her 20th birthday today, said: ‘We heard about the council trying to evict the Spudman and it’s just not fair.

‘We wanted to show him some love and support and of course try one if his spuds.’

Ashley, accompanied by her mother Rachel Granger and partner Tyler Hunt, added: ‘We don’t agree with the council. They’ve got to let him stay, they can’t move him. Look how popular he is. The queue goes on and on.’

Her mum said: ‘He’s had the pitch 20-odd years and don’t why he’s being kicked off to be replaced by some flowers. It’s sad to see and hope it doesn’t happen.’

The first time customers were visiting the town for an ice skating trip from home in Coalville, Leicestershire.

Schoolboys, brothers Oscar and Max Cort, 16 and 15, and pals Jack Homer-Yarwood and Jimmy Vernon, both 16, had travelled from Birmingham to check out the spud sensation.

Oscar said: ‘The potatoes are amazing. It was worth the travel over and the long wait. They’ve good value too.’ His mates agreed the filling lunch was ‘very tasty.’

Dawn Lorton said: ‘We have been following his story and really hope he is allowed to stay.

‘Flower beds cost a lot money to look after and keep up to scratch and if left they’ll die. ‘

The school lunch supervisor from Cadtje Bromwich, West Midlands, continued: ‘I hope the council rethinks its plans and lets him keep his pitch. They should see all the support out here for him.

‘The taxpayer will be paying for those flower beds and here’s a businessman bringing money in and giving something back to the community.’

Her daughter Emma Williams, 24, a student veterinary nurse with her dog Queenie: ‘Spudman should stay, he’s been here for so long and his food is delicious.

‘Flowers will keep needing to be replaced and could get vandalised.’

Many customers wanted selfies with Ben and he took time between cooking and serving to oblige.

He said: ‘There’s a big queue today but this is normal. Maybe half term holidays have bought a few more people out.’

Among them was 11-year-old Albert Tyson, tucking into a cheese and beans potato and grinning: ‘It’s yummy!’

The schoolboy from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, is a big fan of Spudman having seen him on YouTube and wanted to meet him in person.

He said: ‘I think he’s great and he has such a dedicated following.’

His dad Grahame Tyson, scoffing a chicken curry and cheese spud, said: ‘It’s just what you need on a cold day!

‘It’s the holidays and Albert wanted to meet the Spudman. We waited three quarters of an hour but it was worth it.’

Albert’s mum Laura Rogers said: ‘We’ve got three nice big spuds for £18. That’s a good value lunch. We do hope he can stay here and we’ll definitely be back!’

Landscape gardener Luke Young from Coventry, West Midlands, said: ‘I had a curry and cheese jacket and it’s amazing! It’s 100 per cent good grub!’

Luke, 27, explained: ‘I’ve been following him on TikTok and as I had a day off work thought I’d come over.

‘He does a great job, he works hard at it and let’s hope he’s finally allowed to stay put. He deserves a pitch here.’

Jim Harris, sales director of KP Films which makes special packaging for Ben’s potatoes, visited the trailer with his excited daughter Molly, 13, and three of her pals from Milton Keynes based MK Dons junior female football squad.

Molly, along with Lily Spenceley, 13, Edie May, 12, and Poppy Ward, 13, follow Spudman online and were keen to see him. She gushed: ‘It’s great to be here and help support him.’

Distinct-looking Ben, who is bearded and sports a flame-coloured mohawk hair, had posted a TikTok video discussing his planned meeting with leaders of Tamworth Borough Council.

Before setting up the trailer – which he has to transport back and forth from home in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire – he squeezed in a meeting with council chief executive Stephen Gabriel and the former and outgoing Conservative council leader.

Current leader Carol Dean didn’t make the meeting but later visited him at his pitchm only the second time Ben says he has met her.

When Ben bought the pitch back in 2003 for £100,000, it was sold to him as a transferable asset – meaning it could be passed on to his son or sold it on. 

Tamworth Borough Council first requested Spudman relocate to the main high street in June – a move the potato chef is unhappy about as he does not want to upset other traders with his own high footfall.

But, following changes to his contract, it is no longer transferrable and he would have to apply for the pitches every 12 months to retain it.