A MAN who sells baked potatoes in Worcester City centre can now serve customers a wider range of food and drink and open longer despite objections from another business.

Graham Cook said being able to serve up additional products such as hot pork rolls, German-style bratwurst sausage, hot baguettes and hot and cold drinks, as well as the traditional baked potatoes from his van in Church Street, off High Street, will make his business more viable.

But the woman who runs Lannies Catering in Bank Street, opposite Church Street, is worried it will take trade away from her business which sells burgers, sausages and hot and cold drinks.

At a meeting of Worcester City Council’s street trading licensing sub-committee, Lorraine Burrows confirmed she had no issue with the proposed change of hours but to the range of products Mr Cook was requesting to sell.

In a letter presented to the committee she said: “By granting permission I’m sure you will agree you will reduce the levels of opportunity for not only myself but other long established food traders in the city which in the current climate struggle to achieve business levels needed to survive.”

The sub-committee commented that they did not wish to lose either trader but would like to see some middle ground reached and asked that the applicant and the objector leave the room to see if they could reach a compromise.

They could not and members found in favour of Mr Cook, who took over the baked potato business after previous owner Kevin Kolb died, aged 57, in March last year after a stroke. Mr Kolb was well known in Worcester as “the jacket potato man”.

Mr Cook can now trade between 8am and 9pm Monday to Sunday – he could only previously open between 10am and 4pm Monday to Saturday - giving him the option to open for special events like the Victorian Fair or charity race days.

He must, however, continue to keep the area near his van clean and free from litter.

Speaking after the meeting Mr Cook said: “It’s tough out there at the moment. There’s a lot of competition for food in the city and people just don’t want to buy a baked potato if it’s 80C.”