Viral jacket potato brand SpudBros has come under fire after being accused of “bullying” a small business owner over a name dispute.
The Preston-based duo, Jacob and Harley Nelson, who became social media sensations for serving up gourmet potatoes from a tram and have since expanded to London and Liverpool, were accused of threatening legal action against a Portsmouth trader, Rumen Islam, owner of The Spud Father.
Islam, 27, opened his stand last month, offering his own take on the viral potato trend. But he says he has since been contacted by SpudBros’ legal team, who claim the name infringes their trademark.
“After months of graft — long days, late nights — we’ve now been threatened with legal action from SpudBros over the use of our name,” Islam wrote on social media. “We’ve poured our heart and soul into this. It’s gutting to think we might lose it because a bigger company wants to throw their weight around.”
The Portsmouth business owner told followers he will be changing the name after the dispute took a mental and emotional toll. “It’s been really hard,” he said in a TikTok video viewed thousands of times. “We’re a really small business — I’m born and bred in Pompey — and this was for the locals. It’s disheartening.”
Supporters online have flooded to defend Islam, accusing SpudBros of “corporate bullying” and calling for the brothers to drop the matter.
Comments on SpudBros’ recent TikTok posts include: “Stop bullying The Spud Father — there’s enough business for everyone.”
“Bit strange to go after a shop 260 miles away. Justice for Spud Father!”
The backlash led SpudBros to issue a public statement on Instagram, insisting they were not suing anyone.
“There are rumours we’ve sued a small business called The Spud Father. We are not suing anyone. Not now. Not ever,” wrote Jacob Nelson.
He said the company trademarked The Spudfather after launching a dish of the same name — in tribute to their father — which became their best-seller.
“As we grew, we developed merch, expanded franchises and had discussions with major retailers,” he said. “We trademarked the name in June, and it was approved before any other business applied for it. Our legal team simply responded to a notification from the Intellectual Property Office — it’s not a lawsuit.”
Nelson added that his family had received threats online since the story went viral, including towards his young daughter, and urged followers to stop the “hate”.
“We’d never want anyone to feel attacked. That’s not who we are,” he said. “We love small businesses — we were one. There’s room for everyone to succeed.”
Intellectual property lawyer Stephanie Davies, senior associate at Withers & Rogers, said the dispute highlights a common pitfall for startups.
“It’s often wrongly assumed that only big companies need to trademark their names,” Davies said. “Small businesses can build a following quickly, and if they don’t secure a registration early, they risk infringing on someone else’s rights — or losing their own brand identity.”
With a valid registration in place, she added, SpudBros may have a strong legal position, and The Spud Father could be forced to rebrand.
“Trademark searches should always be done before launch,” Davies said. “It’s far less painful than a rebrand once the business is up and running.”
The dispute marks the latest clash in the fast-growing world of viral potato vendors.
The Nelson brothers’ success has paralleled that of Ben Newman, better known as Spud Man, whose Tamworth-based jacket potato stall has 4.2 million TikTok followers and even drew the attention of Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.
New rivals, including Spud Hut, Spud Life, and Spud Factory, have since popped up nationwide, each hoping to carve out a slice of the viral food trend.
For now, The Spud Father says it will continue trading — but under a new name.
