Spudgate: TikTok sensation SpudBros address controversial accusations of suing The Spud Father in Portsmouth over name row

The Spud Father, which opened in Goldsmith Avenue last month, took to social media over the weekend after the owner, Rumen Islam, received a letter from the lawyers of SpudBros - a huge street food business - regarding its name.

The 27-year-old, who opened the food truck after working as a chef for the past few years, said he had ‘been threatened with legal action’ after SpudBros, a jacket potato business that has 4.8 million TikTok followers, trademarked multiple potato-related words.

But, SpudBros has denied allegations of suing the independent business, saying the letter was a ‘standard legal reply to protect something that is ours.’

The Spud Father’s Facebook post said: “I never thought I’d have to write something like this. After months of graft — long days, late nights, and putting everything we have into The Spud Father — we’ve now been threatened with legal action from Spud Bros over the use of our name.

“It’s gutting. We’ve poured our heart and soul into this.

“To suddenly face the threat of losing it because a bigger company wants to throw their weight around… it’s hard to put into words how disheartening that feels.

“The stress and worry have taken a real toll — mentally and emotionally.

“Thank you to every single person who’s stood by us, sent messages, and kept us going through this. Your support means the world.”

As a result of the post, SpudBros has been slammed for ‘bullying’ the small business with hordes of people commenting on their most recent TikTok posts.

SpudBros has now released an official response on social media to ‘address’ the ‘huge misunderstanding’ after threats have been directed at towards the business, and co-owner, Jacob Nelson’s, three-year-old daughter.

SpudBros Facebook said: “Jacob here. This isn’t a statement we ever wanted to make but when my three year old daughter starts receiving threats, enough is enough.

“We’ve always been open with you, so it's important you know the truth here too. There are rumours flying around that we’ve sued a small business called The Spudfather, or that we’re trying to ruin someone’s livelihood.

“We are not suing anyone. Not now. Not ever.

“When we opened SpudBros Express last year, we launched a dish called The Spudfather named after our dad. He’s been peeling potatoes, running the tram, and supporting us since day one. He’s the reason we’re on this incredible journey. That name means a lot to our family. It became our number one seller. It became part of who we are.”

In June of this year, SpudBros filed for the trademark of The Spudfather which was approved in September to ‘protect’ the business’s products, with the Intellectual Property Office notifying SpudBros legal team when The Spud Father filed for the same trademark.

The SpudBros Facebook post added: “To be absolutely clear, there is no lawsuit, no court case, just a standard legal reply to protect something that belongs to our business and our dad’s legacy. We haven’t tried to shut anyone down. We love seeing small food businesses thrive.

“We wish this hadn’t gone online before we’d even had a chance to speak to one another, resolve this or get a response from the IPO.”

Jacob continued by saying that ‘other things’ such as Tram Sauce have also been trademarked as the brand aims to move into supermarkets in the future, and that the team ‘would never want anyone to feel attacked.’

He continued: “I’ve now reached out privately to The Spudfather, which in hindsight, I wish I had done before.

“The internet can be painfully hateful but we will keep doing what we’ve always done: work hard, stay positive and put good energy into everything we do. And please always support your local spud seller too. There is room for everyone to succeed.”

SpudBros has been approached for a further comment.