Crisp Review

Space Raiders - Spicy

samwalton — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:43:29 +0000

I’ve overlooked these due to their ubiquity. But they’re something of a favourite of mine. They’re made by KP Snacks, and have been around for a long time, introduced in the late 1970s. Cheap and cheerful, good corner shop fare!

Well, where do we start? let’s deal with the controversy. They’re no longer 10p. But there appears to have been a format shift. 28g packs are now pretty standard, gone are the small bags that used to be 10p, at least in my neck of the woods. And for 25p, you’re still getting an absolute bargain.

Packaging, next. They’re wonderfully retro. They’ve got a fun description of the aliens on the back. And black’s an unusual colour for a crisp packet. That and the neon colours certainly make hem stand out from the crowd. But I can’t comprehend why the Spicy Space Raider has a melty face… They’re not that hot!

In fact, they’re not spicy at all. But they’re mighty tasty. Sweet and tangy with a good bit of tomato thrown into the mix. Which seems to be pretty standard for ‘spicy’ flavours. They’re not as flavourful as I remember, probably the result of an ill advised shift in recipe in a bold THINK OF THE CHILDREN move. But they’re still delicious.

The crisps themselves are good. They’re supposedly alien shaped, made from puffed maize and wheat. They’re nice and crunchy, even if they do look like The Scream…

Crunch: 8/10 (The Maize and Wheat give a good crunch!)
Flavour
- Intensity: 6/10 (Not as strong as they used to be.)
- Accuracy: -/10 (What is Spicy and why is it so ubiquitous!?)
Quality: 8/10
Packaging: 8/10 (Nice and retro.)

Nothing extraordinary, but very tasty, and good value. I don’t have to advise you to buy them, because you already have.

Sainsbury - Cheddar & Spring Onion

samwalton — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:35:24 +0000

This week I, somewhat reluctantly, return to the practice of reviewing crisps I’ve paid for. They’re ‘premium’ crisps, produced by Sainsburys. They’re evidently a challenge to Kettle Crisps, Red Sky, and their ilk. And they do a pretty good job of it.

The crisps look good. They’re all a bit uneven, and have a perfectly calculated amount of potato skin left around the edge. They’re not completely brown around the edge, rather, they’re somewhat mottled. And there are speckles of green on each crisp, which will be the dried chive in the ingredients.

The texture is good, too. They’re nice and crunchy, and a little bit greasy. Not as coated with flavour as kettle Crisps are, but there’s a fair bit and some of it gets left on your finger. Which is nice, if that’s your kind of thing.

They’re pretty damned tasty, too! After 3 reviews of unknown flavours it was nice to know what to expect. They say “Farmhouse Cheddar & Spring Onion”, but they taste of regular cheese and onion, to me. I’m not sure what ‘Farmhouse’ cheese tastes like…

Maybe I’m being a little harsh, they’re certainly more sophisticated than standard cheese and onion crisps. The onion note is a little crisper than you usually get, and the cheese is a bit more complex. They don’t come across as distinct tastes, like the Tayto I reviewed, but they’re pretty nice nonetheless.

Crunch: 8/10
Flavour
- Intensity: 6/10 (Not very strong, but nice enough)
- Accuracy: 7/10 (What does Farmhouse taste of?)
Quality: 8/10
Packaging: 9/10 (Really nice!)

I’d say they’ve got all of the qualities of a premium crisps. Good taste. Good texture. Good appearance. Worth a shot…

Walkers - Dairy Flavoured Potato Chips

samwalton — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:35:00 +0000

NOTE: I received these crisps free of charge. My review is not biased by this fact. The crisps are (and will) be judged solely on their merits, as always.

This is the final part of a three part series, the first of which is available here, the second here. It deals with the dairy flavour which I was most curious about, because ‘dairy’ is so nondescript. Egg? Cheese? Milk? Omlette?

These are cheese, of some sort. I think it’s cream cheese, but, by the same token, they might be sour cream, because there’s a definite chive note going on underneath the dominant creamy taste. They’re more ambiguous than the ‘spicy’ crisps, but far less confusing than the ‘meaty’ ones. They’re creamy, with a hint of fresh herbs, bolstered by the greasy note that seems to dominate the entire range I’ve tried.

The crisps are pale, and have specks of green on them. They look, to be fair, a little anaemic. But don’t let that put you off!

They’d be a welcome part of the regular Walkers line up, because they taste like a slightly more subtle and refined cheese and onion number. Sure, cheese and onion are great, but they’re a little in your face sometimes. The flavour for these doesn’t linger much, which makes them moreish, but they don’t interfere too much with the flavour of whatever else you might be consuming at the time.

Unfortunately, there’s little more to say about these. They’re probably my favourite of the bunch, and I could eat a lot of them, but they’re not complex enough to wax lyrical about

Crunch: 8/10
Flavour
- Intensity: 8/10
- Accuracy: -/10 (Not sure what they’re meant to be, but they’re tasty!)
Quality: 8/10
Packaging: 0/10 (White with question marks, I’d like to see the final packaging when they’re released.)

Turns out you will be able to get your hands on these, for a short period of time. They’re part of Walkers’ what’s that flavour campaign where a correct answer could win you £50,000.

Walker's - Spicy Flavour Potato Crisps

samwalton — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:11:49 +0000

NOTE: I received these crisps free of charge. My review is not biased by this fact. The crisps are (and will) be judged solely on their merits, as always.

This is the second part of a three part series, the first of which is available here. It deals with the mysterious ‘spicy’ flavour crisps of which I had high hopes.

As with the last lot, these are your standard Walkers fare, so there’s little to talk about in terms of appearance or texture. Instead, we’ll deal with the taste.

Curry. These things are curry flavoured. They definitely taste of curry. And it’s that none distinct, quintessentially British, curry flavour. But there’s a distinct absence of raisin, which was so pronounced in the Golden Wonder offering. I’m glad they’re so obviously curry, because I don’t have to deal with the mental anguish the mysterious ‘meaty’ ones caused me.

So, sure, they taste like curry, but what do they actually taste like? A strange mix of sweet and bitter, with a smoky note. They don’t have anything by way of heat, but the flavouring is quite strong. And other than paprika the packet has no indication of the spices used; they’ve all blended so wonderfully into CURRY that I won’t bother trying to work them out.

There’s not much of an indication as to what type of curry they’re meant to be… is it some kind of chicken curry? I don’t know. It’s certainly not a Madras. But it is tasty, I’ll say that. For, despite my disparaging tone, I rather enjoyed these. They were somewhat unusual.

And the flavour stayed with me for a long while after I’d consumed the contents of the packet. Just thought you’d like to know.

Having said that there’s little to talk about by way of texture, these are quite oily, like the ‘meaty’ flavoured ones, which was welcome. And the bag was just as full as the ‘meaty’ packet was, which, too, was welcome.

Crunch: 7/10
Flavour
- Intensity: 8/10
- Accuracy: 10/10 (Definitely curry.)
Quality: 8/10
Packaging: 0/10 (White with question marks, I’d like to see the final packaging when they’re released.)

Probably worth a shot when they’re released. If you like curry.

Walker's - Meaty Flavour Potato Crisps

samwalton — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:28:44 +0000

NOTE: I received these crisps free of charge. My review is not biased by this fact. The crisps are (and will) be judged solely on their merits, as always.

This is the first in a three part series of reviews, dealing with the mysterious (and as yet, unreleased) crisps sent to me by Walkers. Firstly, let me extend thanks to Walkers, and the one (also) known as Sam who I think decided I should receive these crisps. These reviews are probably going to be a bit longer than my usual reviews, because I’m quite excited by the whole experience, and it seems only fair to give other people who can’t get hold of them yet as much information as possible.

The first of these reviews then, deals with the “Meaty Flavoured” crisps. The second and third will deal with “Spicy Flavour” and “Dairy Flavour”. The vagueness of the names and the blandness of the packaging has provided an interesting challenge, it seems we take a lot of cues from the packaging when we decide what it is we’re actually tasting….

Anyway, enough introductory spiel, let’s get to the review.

The first thing that struck me when I opened the pack was the appearance of the crisps. They’re standard Walker’s fare - in terms of thickness and shape - but are slightly mottled with, what appear to be, bits of herbs. Nothing ground breaking, but quite appealing to look at.

After gawping for some time at the crisps I decided I should probably start eating them, after all, that’s what they’re here for.

The taste is sweet and herby, with an underlying meatiness. I can’t quite put my finger on what they’re supposed to be, but there’s something reminiscent of sausage going on, which could be the result of hints of rosemary or thyme. That said, I got a few hints of mint, which caused my brain all sorts of untold confusion as I tried to reconcile the emerging indecision between “Sausage” and “Lamb”. I don’t think they’re Lamb, because I’d expect the mint to be more pronounced. Whatever it is, it’s a well balanced (and surprisingly complex) mix of savoury and sweet.

The crisps have that sort of greasy / fatty mouthfeel I tend to associate with Walker’s Cheese and Onion, but it does well to bolster the meaty flavour. This fatiness also added to the increasingly confused “Sausage” vs. “Lamb” debate going on inside my head. If only the packaging gave me some direction, I could finally understand what it is I’m supposed to be eating!

They’re quite strongly flavoured, but not so much as to be over powering. It just creates a sort of moreishness, which is fine if you can assure yourself that you can go to the shop and buy more when you next need a fix, but more problematic when you’ve only got the one bag.

I must say, despite my confusion, that they are rather pleasant. Whilst I don’t go for meat flavoured crisps that often I could see myself enjoying a bag or three of these in the future.

I should also note that they were surprisingly crunchy. I’m not sure why that is - perhaps a quirk of manufacturing them in smaller quantities (as I assume they’ve been doing) - but it’d be nice if that could follow over into the final released product. As would the amount of crisps included in the bag; which was probably the fullest bag of Walkers crisps I’ve ever had!

Crunch: 7/10
Flavour
- Intensity: 7/10 (Quite strong, but not too strong)
- Accuracy: 0/10 (I don’t know what they’re meant to be! But they do do “mystery meat” quite well)
Quality: 8/10
Packaging: 0/10 (White with question marks, I’d like to see the final packaging when they’re released)

One day we will all be able to try these mysterious crisps, and one day we will know what they are meant to be.

Something arrived today...

samwalton — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Kettle Ridge Crisps - Salt & Malt Vinegar

samwalton — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:26:11 +0000

Well, the first review of the new year isn’t anything unusual, but it is pretty tasty. I’ve given you some background about Kettle Foods before, so I won’t bother rehearsing that again. Here, then, is the review…

The ingredients here are pleasingly simple; Potatoes, Sunflower Oil, Sea Salt, Dried Malt Barley Vinegar, Natural Flavouring, Sugar, and Yeast Extract. With the exception of the obscure and vague ‘natural flavouring’ this is exactly what you would expect to be in a bag of Salt & Malt Vinegar” crisps. Actual vinegar is something of a rarity in the crisp world, so I’m pleased to see it listed here.

And the inclusion of vinegar definitely carries over into the taste. The crisps have a nice strong, acidic, tang, and the balance between salt and vinegar is good. They’re pretty strongly flavoured, and thus, quite moreish. I managed to polish of a large bag in a short period of time, but I’ve got poor self control, so that may or may not be relevant.

Having mentioned ingredients and flavouring, we should turn to the star of the show, the ridges…

These ridges, then, add a nice new dimension to the otherwise standard Kettle Crisps. The crisps are not as thick as McCoys (my bench mark crinkle cut crisp), but create a really nice level of crunch. They’re very well done, and the flavour stick in the gaps nicely. They’re a nice change of pace, and I have to commend kettle Crisps for pulling it off so well.

The packaging is nice, understated, and some what waxy in texture. As with standard Kettle Crisps, these crisps claim to be hand cooked, but we wont go down that path again. And they use blue to denote that they’re salt and vinegar; hurray!

I terms of numbers…

Crunch: 8/10
Flavour
- Intensity: 7/10 (Strong, but not overly so)
- Accuracy: 9/10
Quality: 9/10
Packaging: 8/10

A very nice bag of crisps that you should try if you get a chance. They’re not as good as standard Kettle Crisps, but are pretty good none the less.

The Year in Crisps

samwalton — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 21:26:54 +0000

I’ve nothing to share with you by way of a review this week, but though I should make a post to see the new year in with.

Firstly, happy new year! I’ve been running this blog for a number of months and it appears, by most accounts, to be a minor success. Thank you for reading, interacting with me on twitter, and not spamming me with nonsense. I’ve actually really enjoyed writing these reviews, which might seem odd, but there it is, and the steadily increasing number of page views I’ve been receiving me have persuaded me that it’s worthwhile.

Secondly, I’m in the process of putting together a ‘league table’ style page, where I can place all my crisp reviews in their Crisp-Trumps order. Whilst it’s nothing amazing, I hope it’s of use to people who might want to try something new and aren’t sure where to start. I hope to have that finished and on-line tomorrow evening.

And last but not least, some exciting news. Unless someone is pulling my leg I should have 3 brand new (that is to say, as yet unreleased) flavours to review from Walkers in a couple of weeks. I’ve no idea what they could be as there’s no ‘season’ coming up that they might be drawing inspiration from. Any and all wild suggestions are welcome, and I’ll preserve my favourite on this blog for posterity. So why not tell me what you think / hope they could / will be?

Golden Wonder - Chip Shop Curry

samwalton — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 15:55:14 +0000

I was looking for something festive to review this week. I could have looked harder, but I didn’t. So we’re stuck with something distinctly un-festive.

PICTURE FORTHCOMING (And I promise to get one on, this time).

I start the review with a question, this week. What is it with British attempts at ‘curry flavor’? Why do they always have a hint of raisin about them? I don’t think I’ve ever had a curry with raisins in… These crisps were no exception to that rule. But that’s not to say they tasted bad. Other than the slight hint of raisin, then, there’s a little bit of undefinable spice and a bit of salt. Tasty enough, but nothing too exciting.

The ingredients are plentiful, and include Onion Powder, Molasses Powder, Turmeric Powder, Liquorice Powder and Chilli Powder, none of which I could really taste.

I feel compelled, at this point, to dispute the packets assertion that these are “full on flavour crisps”

Beyond that, these are very yellow crisps. I wish I had a picture to show you. They’re not luminescent by any stretch of the imagination, but they were slightly startling. Which is good I guess, chip shop curry is always an odd colour, and always requires a second glance.

In terms of texture they’re typical Golden Wonder, quite thin, and crisp, rather than thick and crunchy. Pleasant enough, but not my favourite style.

The packaging is strange, and rather unappealing. Whilst brown and yellow capute the essence of chip shop curry, they’re not a fantastic combination. And the image on the pack is very much ‘old wallpaper’. All in all, very odd.

Crunch: 7/10
Flavour
- Intensity: 6/10
- Accuracy: 6/10
Quality: 7/10
Packaging: 5/10

Very much middle of the road.

Smith's - Scampi Fries

samwalton — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 22:56:33 +0000

My oh my, what a treat this week. Another Walkers product, sure, but something a little different, and pretty damn tasty…

Let’s start, as we almost always do, with the ingredients. (I’m may have to come up with a new format for the new year, this approach is starting to get tedious, even by my standards.) They contain Wheatflour, Vegetable Oil, Maize, and all manner of flavourings and sundry ingredients including, but not limited to, MSG, Paprika, Soya Grits, and Salt.

I must say, they’re quite an unusual snack in many respects…

The unusual experience begins upon opening the pack. To put it mildly, a rather pungent aroma escapes and pollutes the immediate environment. They are, by and far, the smelliest snacks I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing. In fact, a word of warning is in order, the pungency of these crisps may not be appreciated by your significant other. The response is not dissimilar to that exhibited by vampires when confronted with garlic. But let that not put you off.

The texture is splendid. Very, very crunchy. The best way to describe these is a small maize parcel. And they’ve got a very strong taste - a little citric, and a little fishy - but they’re most delicious and very moreish. Which brings us to their main downfall… they come in pitifully small packets.

Whilst the size of the pack was the saving grace for Smith’s Cheese Flavoured Moments I enjoy the Scampi Fries far too much for 28g to be enough.

Let’s get to the numbers:

Crunch: 9/10
Flavour
- Intensity: 9/10
- Accuracy: 6/10
Quality: 8/10
Packaging: 8/10

These crisps are, as I have said, unusual. And they are certainly not for people of a weak disposition. But they’re fantastic. And you should certainly buy some.

Blair's - Death Rain Habanero

samwalton — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:00:00 +0000

Time for something special this week… Blair’s Death Rain Habanero. I’m aware of the Blair’s brand - he produces some mighty delicious hot sauces - and these crisps, but I was a little surprised to see them in a pub this week. Whilst I was busy working out whether crisps or beer represented best value for money my friend bought a bag. So, without further ado, let’s get to the review.

Let’s start with the packaging for this one. Look at it. I don’t think there’s anything I need to say. Upon spying this bag, I knew I was in for a treat.

The ingredients are “Select potatoes, peanut oil, dehydrated cane juice, salt, paprika, garlic powder, spices, natural smoke flavour (less than 2% silicon dioxide), and soybean oil”. There we are again, “select potatoes”. Why do so many packets say this on them? How would potatoes get into the manufacturing process if they weren’t being selected? It’s beginning to irritate me some what.

But more bizarrely than selected potatoes, silicon dioxide. Whilst I didn’t know what that was off the bat, the internet tells me it’s basically sand. I’m not sure how I feel about that one. Any way, whilst the ingredients indicate otherwise, the flavouring in the bag seems to look like little more than sugar and chilli powder. No sign of sand here…

Talking of flavouring, flippin’ ‘eck! These things are spicy.

Spicy, spicy, spicy.

I think we shared a small bag between 6, and were all perfectly satisfied with our relatively meagre portions. Sure, they’re spicy, but beneath the phenomenal heat lies a fantastic sweet, smokey, and very moreish flavour. And with mouth ablaze I was compelled to shovel crisp after crisp in; and in return I was granted the endorphin rush chilli lovers seem to crave.

The crisps are of a pretty good standard too. Nice and crunchy, and dark with flavouring. As with Kettle Chips the flavouring comes off on your hands, which means you get a nice burst of heat and flavour if you decide to lick them.

Crunch: 8/10
Flavour
- Intensity: 10/10
- Accuracy: 8/10
Quality: 9/10
Packaging: 9/10 (Just a little bit ridiculous, and almost wonderfully no nonsense, but I’m still bitter about the selected potatoes…)

An absolutely marvellous bag of crisps that you should try as soon as you can. And if you’re thinking “but I don’t like spicy food”, then get some, and learn to like it. Probably the best packet of crisps I’ve had since I started this blog.

Greggs - Salt and Vinegar

samwalton — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:09:00 +0000

I seems the veritable pasty retailer has ventured into the potato snack industry, or, at least, is getting someone to make them branded crisps. And that, my friends, is a good thing. In fact, more crisps is always good thing.

There’s little of note in the ingredients, just your standard “Potatoes, Sunflower Oil, Salt and Vinegar flavouring” combo; though the “Salt and Vinegar flavouring” doesn’t contain any vinegar.

And the lack of vinegar is pretty evident when the crisps meet your mouth. There’s a definite acidic note, but it’s not vinegar. And there isn’t much salt, either. In fact, they’re quite an unbalanced packet of crisps, nothing like the stalwarts of old… I wouldn’t go so far as to describe them as ‘bad’, they’ve got something going for them, but I they wouldn’t be my first choice for a bag of Salt and Vinegar.

The whole experience reminds me of Golden Wonder crisps, but there’s no mention of the provenance on the back. Regardless, I’d hedge a bet that Golden Wonder do have a hand in this.

What the pack of the pack does declare, however, is that “These crisps are made from specially selected potatoes, cooked in sunflower oil.”. I wonder how these lucky potatoes are selected? I doubt there’s an X-Factor style contest, but a man can dream…

The rest of the packaging is quite nice, very Greggsy. And the pack has a sort of wax paper feel to it; nothing as nice as the Red Sky crisps I reviewed earlier, but more pleasant than your normal plastic / foil get up.

Beyond that, there’s little more to say, so I might as well get to the numbers.

Crunch: 6/10
Flavour
- Intensity: 5/10
- Accuracy: 5/10
Quality: 7/10
Packaging: 7/10

If you’re at Greggs, give them a go. But I wouldn’t hunt them out unless you can deal with a little disappointment.

Sainsbury's - Salt & Vinegar Crunch Sticks

samwalton — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 20:55:00 +0000

I’ve not yet reviewed any ‘own brand’ crisps, but there’s nothing too surprising about that. As with last week, these aren’t crisps in the strictest sense, but tasty none the less. Anyway, enough rambling, here we are…

PICTURE FORTHCOMING

The packet now declares “Improved Recipe”, and the crisps include “Maize; Dried Potato; High Oleic Sunflower Oil; Salt and Vinegar Flavouring; Salt”. They used to contain milk powder, but don’t any more, rectifying the strange situation whereby their bacon flavoured crisps were vegan but their salt and vinegar ones were not.

What we’re looking are, basically, Chipsticks. For those who are unaware of Chipsticks, ~~shame on you~~ they’re crunchy sticks of maize produced by Walkers. But these are made for Sainsbury’s, and aren’t called Chipsticks. Clear? Good.

The crisps are lovely and crunchy, and the salt and vinegar flavour is bang on. Nice and strong, and ever so slightly acidic. They also leave a coating in the mouth, of little bits of crisp and oil, but it’s pleasant, rather than off putting. And some of the flavouring comes off on your fingers, which makes for a lovely treat.

Definitely a nice change from your standard potato crisp.

The packaging in unoffensive, and follows the blue = salt and vinegar colour scheme - contrary to walkers aberration of blue = cheese and onion - which gains them points in my book. It’s also got the little traffic light nutrition info, which I don’t really like, that might be a plus for some.

They also come in rather large 140g packs which I find difficult to stop eating once I’ve started. I can’t work out whether this is a good or bad thing.

Here are the numbers…

Crunch: 8/10
Flavour
- Intensity: 8/10
- Accuracy: 8/10
Quality: 8/10 (Uniform, with few crumbs.)
Packaging: 7/10

All in all, a good snack.

Golden Wonder - Tangy Toms

samwalton — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:39:00 +0000

More ‘untraditional’ goodness from Golden Wonder, in the shape of Tangy Toms. There’s little to say by way of introduction this week, so I’ll just dive straight in…

I think I’ll start with the ingredients here; Maize, Vegetable Oil and Tomato Flavouring. That’s Maize, not Potato, so we’ve not got a crisp here really, have we? Not that it matters, they’re sold alongside the crisps, which is good enough for me.

These Tangy Toms are little puffed balls of maize, with a pretty interesting texture. They’re crunchy, but then dissolve into all but nothingness, leaving a chewy residue behind. Pleasant enough, but nothing too fantastic.

The taste was pretty good, however! Sweet, but tangy; more similar to Tomato Ketchup than any tomato I’ve ever had. And they’re a rather moreish snack, no doubt the result of initial strong flavour.

The packing is mildly amusing, no idea why the Tomato on the front looks so angry. Unless, of course, he’s a representation of a Tangy Tom. If that’s the case he doesn’t look angry enough… And there are no wild claims here, just useful nutritional information on the back.

Crunch: 6/10
Flavour
- Intensity: 8/10
- Accuracy: 4/10 (Not really tomato)
Quality: 8/10 (Very uniform, but not exceptional)
Packaging: 7/10

All in all, a very middle of the road snack, but they’re definitely nice enough for the price. And it feels good to venture out of the Walkers ghetto every once in a while.

Samuel Smith's - Cheese and Onion

samwalton — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:53:00 +0000

A nice bag of crisps for you this week, in Sam Smith’s Cheese and Onion. Samuel Smiths is a lovely chain of pubs, serving cheap beer and good food, with an express policy of not serving or supplying branded goods. But, as with so many crisps, they’re made by Walkers (edit; this might not be true, I remember being told it a few years ago, and Wikipedia agrees with me, but there’s no source for the information)… I really need to broaden my horizons!

(Apologies for the poor quality of the photo, I took it the other day and appear to have mislaid the pack since)

So, the ingredients are Potatoes, Sunflower Oil, and Cheese and Onion Flavouring which contains, amongst other ingredients, Black Pepper and Paprika extract. Quite unusual ingredients, don’t you think? But they definitely add a certain something.

The crisps are pretty standards walkers thickness, but the pack I had had flecks of skin around the edges, which was a nice touch. So we’ve got a decent amount of crunch going on, coupled with that lovely amount of grease that Walkers’ Cheese and Onion crisps usually have. The flavour is pretty good enhanced, no doubt, by the Paprika and Black Pepper extracts.

We have, then, something approaching the perfect pub crisp here, good flavour, good crunch, and good texture.

And the packaging is pretty interesting. It’s in keeping with the decor of Sam Smiths pubs, plain and a little old fashioned. The pack also informs us of the variety of crisps used, which is pretty rare!

Crunch: 6/10
Flavour
- Intensity: 7/10
- Accuracy: 7/10
Quality: 8/10
Packaging: 6/10

Nice enough crisps, and as I love their beer they’ve certainly got a captive audience.

Smiths - Cheese Flavoured Moments

samwalton — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:57:40 +0100

I was planning to review Smith’s Scampi Fries this week, but I had an experience on Wednesday which left me emotionally scarred and morally undermined. Before we progress, let’s note that Smiths are a Walkers product, not because it’s relevant to anything that follows, but because it’s nice to know.

Whilst carbonating crisps was an act of genius, filling a cereal shell with a cheese approximate was, perhaps, the biggest mistake ever made in the field of savoury snacks. Perhaps the fact they’re ‘cheese flavoured’ should have alerted me to the horrors that awaited.

Upon opening the packet I was met with an interesting smell, not wholly appealing, but not enough to put me off starting this fateful journey.But when the first moment - to call them a crisp would be to sully the good name of crisps the world over - met my teeth it all went down hill…

The cereal shell was soft and chewy, but I could tell this wasn’t intentional. The ‘cheese’ flavoured filling was soft, yet paradoxically textureless. And the taste was all but non-existent. There was a hint of old sock that began to pervade as the pack went on, but it wasn’t strong enough to be a distinct and intended flavour.

They were, in a word, disgusting.

Then I looked at the ingredients list. “Vegetable Fat, Cheese Filling, Wheatbran, Wheat Rusk, Onion Flavour Flavouring, Whey Powder, Yeast Extract and Rennet (in the Whey powder)”. That’s right, Rennet, from an animal source. If I’d unwittingly compromised my dietary habits for a delicious snack I would have been annoyed with myself, but this discovery only compounded my disappointment with this foul snack.

After the unquantifiable success of the Roysters last week, I really messed up with this choice.

Crunch: 0/10
Flavour
- Intensity: 1/10
- Accuracy: 0/10 (Certainly not cheese.)
Quality: -/10 (I’m not sure what to say here, if they were meant to be like this then it’s a 10, but I can’t give them such a mark in good faith)
Packaging: 8/10 (Actually quite attractive, in a 70’s retro kind of way)

The only saving grace was the fact that these come in a 28g pack. Avoid at all costs.

Royster's - T-Bone Steak

samwalton — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 16:33:00 +0100

Royster’s Crisps are a Golden Wonder product, and one that I’ve seen from time to time but never had. It seems I’ve been missing out on something quite fantastic.

So, the ingredients. We’ve got Dried Potato, Sunflower Oil, and Steak Flavour (with a wide range of constituent ingredients, including MSG). Dried Potato is a first for me - that is to say I’ve not noticed it on an ingredients list before - but I suppose it’s necessary for the interesting texture and shape of the crisps, which is, ultimately, what these are are all about.

They’re bubbled.

For god’s sake, someone’s managed to carbonate crisps. And it was an absolute stroke of genius. These are completely unique in terms of texture, not crinkle cut, not flat, and not like any crisps I’ve had before… The bubbles create a large surface area for the flavour to adhere to, and provide a nice level of crunch. Once the bubbles have broken - with a satisfying crunch - the crisps become sort of chewy and get in between your teeth in a strangely satisfying manner.

The flavour is pretty good, savoury, but with a hint of sweetness that just adds to the whole experience. It’s one dimensional, and far from exceptional, but the bubbled crisps really carry the whole thing.

The branding smacks of Americana, which is an obvious choice. Come one, who else but the Americans would carbonate crisps with a straight face? I mean, they’ve fried Cola, for crying out loud. And who else would flavour them with T-Bone steak? Sure, it’s all a little tacky, but it’s nice enough.

Numbers, Numbers, Numbers…

Crunch: 10/10 (These are unique)
Flavour
- Intensity: 7/10
- Accuracy: -/10 (As with the Bacon flavour earlier, I can’t comment on this with authority)
Quality: 6/10 (Lots of crumbs at the end of the packet, and some dramatic inconsistency in size)
Packaging: 8/10

Buy them. Buy them now.

Kettle Chips - Sea Salt and Balsamic Vinegar

samwalton — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 18:23:22 +0100

More ‘premium’ crisps this week. The Kettle Foods company has been around since 1978 and Kettle Chip are, for me, the original premium crisp; or rather, the first premium crisp to make it big in the UK. They’re now a ubiquitous brand and hold a large market share here in the UK.

But without further ado, let’s get on with the review…

These crisps claim to be hand-cooked, but I’m wary of how ‘hand-cooked’ they are because of the huge quantities produced. It can’t be an out and out lie, perhaps staff just transfer the chipped chips into the oven by hand? In fact, when I think about it, how on earth can anything ever be hand cooked? Surely most things are oven-cooked?

Anyway, the ingredients list is pleasingly simple with ‘Potatoes, Sunflower Oil and Sea Salt and Balsamic Vinegar Seasoning. The ‘Sea Salt and Balsamic Vinegar Flavouring’ does contain malt vinegar, however, which is a little bit disappointing… but that’s just me being picky.

The packing has a similar ‘waxy’ feel to the Red Sky crisps I reviewed a couple of weeks ago, but is more plasticky, and not as pleasing over all. The branding is beautifully simple though, and the picture of crisps on the back is welcome… they’re a pretty fair representation of what you’re in for.

The real magic begins when you open the packet. The crisps are lovely and thick, having a pleasing dark tinge to them, and size and quality is pretty standard throughout the bag. They’re also some of the crunchiest crisps I’ve ever had and are loaded with flavour. The vinegar is tangy and the salt is evidently there. The intensity makes them ever so moreish, too, which is a good thing for Kettle Foods.

The most perversely pleasing thing about these, however, is the way the flavouring sticks to your fingers; creating in a thick, salty, greasy flavourful film on any finger tip which comes into with a crisp.

I feel some quantification is in order…

Crunch: 9/10 (We’re getting close to perfection, here.)
Flavour
- Intensity: 7/10
- Accuracy: 8/10
Quality: 9/10
Packaging: 8/10

These crisps, then, are pretty darn delicious. And whilst the intensity makes them good for a treat, they’re not something I’d indulge in too regularly, lest they loose their magic.

Walker's - Cheese and Onion

samwalton — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:28:41 +0100

After a couple of obscure numbers, I think it’s about time for another classic…

These are, probably, the quintessential cheese and onion crisp. And a bench mark which I can’t help comparing all other offerings to. Whilst they’re not as delicious as the Tayto offering I reviewed earlier, they’re an absolute classic.

The subtle creaminess of the cheese, and the tang of the onion combine to give the impression of a medium strength cheddar. There’s also a little fruitiness, which hints at onion, but isn’t distinct enough to be identified as such. And this fine flavour is carried on a slightly oily, almost greasy, crisp which compliments the taste wonderfully and doesn’t dull the crunch.

These are exactly what I had in mind when I referred to a ‘cheese and onion’ flavour in my Tayto review. There’s no clear onion, but it contributes to the over all flavour nicely.

Turning to the numbers, then…

Crunch: 6/10
Flavour
- Intensity: 6/10
- Accuracy: 8/10 (‘Cheese and Onion’ rather than ‘Cheese’ and ‘Onion’.)
Quality: 7/10
Packaging: 7/10

Stripping away the pretentious nonsense I’d say, overall, these are a bloody good packet of Cheese and Onion crisps.

Red Sky - West Country Bacon & Cream Cheese

samwalton — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:13:00 +0100

Red Sky crisps are Walkers response to crisps such as Kettle Crisps and Burts. But there’s nothing on the packet to indicate the provenance of the brand, either an attempt to truly distinguish these crisps, or an underhand marketing ploy. I’m not sure, and I’m not sure it really matters…

These crisps claim to be “made with 100% natural seasonings”, and the ingredient list reflects this. Made with “British Potatoes, Sunflower Oil, Sea Salt … Dried Cream Cheese, Dried Yoghurt” and a mysterious “Natural Flavouring” these crisps are suitable for vegetarians, which is always a bonus (being a vegetablist myself).

The packaging is nice. The bag feels like waxed paper, and though the inside is lined, it feels a lot nicer than traditional crisp packaging. I’m also a fan of the branding, it’s understated but distinctive. From the outside, then, these definitely look like a ‘premium’ crisps, and a worthwhile competitor to Kettle Chips, et al. They also come in 150g share size bags.

Upon opening the pack, we’re met with crisps of varying size, and a very satisfactory thickness. They’ve got a good solid crunch to them, and seem less greasy than many other crisps I’ve had. Another +1 on the ‘Premium’ front. Nothing soggy or overly cloying here.

However, in terms of taste, there is but one word…

Artificial bacon is artificial bacon, is artificial bacon, is artificial bacon… But they’re mighty tasty! And I might be being a little unfair, the cream cheese certainly adds something, but it doesn’t take away the dominant Frazzle-esque note.

Crunch: 8/10
Flavour
- Intensity: 7/10 (Strong, but not overly so)
- Accuracy: -/10 (Having forgotten what bacon tastes like, I can’t really make an honest assessment here)
Quality: 9/10
Packaging: 9/10

All in all, then, a very satisfying packet of crisps, and a nice change of pace from your more traditional bag. And this is reflected in both the price and packaging size (share size bags are pretty much the modus operandi of this type of crisp).