An everyday kitchen staple could transform your homemade jacket spuds, helping create a soft-to-the-touch texture without the extra effort

A perfectly cooked jacket potato should have a crispy skin and a light, fluffy centre. Achieving this is surprisingly easy, with culinary experts backing one inexpensive kitchen ingredient to get the job done.

While many home cooks simply rub their potatoes with a concoction of oil and salt before baking, a number of chefs recommend adding baking soda to the preparation process instead. They say the ingredient can help break down the surface of the spud, creating that softer, fluffier texture once baked.

According to food science writer J. Kenji López-Alt, baking soda raises the pH level of the water when potatoes are parboiled, causing the outer layer to break down more quickly. Writing for Serious Eats, he explains this creates a starchy coating that encourages a crisp exterior while helping the inside become lighter and fluffier.

How to use baking soda with jacket potatoes

Serious Eats recommends to add around half a teaspoon of baking soda to a pan of salted water before briefly parboiling whole potatoes for around 10 minutes. After draining, allow the potatoes to steam dry before rubbing them with a little oil and seasoning, then roast until the skins are crisp and the centres are tender.

The Idaho Potato Commission also recommends allowing potatoes to dry thoroughly before roasting, saying excess moisture can prevent the skins from becoming crisp. It advises baking potatoes directly on the oven rack where possible to allow hot air to circulate evenly around them.

According to BBC Good Food, choosing a floury potato variety such as Maris Piper, King Edward or Russet also makes a noticeable difference. These varieties naturally contain more starch and less moisture than waxy potatoes, producing a softer, fluffier centre when cooked.

Food experts also advise avoiding wrapping jacket potatoes in foil during cooking. BBC Good Food says that foil traps steam around the potato, softening the skin rather than allowing it to crisp up in the oven.

The Idaho Potato Commission recommends baking potatoes at a high temperature, typically around 200C to 220C, until they are tender all the way through. Cooking times will vary depending on size, but most medium potatoes take around an hour.

Although baking soda is commonly used by chefs when preparing roast potatoes, food experts say the same principle can help improve jacket potatoes by encouraging a fluffier interior. Combined with choosing the right potato variety and baking at a high temperature, it could help elevate a simple midweek meal.

A Morgan Wallen fan has claimed that he and his family were urinated on during a concert in Baltimore, and police are now investigating.

The incident occurred while the 33-year-old country superstar was performing at the city’s M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday, July 18.

The fan, whose name is Troy Grevelding, alleges that he was watching the performance along with his wife, brother and 8-year-old niece when an unidentified concertgoer behind them exposed himself before urinating freely, splashing the family.

Grevelding says the man was ejected by concert security, but that Maryland State Police said they couldn’t arrest the man as they hadn’t witnessed the incident.

In a video circulating on social media, Grevelding can be heard in conversation with officers.

“There’s nothing we can do about a guy physically pulling out his dick and pissing on me right now? In front of an 8-year-old girl?” asks Grevelding.

The Maryland officer responds to say: “We cannot take him into custody. We’re going to give you his information, and you can be referred to the commissioner.”

Grevelding then addresses the camera and says: “I’m going to make it known that I had a gentleman whip his dick out at a Morgan Wallen concert, piss on me, my brother and my niece, and the Maryland State Police can do nothing about it. Not a thing.”

In a statement to TMZ, MDTA Police said that they are “aware of this incident and the video that is on social media. There is an active and open criminal investigation into this matter.”

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Wallen’s performance in Baltimore was part of his ongoing “Still The Problem” tour, which continues in Ann Arbor, Michigan this week before concluding in Philadelphia at the start of August.

Last month, Wallen cancelled one of his tour dates in Pittsburgh due to bad weather. Backlash immediately ensued as fans complained that canceling the show was unnecessary because the predicted thunderstorms were not near the concert venue, and the bad weather ended hours before the show was scheduled to begin.

The country star claimed that after speaking with “local officials,” he had “no choice” but to call off the show.

However, Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor later denied that any conversation with city officials took place and said that Wallen had “no contact” before making his decision.

An earlier date in the tour also sparked controversy after video circulated of Wallen flipping his piano on stage.

Larne boss Gary Haveron is relishing the opportunity to pit his underdogs against the 1991 European Cup winners

The stars have aligned for Larne as the Irish League champions prepare for a glamour tie at Inver Park on Tuesday evening.

Red Star Belgrade are in town for the first leg of their Champions League qualifier and Larne boss Gary Haveron is relishing the opportunity to pit his underdogs against the 1991 European Cup winners.

With Champions League winner Dejan Stankovic in the dugout and Austrian striker Marko Arnautovic – fresh from scoring twice at the World Cup – leading the line, the visitors are huge favourites to progress.

Haveron, however, is embracing the challenge of facing a club who have won the last nine Serbian top-flight titles, insisting it is the sort of occasion Larne should relish.

He said: “It is simply one of those games where you have to try and enjoy the occasion.

“To host such a big, prestigious club like Red Star is a special occasion for the club and the town of Larne itself.

“I’ve always said that if you can’t draw a competitive tie, then you want a glamorous one and we’ve certainly got that with Red Star.

“I’m an Irish League fan and when you look at some of the historical games in Europe, Glentoran have faced the likes of Benfica and Juventus, Linfield have taken on Celtic and Copenhagen, then you look at Crusaders, who have met Fulham and Wolves recently.

“So that’s what you’re hoping for if you want a glamour tie.

“As a club, you want to test yourself against the best and Red Star are certainly a powerhouse domestically and a big name around Europe.”

Haveron knows eliminating Red Star over two legs is a huge ask, but Larne’s 3-1 aggregate victory over Tre Fiori of San Marino has guaranteed them an extended spell in Europe.

Defeat against the Serbian champions would send them into the third qualifying round of the Europa League, with a Conference League play-off awaiting if they are eliminated again.

The Inver boss said: “We aren’t naive. We know our level and we are realistic about our chances over the two legs, but we want to give a good account of ourselves.

“When you get to this stage, you know the quality levels of the teams are going to be good.

“We’ll pay them respect, but we’ll try to impose ourselves on the game and see what we can do.

“We’re maybe not shoulder to shoulder with them, but while we’re on the pitch we’ll try our best to get a result.

“Our aggregate win against Tre Fiori has guaranteed another six games in Europe, which is amazing for the club and our fans.”

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“If they’re hungry, they’ll eat. I don’t force them to because I think that can instil pressure,” says Doone, from London.

She says her daughter Cora, two, used to be the “best eater” but seeing others at nursery turn their noses up at certain foods made her do the same.

“I’m trying not to make a big deal of it. Even though they don’t eat it, I always put the broccoli on the plate so that they’re seeing it.”

Emma suggests giving lots of options, so that kids think they are getting to choose. In Alfred’s lunchbox, she always adds two or three healthy options.

And she says to praise them when they take an interest. “If they say one day they want carrots, run and get the carrots and give big praise when they eat them,” Emma says.

One man was arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage after officers were called to Hardwick Hall Hotel in Sedgefield at around 5.30pm on Tuesday, July 14.

Several police cars were seen in the St Lukes Crescent area a short time later.

A spokesperson for Durham Police said previously: “We received a report of windows being smashed at Hardwick Hall Hotel at around 5.30pm.

“Officers attended and one male was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.”

Enquiries remain ongoing.

A man was found unresponsive with serious injuries in a Whitson Road garden and remains in a critical condition in hospital.

Two people have been arrested and charged after a man was found with serious injuries in an Edinburgh garden. The 43-year-old was discovered unresponsive in a garden on Whitson Road in Saughton at around 9.30pm on Friday, July 17.

He was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, where he remains in a critical condition.

Police have confirmed a 24-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman have been arrested and charged in connection with the incident. Both are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Tuesday, July 21.

An investigation was launched at the weekend with officers urging witnesses or anyone with CCTV or door camera footage from Friday night to come forward.

Locals reported seeing police in white suits and cordons being erected on Whitson Road and the surrounding areas. Officers remained at the scene well into the afternoon as a probe got underway into how the man got hurt.

Detective Chief Inspector Jonny Wright said officers remain in the area to provide reassurance to the local community.

He said: “Incidents of this nature can understandably cause concern amongst the local community and officers remain in the area to provide reassurance. We’d like to thank members of the public for their assistance during our investigation.”

Enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident are ongoing.

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Ed Miliband might be facing a few awkward encounters in his new role as Britain’s top diplomat – after he previously delivered an explosive rant about Donald Trump.

His promotion to Foreign Secretary under new Prime Minister Andy Burnham will see Mr Miliband charged with mending Britain’s fraying ‘Special Relationship’ with the US.

But there will be concerns that Mr Miliband’s undiplomatic comments about Mr Trump in the past will complicate his job in trying to steady transatlantic ties.

In 2018, Mr Miliband branded the US President a ‘racist’ and ‘misogynist’ and claimed he had a ‘peculiar relationship with Russia‘.

He also used an interview with GQ magazine to condemn Mr Trump’s ‘very scary authoritarian tendencies’ and vow to join protests against him visiting Britain.

Eight years on, Mr Miliband has now been appointed as the Government’s lead figure in managing Britain’s relations with Mr Trump’s administration.

Worries about Mr Miliband’s suitability as Foreign Secretary – a role once held by his brother David – also stem from his foreign policy stance while he was Labour leader.

In 2013, Mr Miliband ordered his Labour MPs to vote against then-PM David Cameron’s plan to take military action against Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.

In 2018, Mr Miliband branded the US President a ‘racist’ and ‘misogynist’ and claimed he had a ‘peculiar relationship with Russia’

The Cameron government had wanted to attack Syria following reports Assad had used chemical weapons on his own citizens.

But Mr Miliband, as Leader of the Opposition, helped to defeat a motion in the House of Commons in favour of joining US-led strikes.

The failure by the House of Commons to support military action was later blamed for then-US President Barack Obama pulling his plans to punish the Assad regime.

In 2024, in the wake of Assad fleeing to Russia after rebel forces ended decades of his brutal rule, Mr Miliband said he did not regret voting to block an attack on Syria.

He told the BBC: ‘I believe after what happened in Iraq, where hundreds of British troops died and thousands were injured, we could not commit British military forces without a clear plan.

‘As to the question about whether it would have led to the end of Assad, the truth is in 2017 and 2018 Donald Trump bombed Assad and it did not lead to the end of Assad.

‘I welcome the fall of a brutal dictator… but those people who say if only we had taken military action he would have somehow fallen – I just frankly don’t believe it.’

Mr Miliband has been promoted to the Foreign Office after serving as Energy Secretary in Keir Starmer’s administration.

But it is seen as a consolation prize for Mr Miliband after he was heavily tipped to be named as Chancellor by Mr Burnham.

Last year, Mr Miliband was reported to have been among Cabinet ministers pushing Sir Keir to formally recognise a Palestinian state.

He has been attacked by the Tories for having ‘kowtowed’ to China amid his push for green energy while at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

In a speech earlier this year, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Mr Miliband of leaving Britain ‘entirely reliant on China for our future energy supply’.

‘The reality of Miliband’s “green future” is Chinese-made solar panels, Chinese-made wind turbines and Chinese-made lithium batteries,’ she added.

It recently emerged that senior officials in Mr Trump’s administration had privately warned that appointing Mr Miliband as Chancellor would be a ‘mistake’.

Top US officials were reported to have told senior Labour figures they were concerned about Mr Miliband’s opposition to new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea.

Mr Trump himself has frequently criticised the UK Government in public for its stance on fossil fuels.

Following his appointment to lead the Foreign Office on Monday, Mr Miliband said his new department will be ‘at the forefront of issues which pose profound and substantial threats to justice and equality in Britain and across the world’ under his stewardship.

‘I will be a Foreign Secretary who fights for Britain’s interests and our values of democracy, freedom and the rule of law on the world stage,’ he added.

Mr Miliband promised to maintain close ties with both the EU and the US, as well as upholding Britain’s commitments to Nato and the UN.

But Tory shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel said: ‘In the two short years since Labour came to office, Ed Miliband is Labour’s third Foreign Secretary.

‘In this time, Britain’s standing in the world has fallen, our allies have been let down, and Britain has been weak in the face of serious threats to our security.

‘Like his two Labour predecessors, Miliband has kowtowed to China and fails to stand up for our interests in the Middle East.

‘We’re now set for more of the same foreign policy humiliations, including Burnham and Miliband backing Labour’s £35billion Chagos surrender and more of our taxes paying for climate change schemes abroad.

‘Under Labour, Miliband will continue to wave the white flag of surrender rather than fly the Union Flag with pride.’ 

One of the stars to depart Strictly Come Dancing has hinted at some upcoming TV work

Former Strictly Come Dancing pro Nadiya Bychkova has hinted that she is returning to TV after exiting the BBC ballroom show.

The star was a professional on the much-loved show, but has exited ahead of the upcoming 2026 series along with fellow dancers Karen Hauer, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk and Michelle Tsiakkas.

However, Nadiya has now revealed she has other television work lined up.

Quizzed about her career ambitions now that she has left Strictly, she shared with Betway that she would be playing Tinkerbell in Peter Pan in panto this year and teased: “There are also some TV projects coming up that I can’t talk about yet, but they are things I’ve always wanted to do.

“It’s a very creative future for me.”

Nadiya announced in March that she was leaving Strictly after nine years as part of the pro line-up, telling fans on Instagram: “This isn’t the end… I look forward to being part of the Strictly world for many years to come in ways I am beginning to explore.”

She has now said of her life after the BBC show: “I’m definitely moving more into the creative side of things, with choreographing, producing shows, and developing my own ideas.

“I love collaborating, and I have a collaboration coming up with one of the orchestras in the UK to create a show combining music and dance in a way I haven’t seen done before. I’m really excited about that.”

Nadiya also revealed that she would continue to explore acting after making her big screen acting debut in the movie 10 Dance earlier this year.

Starring Japanese actor Keita Machida, the film tells the story of two competing dancers whose partnership on the dancefloor sparks a unexpected connection.

The film was for Netflix, and the star said it was something she “really enjoyed”, adding that “it inspired me to keep developing that skill”.

Nadiya’s appearance in 10 Dance went down a storm with fans when it was unveiled, with one Instagram user saying she was “breathtaking” in the movie and another saying that her performance was “beautiful and captivating”.

Strictly Come Dancing is available on BBC iPlayer.

The Tuesday letters page examines the full cost of only buying physical copies of games, as one reader is unimpressed by publishers selling five days early access.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Where to start
We’re in July now but it still seems like forever before GTA 6 is going to be out, even though it’s less than four months now. The whole thing is going to be so massive it’s going to be surreal just sitting down and playing it on launch day, like a normal game.

If only we knew more about it, I’d try and plan out what I was going to do but at the moment all I can say is what do I want to do more: follow the story or go off and do my own thing in the open world. I’m curious to know what other readers will choose but I think it will probably be a long time before I get around to doing the story properly.

The temptation to just drive off and try and get myself in trouble, and explore the game world, is going to be too tempting. I don’t see that as a negative or even going against what Rockstar planned. I expect to be wowed and be allowed to do exactly what I want. I don’t know if GTA 6 will live up to all the hype but I guarantee it’s going to be a great game.
Cranston

Simulation theory
I’m not going to lie, getting the World Cup winner right five times in a row is pretty impressive for FIFA/EA Sports FC. I’d be curious to know what EA puts this down to. Are they implying it’s just luck or that their stats are so accurate they can perfectly simulate every player exactly?

I guess Spain was one of the favourites going in, but it’s not like the game knew that, it just simulated the team based on the current stats for their players, right? Either way, it’s an impressive and slightly spooky thing.

I’d ask whether Football Manager made its own predictions but that game seems to have tanked its reputation, and on a World Cup year too. I wonder if that means if any other company will try and step and challenge it.
Boatswain

First release
I know that Xbox states Halo: Campaign Evolved releases on the 28th of this month but it actually releases on Wednesday the 23rd, you just have to pay 20 quid over the normal price to play it then.

Early access as it is doesn’t bother me too much, as long as it doesn’t ever extend beyond the current five days norm.

But I’m a bit tired of the release date being given as when the standard edition is available. They should be made to state the premium edition as the official release date.

Will your review be up on the 23rd?
Simundo

GC: Yes, we’re allowed to say the embargo is on Thursday.

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Worth the while
I enjoyed reading Tim Keeling’s Reader’s Feature about collecting and maintaining arcade cabinets. The inclusion of this sort of content keeps me reading your website. I do wonder how much time and effort it takes to curate and possibly edit reader submissions, such as weekend Reader’s Features and Inbox letters, but for me the daily letters and weekend features are what elevates GameCentral over its rivals.

I trust your professional reviews also, to an extent that I tend to use them as my main buying guide, but it’s the hotchpotch of reader submissions that really keeps the site interesting for me. When you invite input on any subject, as long as it’s loosely connected to video/computer games, the tastes and activities of fellow enthusiasts can sometimes prove really surprising.

I might compare reading GC to visiting an art gallery. Turn the next corner and you never quite know what you’ll see or what to expect.
Michael Veal

GC: The arcade one took a while as it was unusually long, but we didn’t mind that as a lot of effort had gone into it, including providing photos.

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Pricing issue
Just read your bit on GAME. It’s got nothing to do with the UK leaving the EU, that was six years ago we left and as for the no new consoles, like GC said, Switch 2 came out. And as for them saying it’s Sony ending physical games, that’s two years in the future.

The reason why GAME failed was the prices and the platform stores, but mostly the prices. I’ve always bought physical games, other then the odd game here and there, but the prices were a joke on PlayStation 4. They were charging £75 for a game you could buy on Amazon and in Tesco £25 cheaper.

And their reason was they pay for exclusivity for free DLC with them, which was Nuketown. They thought gamers were going to pay £25 more four Nuketown, which would be free to everyone after 30 days. The prices were too high, and no Gen Z players could be bothered to get up and walk to the game shop.
David

Great ape
That was a nice retrospective on Donkey Kong Bananza on Monday. For me it’s an immensely fun and inventive achievement that gave me over 70 hours of some of the most joyous, cathartic, tactile gameplay I’ve experienced in my 37 years as a gamer.

I revisited the game last week in the run up to its first year anniversary and was delighted by how effortlessly it still made me smile and become engrossed in its layered playgrounds.

I also continue to be impressed by how technically ambitious the destruction physics are. It’s innately enjoyable creating tunnels and levelling the carefully constructed levels to your heart’s content. The game is a smashingly successful deconstruction of the 3D platformer in general, in my opinion.

The game’s quality is such that I honestly didn’t mind that a new 3D Mario wasn’t present in the Switch 2’s first year, because the nucleus of Bananza’s game design was exactly the sort of dynamic, playful, and original thinking and execution that I have come to expect from Nintendo’s EAD.

Nintendo could’ve easily made Bananza a brand new IP if they wanted to, considering how different its structuring and mechanics feel compared to past Donkey Kongs, or really, anything else made to date for that matter.

A recurring fallacy, I believe, is this notion that Nintendo always rests on their laurels by not bothering to create new IPs. But how many new IPs from other developers actually introduce a single new idea to call their own? Far too few from what I’ve come to learn.

Personally, I’m low-key just as excited to see where Nintendo take the Donkey Kong Bananza IP next as much as I am about the moustachioed jumping maestro’s latest adventures!
GG

75% extra
Heads up if anyone has played Storyteller (it comes free with a Netflix subscription), there has been a massive free update, with new chapters, characters, updated stories, and stamps.

Even though I completed it 100% a few years ago, I found my save is now standing at only 25%!
Ali K

Digital tax
Having never really got into the Assassin’s Creed series before, I decided to get the new Black Flag remake. And it’s kind of highlighted the whole Sony digital debacle.

On the main menu screen it shows a timeline of the recent Assassin’s Creed games. If you click on a title it takes you to the PlayStation storefront to buy said game digitally. If I wanted to complete the collection of games listed, by purchasing the games I didn’t already own via PSN – these being Origins, Odyssey, Valhalla, Mirage, Shadows, and the Black Flag remake – it would cost a whopping £240.

A quick look on Amazon shows it would only be £110 to buy these games in physical form and that’s without using any cashback sites or other discounts. I’m sure if I shopped around other sites I could lower the price even more.

Out of interest, I also went to a website I’d recommend for PC players called isthereanydeal.com and it would only cost £58 on PC. To me this is the issue in a nutshell. Personally, I’m not against digital games per se, just when one company has a monopoly and can dictate prices and set ridiculously high prices.
matc7884

Inbox also-rans
I feel that reader’s pain about the lack of Mass Effect but I’ve long ago accepted that there’s never going to be another one. If I’m wrong I’ll be ecstatic but I’d rather be happily surprised rather than constantly let down by keeping hope.
Preston

Just to let everyone know but there’s a free demo now of Yoshi And The Mysterious Book. A lot of people, including GC, have said it’s better than it looks, so I’m curious to give it a go.
Tibel

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE: Games Inbox: What new Fallout game will be the best?

MORE: Games Inbox: Are you playing EA Sports FC more because of the World Cup?

MORE: Games Inbox: Is Halo: Combat Evolved worth pre-ordering on PS5?

“We discussed many subjects, including the outstanding relationship we have had with the UK”

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US President Donald Trump has said Andy Burnham “has got a big job ahead of him, but he will be able to do it” and pledged that the US “will be there to help”.

In an upbeat message on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump also wished the new Prime Minister – who has spent the evening announcing his new cabinet – “good luck and godspeed”.

The early endorsement of the former Greater Manchester mayor by the American leader comes after the pair spoke on the phone within an hour of the Makerfield MP arriving in Downing Street.

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It will also assuage fears after the Republican president previously described Mr Burnham as “extremely liberal” and “mayor of a town”.

In addition it signals a fresh start in the transatlantic partnership after relations with Sir Keir Starmer grew increasingly fractious over the Iran war.

Mr Burnham was buoyed in Mr Trump’s eyes after reports he could back new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea, which the president has championed.

Mr Trump said at the weekend said people in Aberdeen would be “dancing in the streets” at such a move, albeit unconfirmed.