Many Brits love a classic jacket potato, but one food enthusiast wanted to find the priciest one in the UK, which was available at a Michelin star restaurant in central London
For countless Brits, the humble baked potato, commonly referred to as a jacket potato, remains a beloved midweek staple. Remarkably straightforward to prepare by just having to pop them in the oven or air fryer, they demand minimal effort while offering endless variety through your choice of toppings.
While baked beans, cheese, butter, or tuna mayo are widely popular and wallet-friendly options that appeal to most palates, it’s equally simple to elevate the dish into something more gourmet and luxurious. But just how luxurious can the classic jacket potato become? This was precisely the question one man set out to answer, embarking on a quest to uncover the UK’s most expensive jacket potato.
Charlie Betts is a food enthusiast who regularly ventures across London sampling various cuisines and restaurants at wildly differing price points. In one particular video, he visited the Michelin-starred Goring Dining Room in Westminster, which is renowned for being popular among the royal family, to try what he believes to be the most expensive jacket potato in the UK.
“Apparently, this is the most expensive jacket potato in the UK,” he told his TikTok followers, adding: “I have been looking for this product for a while.”
He then made his way into the Goring Dining Room in Westminster, where a member of staff escorted him to his table following check-in at the front desk. After settling in and ordering the ‘house water’, a member of staff approached to take their order. Rather than simply opting for the jacket potato, which featured on a ‘secret menu’, they decided to indulge in some starters first.
They chose the Wye Valley asparagus, poached Clarence Court egg and spring emulsion sauce, alongside Sea bream and scallop ceviche, Seville orange, seaweed and fennel, after the server declared it was ‘the best in town’. They were also treated to a complimentary amuse bouche while awaiting their food, accompanied by freshly baked bread and butter.
Though the flavours of the appetisers left them utterly impressed, attention soon turned to the main attraction they had come for – the jacket potato.
Listed on the menu as ‘the Great Potato’, it arrived baked within a sourdough loaf, which the server sliced open tableside to unveil the jacket potato concealed within. The salt-baked, deep purple violetta potato is filled with raw cultured butter and crowned with the toppings of the month. For Charlie, this featured a mushroom bolognese.
The server then carved up the potato for the diners before fluffing up the interior. Charlie was then free to add his chosen toppings himself.
Alongside the mushroom bolognese, he was also presented with a selection of sour cream, shallots, chives, and a beef-based topping, before finishing off the other half with a generous grating of cheese.
After sampling a mouthful, he remarked that he thoroughly appreciated the soft potato interior, alongside the mushroom bolognese. He noted that the potato skin tasted ‘very salty and nice’.
Altogether, including pudding, the pair’s lunchtime bill came to £247.83, with the jacket potato priced at £30, while the two starters cost £28 and £40 respectively. Summing up, Charlie said: “That was a splendid experience, and yeah… that was unreal. The Great Potato as well.”
