The End of the Baked Potato

So, it looks as though the Love affair of the British for the baked potato is at an end.

I was the generation brought up on the humble spud cooked in its jacket not out of austerity but as a wholesome and natural meal which, with a liberal covering of baked beans or cheese (other toppings are available) covered most of the food groups necessary to nourish and sustain growing youngsters.

There was nothing more comforting than a crispy skinned potato straight from the oven.

First thing I used to do was to scrape out the filling in order to enjoy the unique texture and flavour of the slightly gritty and blemished skin before it turned soft and soggy. The white fleshy part could wait for its inevitable reduction to a buttery, beany or cheesy mass.

Although a go-to item on the menu of a cafe or tea shop in my later years I did feel that the home-cooked  experience was never replicated in commercial surroundings.

This was of course down to then need for a catering kitchen to pre-cook the spuds in the hours running up to the anticipated peak demand over a lunchtime or on the teatime sittings.

These would then, invariably, be micro-waved to arrive piping hot on the plate but by then all of the favourite attributes were spoiled and beyond real enjoyment.

You would expect the baked potato to be on message under the ever increasing demands of the public for provenance and authenticity of foodstuffs.

What is more natural than a pure and unadulterated vegetable dug out of the ground and ready to eat with just a bit of a wash and exposure to two hours in an oven?

This was the unique selling point behind the emergence in 1974 in a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland of the first in what became a large nationwide chain of baked potato fast food outlets, undoubtedly the most iconic, Spud-U-Like.

To survive in any business for nearly half a century is an achievement in itself but even more worthy of praise and admiration in the food retailing sector where fads and fashions change quickly and what become the next best thing is soon toppled by the next.

Take the last 12 months, for example. We have seen the rise of Peri-Peri shops, Artisan Burgers, Bespoke Pies, Vegan and Vegetarian produce, Japanese Takeaways and many other ethnic and culturally influenced food sales outlets.

In contrast, the baked potato could be seen as a bit old fashioned. I expect that the key demographic likely to order this from a menu in a pub, cafe or restaurant would be my age and older.

To some the oven cooked spud in its jacket is a safe and reliable choice and purchasing it is an homage to our own upbringing.

Those with disposable income however are seeking an all round dining experience even if still termed fast food.

A date with a boy or girlfriend at Nando's or Wagamama says a lot about a relationship and personal aspirations  whereas sitting at a table in a Spud-U-Like may give an altogether different image and impression.

That is more of a social and economic comment than a true criticism of a baked potato meal.

The news this week that Spud-U-Like is to close all of its 37 food outlets is not perhaps that surprising given the changing trends and intense competition in the causal dining and fast food industry.

Yes, it is a tragedy that some 300 employees are to lose their jobs but surely a clever re-invention of the humble spud could have been possible to make it relevant and trendy for the 21st century.

Huge queues for a spud and a topping in the 1970's