Family pays tribute to city’s Jacket Potato Man

9:50am Saturday 13th March 2010

By Richard Vernalls

TOUCHING family tributes have been paid after the sudden death of the city’s “Jacket Potato Man”.

Kevin Kolb, who served thousands of customers from his van in High Street over 20 years, died at Worcestershire Royal Hospital with his wife and son at his bedside on Sunday, March 7. He had suffered a stroke.

The 57-year-old – known to many people as the Jacket Potato Man – was famed for his forthright opinion, banter and, of course, serving “the world’s biggest and best jacket potatoes” – a claim that he maintained was never challenged.

Jennifer, his wife of 24 years, said: “He’d got a soft centre, although he didn’t like people to know. But he would do anything for anybody.”

His son Alex said: “He was a top guy and a great family man. He was always there for us.”

Mr Kolb had a tough start in life as the son of a British land army girl from Yorkshire and a Second World War German Luftwaffe pilot who was shot down over England.

Tragedy hit the family when Mr Kolb’s younger brother Paul, a pupil at the King’s School, Worcester, was killed after being hit by a train when Kevin was just 13. His parents split up soon afterwards.

Mr Kolb was sent to stay with relatives in Yorkshire but later returned to live with his mother at Fladbury.

He studied an HND in mechanical engineering and was an apprentice at Bomford’s in Evesham, later working at Stanley Electrical and then Worcester firms Blackpole Jig and Tool and Churchill’s Victorian Ovens.

He met Jennifer at an event at Severn Stoke Country Club and the couple moved to Worcester in 1982.

Mrs Kolb said: “In lieu of redundancy money, Churchill’s offered Kevin a small baked potato oven and that’s how it started.

“He moved to his pitch in Worcester 20 years ago and he’s worked six days a week ever since.”

A keen sportsman in his early years, he trialled for Aston Villa Football Club and later played for Evesham Cricket Club.

His passion was transferred to son Alex, with Mr Kolb helping to run Sunday side Droitwich Spa Eagles.

Alex said: “If you hadn’t done well enough he’d tell you. But if you’d done well, you’d know you’d done really well.”

An honest and forthright man, Mr Kolb wouldn’t accept £20 notes “because of forgeries” and never thought twice about sending troublesome customers to the back of the queue.

All are welcome at the funeral service at Worcester Crematorium at 11.30am on Wednesday, March 17.

Family flowers only, with donations to the Stroke Association, care of George Crump and Son Funeral Directors.