Meet the Blue Van Man!
A man who tests all kinds of foods and products in his iconic blue van has become a recent YouTube craze. With over 87.9k subscribers, Blue Van Man, whose real name is Dave, started his YouTube channel back in September 2017 where he quickly met critical acclaim.
In a 15-minute interview, DGSChapter Editor-in-chief Ricky spoke with Blue Van Man about his latest YouTube stardom. Below is a lightly-edited transcript of their conversation.
RICKY: How would you describe your YouTube channel?
DAVE: I would actually describe myself as an original YouTuber – many people say to me that I’m going back to the style of videos back when YouTube started. I’m not a fan of editing or polishing, I just do what I do as I try to keep my videos as natural to life as possible, so that’s probably how I’d describe myself, as an original YouTuber.
RICKY: I think that’s one of your main selling points, as many other YouTube channels are cluttered with graphics and music, and it’s refreshing to see how your channel isn’t.
DAVE: Yeah, I don’t even have a theme tune or introduction – I just say “Right, folks…” and that’s it! I think this day in age, once you see the title, you don’t need to see it every time. I’m just an amateur at this, I just do it for enjoyment.
RICKY: What’s your opinion that through the rise of radio and news programmes, accents such as yours from across the country are often being left out?
DAVE: I don’t know to be fair. The accent thing really doesn’t bother me, lots of people seem to think that I am from up north, when in fact, I’m from the centre of the country.
RICKY: On the topic of lifestyle, I find it really refreshing to see your family members featured. The fact that you are so open about your life makes it even more enjoyable to watch. So, I’ve seen some of True Geordie’s reaction videos where they discuss some of your best moments – what been your favourite video to make so far?
DAVE: Obviously, I’ve known Uncle Steve all my life, if Steve wasn’t blind and in the situation he’s in, he would be out and about doing all kinds of things so anything I do with him is good. June, the wife, is not into this as such, she never wants to be on camera.
RICKY: Seeing from the comments, what many viewers enjoy seems to be finding out about your uncle’s lifestyle – how he has to use a gadget to read comments, for example.
DAVE: Hearing about how Steve and Sue live together is quite interesting for people, but they are just normal people.
RICKY: I totally agree with you. My next question is a question submitted by one of our readers on DGSChapter: what’s your favourite Pot Noodle flavour?
DAVE: Well, I quite like the spicy ones. As I said in one of my recent videos, there is one that you can get in a bowl, and I’m gonna review it as I love it. I’m not really a fan of pot noodles, they’re there just as a quick snack. I’d have to say the Chicken and Mushroom one.
RICKY: I remember you stating that Food Review UK is the main YouTuber for foods – do you have any other YouTubers you look up to?
DAVE: Before I started doing this, the wife used to sit there watching YouTube, and I thought “I could do that!”. I got my ideas from a guy called On The Brushes, he’s a painter and decorator. There was a lady called Dainty Dress Diaries, she’s an Irish lady. However, I haven’t really got a favourite YouTuber other than True Geordie obviously.
RICKY: Looking at the future of your channel, are you thinking of doing reviews in other parts of the world?
DAVE: Not as such, we don’t travel abroad, it’s as we have dogs and the kid is going through college. The dogs go everywhere with us, so I don’t think we would be going abroad. We are planning on doing a few trips around the country through, so hopefully, we’ll get some videos done based on other parts of England. As soon as we have a chance, I’ll go out and try Cornish pasties, or whatever.
RICKY: Finally, what tips would you give to young food reviewers who are interested in following a path like yours?
DAVE: Just be yourself. Don’t try and be somebody else! I just went out there being Dave, and I didn’t copy anybody and didn’t want to do any editing. If I wanted to make a mini-movie with all of these spinning titles, I would have looked into it, but I didn’t want to. Just be yourself and be original. I know that this will sound silly now, but if that means copying me and not doing no editing, not doing no graphics, then so be it! I think people are warming to what I do. Just be yourselves! That’s all I am. My wife has had twenty years of me being this, so yeah, just be yourself!
We thank Blue Van Man for taking the time to talk to us.
Image by © Blue Van Man