Spud-u-Like has closed down

[Sparklingbrook]

One of my favourites! Or spud-oo-lickay as Victoria Wood referred to it.

www.theguardian.com/business/2019/aug/04/spudulike-closes-all-37-outlets-as-high-street-downturn-continues

I used to go to the Edinburgh festival in the 80s and live on spudulike for a fortnight. Far fewer fillings but very tasty!

There was one in Lakeside a while back (not in the food court , it was on Level G)

I miss the Cinnabon shop too , the smell from that .............

Can't believe I've never heard of them! It's always sad when a loved business closes down though.. sad that you can't have their products anymore but also it feels like another sign of time passing. When Woolworths closed it felt like part of my childhood had gone!

@pieceofpurplesky the Chester one was where I used to go many years ago 🙂

Unfortunately many chain restaurants are going to have to up their game to stay in business. We've got so many independents or smaller chains popping up where we are that provide better food for less money. The generic, congealed microwave stuff just won't do any more. A jacket potato shop isn't a bad concept, they needed to move with the times though and create more inventive, fresh toppings.

I used to love the one in Victoria train station. After 5 hours on a National Express coach I would head here and have an egg mayo spud. I don't remember them being so expensive though

I walked past the one in Dundee a few weeks ago but my children refused - just checked the menu and it is pricey.

Sad that I never heard of it or got to try it

Jacket potatoes are not really a “thing” here.

Used to love GBK. Not so keen on 5 Guys.

Oh no. I loved getting a spud in a food hall while the dc had whatever fast food junk they prefered too. Saw they were closed when we went by the localish one yesterday but assumed as it was late they only did shopping hours like a few of the other places in the food hall.

It was always the slowest service ever considering it was just shoving some topping on a pre baked spud though.

Been in the Chester one several times but never seen the ruins.

Never eaten one. Imagine they’d be grimmer than a grim thing.

We had Dunkin Donuts as well.

Never had one of those either.

A colleague of mine raves about Five Guys and goes there for lunch at least twice a month, despite it being well over half an hour round trip by car.

I've never been, nor to any of the other 'posh' burger places for that matter, but the one thing that surprises me about Five Guys is that they seem to be ignoring the fact that every man and his dog is vegan or vegetarian these days and the only options for vegetarians are more or less cheese and garnish in a bun.

At least all the other burger places do a couple of proper burger options.

Why are people comparing Five Guys to Spud U Like? They're two completely different things, not comparable at all!

No-ones comparing 5 Guys with Spud u like, but it is relevant to the conversation, how trends in lunch options have changed over the years.

People either thought Spud u Like had gone years ago, or were a dated concept, which is relevant when you compare them to the current popularity of burger chains that are a little higher quality than McD/BK, such as 5 Guys, GBK and probably a few others.

Our local gbk closed down, not before it went all weird though. They stopped waiting tables and you had to fill out a little sheet with your order and take it to the counter, pay and wait to collect your order . Very odd and not really a restaurant experience anymore. It shut about a month after this was implemented.

I love five guys though, could eat their fries forever and a day. Sadly the nearest one is a long way from me so it's a rare treat.

Yes, there's no comparing. Just musing on where people go for lunch now.

Although both are overpriced TBF.

Blimey, I thought they’d gone decades ago! There was one near us, in Clapham Junction in the 80s/90s but were we never allowed to spend money on a jacket potato. Not out, we had plenty at home.

I don’t like burgers at all.

Jacket potatoes are not really a “thing” here.

Where is ‘here’?
You need to start making it a thing.

OMG I thought they'd gone out of business yonks ago! I had no idea there were still some around. There was one in my nearest large shopping centre until about 20 years ago. I was well pissed off when it closed down. I absolutely loved the prawn filling.

Oh no. Never been to one ... but Spudd -YOU - licka Slobb!

Last time I went into a SpuduLike was about 5 years ago and my take out was literally bursting out it's polystyrene box with tuna mayo. It was lush. But the thing I remember was that while I was waiting there was a guy eating in who had a jacket spud and chips. Double potato. What a legend.

So sad but unsurprising. Last time I bought a meal from them was in the 00's and it was £££ then. I bought one a few months ago from Fat Jackets in the Lowry and it came to almost £9! 9 fucking quid. I was trying to make a healthier choice what with tuna mayo, cheese and onions being known for its mega dietary benefits. Burger fucking King was across the way and I could've had an xl bacon double cheese burger meal with chilli cheese bites for less than £9. Plus more people are cutting carbs out aren't they?

As an aside in memory of Spud-U-Like I'm making some jackets for dinner tomorrow and will be having my favourite filling of double cheese and onion.(A holy fuckton of full fat Longley farm cottage cheese, diced red onion and just a sprinkling of Mature cheddar before I spoon the cottage cheese on.)
It's nearly 3AM and I'm on the internet talking about jacket potatoes.

I have fond memories of sitting in Hempstead Valley, Gillingham, on a Saturday in the 80's with a spud with butter and a piece of KFC. This was gourmet food to 10 year old me.