Americans often delight in poking fun at English cuisine, but that hasn’t stopped US sandwich chain Subway from embracing the humble jacket potato, with the firm rolling out a trial that sees 170 of its 2,000+ UK stores offer the iconic comfort dish under the neatly coined ‘Spudway’ trademark.
Diners can treat themselves to a range of fillings for their jackets, including classics like cheese and beans, and tuna mayonnaise, but any sub can be had as a spud, so everything from chicken tikka and taco beef, to meatball marinara and Philly cheesesteak, is up for grabs.
While pricing can vary from outlet to outlet Spudways start at £4.29, or they can be had as a meal deal that includes a drink, plus a bag of crisps or a cookie.
The pilot scheme began on February 19 and comes to an end on Apri 15, while Subway has published a list of the 170 participating restaurants.
Subway’s director of innovation and culinary, Deniz Safa, called the spuds “the perfect freshly-made, high-quality lunch choice”, noting that jacket potatoes are “surging in popularity” at present, partly due to their popularity on social media. Safa hinted that the spuds could become a permanent fixture if they prove popular enough, saying “this could be just the beginning!”.
The only possible drawback to the pilot is that with jacket potatoes often sought out as winter warmers during the colder months, the trial’s springtime schedule could dent its impact.
