Supporters of the Preston-based Spud Brothers have shared how they were moved to tears by a TikTok video showing the jacket potato company giving away free food.
An old couple was shown receiving the final two potatoes from the food van for free in a video posted on the Spud Brothers TikTok account, @thespudbrothers, which has 3.6 million followers.
As the couple walked near the van, an unnamed staff member called out: “Excuse me. Excuse me. Would you like two free jacket potatoes? Would you like some free food?”
“Come on, we’ll warm you up,” he added. You appear a little chilly outside.
The staff member described the possible toppings as the pair, seeming a little bashful, approached the truck and accepted the offer of the complimentary potatoes.
He started by assembling one of the potatoes for the man and slathering it with cheese and garlic chili chicken.
Then he asked the woman, who looked a little dejected, if she wanted a potato.
She had just fallen, the man continued, explaining her crestfallen demeanor.
“Oh no, are you alright?” asked the potato vendor.
Then he inquired whether the couple wanted him to call someone on their behalf.
The elderly guy declined the generous offer, explaining that the woman was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. He requested the same toppings he had on his potato and ordered one for the woman.
The salesman then brought up how spicy the garlic chili chicken is, inquiring as to whether she would be comfortable with it.
Putting together the potato, the vendor sympathetically said to the lady: “As long as you are ok, that’s the main thing.”
Jacob and Harley Nelson founded the company Spud Brothers. Preston was the location of its first store. It currently runs more locations, such as a pop-up shop in London.
Some viewers expressed their feelings about the film in the video’s comments area, while others claimed it brought them to tears.
One said: “I wanted to cry watching this.”
Another commentator wrote: “This video make me cry. My late grandpa had Alzheimer’s. Her facial expression and body language is exactly like his was toward the end. He ended up dying after a couple bad falls.”
“It was not about the free potatoes. It was about turning their bad day into a good one,” added another.
In a similar vein, a further poster added: “These acts of kindness restore my faith in humanity.”
“Alzheimer’s is the worst, good on you spud bro lovely couple,” wrote a further commentator.
A further poster added: “My nan just passed and she had dementia and I find it hard to watch vids with people who have Alzheimers but this was heart warming.”
