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JESSICA WILLIAMS TOOK THE PLUNGE AFTER PEOPLE COULDN'T GET ENOUGH OF HER ORIGINAL HORSEBOX FOOD BUSINESS AND SAYS SHE WAS INSPIRED BY ONE OF HER FAVOURITE CHILDHOOD RESTAURANTS 04:00,
31 May 2025 A jacket potato shop is proving so popular that people are queuing out of its doors to get their hands on their fix just months after it opened its doors. Self-confessed foodie
Jessica Williams first started her business selling jacket potatoes in a horsebox in May 2023, looking to fill the gap left behind when one of her favourite childhood restaurants closed. She
took her horsebox around pop-up markets, weddings and other events and gained a cult of loyal customers. In January of this year, she decided to take the plunge and open her first physical
business at 50 Sterry Road, Gowerton, Swansea, called Spuddy Lovely. Prices start from £3.50 and range up to £7, and come with two toppings of your choosing. The 27-year-old runs the
business with her mum Julia and best friend Ebony and took somewhat of a risk when she first launched the business, with the help of her husband Shaun, as she had only 12p left in her bank
account. But her bravery was rewarded, as the Gowerton community has fully embraced her venture, with repeat visitors and newcomers alike every day. _FOR THE LATEST RESTAURANT NEWS AND
REVIEWS, SIGN UP TO __OUR FOOD AND DRINK NEWSLETTER HERE_. Mrs Williams said: "It's been absolutely amazing. It's been four months now, nearly five months, and it's
flown. We've been so busy every single day. The people that used to come to my horsebox, I'd say about 99% of them have come back, which is really amazing. I get new customers
every day, but I always get returning customers. "I really take pride in obviously the food, but also customer service as well. I'm family run - it is myself, my mum Julia and my
best friend Ebony. It is a big thing for me - yes I want you to come in, and I want you to enjoy your food, but I want the experience to be 10 out of 10 as well. I don't want to jinx
it, but we've had no negative feedback at all. I am so proud of how it is going. "The first two weeks was absolutely mental, and I thought it would die down, but lately I
don't know what is going on, I'm still getting queues out of the door, which is fantastic. "I am doing it for my family. My little boy Oscar is three, and I work my hours
around him, so I'm only open from 11am until 3pm. Me and my mum are here 8am every morning doing all the preparations. I don't want to look back in years to come and think that
I've missed out on so much (with Oscar) because I was working. "My husband, Shaun, has been a massive part of my business behind the scenes. It came to the day of opening and I
think I had 12 pence in my bank. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have been able to do it, to be honest. I back myself to the ends of the world, but there is always that doubt when
you're starting something. For me, it was a huge leap, and I was worried, but I had a gut feeling it was going to go well." The jacket potatoes are served up, on average, within
one to two minutes, and up to ten people can be seated inside at one time, with wheelchair and pram accessibility, but the most common option is takeaway. Among the options are plain
potatoes, cheese and beans, tuna mayo, corned beef, and vegan fillings. There is also a weekly special from around the world, with Greek and Spanish spuds recently featured on the menu. But
the bestseller is the chicken curry filling, its "OG", which Mrs Williams says "goes down a storm." Describing the background behind her business, she said: "I have
been in loads of different jobs. One of my first jobs though was working in a restaurant and I think my heart was always in serving up good food - I'm a big foodie myself and I thought
'what's better than serving up food that I love'? "When I was really young, maybe about five to ten, I used to go to Spudulike with my mum, and I loved it there, it was
my favourite, but then they started shutting down, and I don't think you see so many in Wales anymore. "The most common feedback we've had from people is that they can't
wait to come again! Funnily enough, I had one customer last week who told me she had actually booked annual leave days so that she could come and try it. Article continues below "You
pay for your filling and then you make it your own, so anyone can have whatever they like. We've had some whacky combinations, but we don't judge!" Spuddy Lovely is open from
Monday to Friday from 11am until 3pm apart from bank holidays. It can be found at 50 Sterry Road in Gowerton. Its Facebook page can be found by clicking here, and its Instagram page can be
found here. GET SWANSEA NEWS UPDATES on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See
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