The Spud Surgery. The family business that’s a winner with its customers and Bionic
Bionic caught up with Adam Sheldon, a builder by trade who has sprouted new roots in the field of filled baked potatoes.
We met at The Spud Surgery, Adam’s family-run business in (the beautifully named) Swallowsnest, Yorkshire, to get under the skin of his potato business. How and why did he get started? What’s been his biggest achievement so far? What’s been his biggest challenge? And loads more.
But first, what did he think when he found out he’d won his business insurance free for a year?
How does it feel to win free insurance for a year?
“Bonus!” was Adam’s first instinct when he found out he was a winner.
But while winning was a pleasant surprise, he took a bit of convincing: “I didn’t know I was in the competition! When I got the email, I just thought ‘oh, whatever!’”
“But then I got the phone call and more emails. Bonus!”
If you’d like the chance to be like Adam and win your insurance free for a year, you just need to get Bionic to sort your business insurance, and we’ll enter you into our prize draw. It’s that simple.
A helping hand to dig through the insurance jargon
The Spud Surgery has only been open for about four months, so running a food business is new to Adam and his family. And despite having his own building business, sorting out insurance for The Spud Surgery was very different.
“It’s a different insurance from what I’ve got in my other business. So, a lot of questions they were asking me, I didn’t know.”
But working with Bionic meant Adam had a helping hand to dig through all the policy options to find the right cover for his business.
“The sales agent just explained things like ‘have you got a fryer?’, for instance, because your insurance changes with a fryer. They talked me through it to help me get the cover I needed for this shop.”
When asked if he’d sooner sort everything online, Adam was clear on the importance of speaking with someone, especially when it comes to something as important as insurance.
“I always like to speak to people, because online, if you misread something [you’ll not be covered]. I like them to explain everything to me, so then I know [I’m covered].”
“And they [the Bionic insurance team] did, to be fair. They asked me everything I’ve got in the shop, and I told them everything I’m using, and they worked it all out from that”
With business insurance covered, it was time to do a bit more digging into how and why Adam got started, and how he’s finding life as the owner of a food shop and takeaway.
Setting down roots for the family business
The best thing about speaking to business owners is finding out how and why they got started – everyone has a different story to tell.
Adam’s small business story started a couple of decades ago when his wife became partial to baked potatoes from a shop in Sheffield.
“When I met my missus, she was obsessed with baked potatoes from a shop in Hillsborough, Sheffield. And she said, ‘I’ve always wanted to run a jacket potato shop’”
When her favourite shop closed years later, it sparked a memory in Adam’s mind. And when a sandwich shop over the road from his house shut down, he saw an opportunity and took over the lease.
“I started ripping it to bits, telling her I was doing it for someone else.”
She was taken aback when she found out, and a family business was born. The whole family mucks in between work and college commitments.
“[A family business] is what it’s for. The aim wasn’t to buy it and employ people to run it – it's for us.
Keeping it simple
One of the trickiest things about opening a food business is working out exactly what you’ll sell and how much you’ll sell it for.
An extensive menu can lead to wasted food and money if some items aren’t popular.
“We’ve tried our best to keep it basic. People ask if we’re going to do sandwiches, teas, coffees, frothy coffees, and all that. But we’re just going to keep it basic.
“It’s a jacket potato shop, with your basic fillings. And it’s working.”
The Spud Surgery has started serving toasties (popular with the children of Adam’s customers), but as Adam points out, this doesn’t require any extra stock or effort.
“We’ve got everything for toasties. All we’re adding is bread. It’s not a big deal for us to change and do something like that.”
In business, it’s all about working smart with what you’ve got.
Pricing is important too, as Adam acknowledges: “That was a challenge to work out how much you charge.
“If you go too high and bring it down, you’re never going to be able to put it up. If you start too low, you’re not making it pay, and you’ll have to put it up straight away. Then people will be like ‘Hold on, it was only x amount...’”
Challenges, achievements, and being part of the community
Starting a new business is a big achievement. Closely followed by keeping it running and keeping the customers coming back for more. Adam’s response to his biggest achievement for his fledgling business was simple:
“Surviving. Making it work. Getting the word out there.”
And he appreciates the importance of constructive feedback. Among all the glowing reviews, one customer suggested that there wasn’t enough chicken in the curry topping. So, Adam changed the portion size, and they now have another happy, regular customer.
It's worth noting that portion sizes are as important as pricing in the food business – even a small change can make all the difference – so taking on board customer feedback can be crucial, especially in those early weeks and months.
But what about the biggest challenge?
“Probably keeping on top of all the spuds. It’s the timing (Adam uses proper baked potato ovens – no microwave and air-fryer combo here) - you’ve got to be here at a certain time to make sure the ovens are on and heated up, then you’ve got to put them in on time.
“You don’t want to overcook them, you don’t want to undercook them, and you don’t want them in the warming drawer too long. But you can’t judge how many people will come in.”
The type of potato you use is important too – Adam has become an unlikely authority on the best spuds to bake.
If you’re taking notes, Adam reckons Harmonies and Melodies are best, but steer clear of Saxons, if you can.
Finally, what does Adam like most about running a business?
“Meeting new people. New customers. New faces.
“There are a lot of people we know from the village, but I’d say half of the customers that come in, I’ve never seen them before in my life. I thought it’d be regular people from the village, but there are a lot of people I’ve never met before.
Being part of the local community is also important. Adam found out about Bionic from a local shop owner who is also a Bionic business. And while he’ll go to the local chippy for food, the chippy owner goes to him for baked potatoes.
And having tried the baked potato with chilli con carne, cheese, and sour cream, I can see why the people of Swallowsnest and beyond are all digging The Spud Surgery.
You can find The Spud Surgery on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. If you’re ever in South Yorkshire, pay Adam and family a visit at 46a Aughton Road, S26 4TG.