Peter Viney's Blog

A couple of years ago I found myself astonished by crisp flavours and took a few iPhone snaps when I saw them. The set grew and grew.

Thin dry snacks made from potato are crisps in Britain, but chips in the USA. Dry bagel and pretzel snacks can also be called crisps in the USA, e.g. New York Style Bagel Crisps, Vegetable crisps and Pretzel Crisps.

The British word chips refers to hot fried chipped potatoes, what the Americans call French fries, though fish ‘n’ chips on American menus are British style, what we call chunky chips..

Once upon a time there were Smiths crisps. Just the one kind. They came with a blue paper twist of salt inside and the salt was often a bit damp, and the crisps a little greasy. They were not ready salted. They were introduced in 1920 and there was a real Smith, Frank Smith. His partner was one Jim Viney. What? Sadly not a relative of mine. He was bought out in 1927. The Vineys were not destined to be crisp magnates.

The first ones were made in a garage in Cricklewood. 2d a packet. In 1927 they built a factory.

They expanded across the UK rapidly and opened in Australia too.

My mum made crisps herself in a large frying pan with lard. The best I’ve ever had, as we all say about our mum’s cooking.

In the 1950s, kids had to sit outside the pub in the car and be content with lemonade (shandy if you were lucky) and a packet of Smiths crisps.

Our state grammar school had a tuck shop, a sideline for the irascible porter. He had a cupboard with a fridge, containing local Bournemouth-made Cremier ice-cream lollies, in two flavours, banana and raspberry. Neither of these were to catch on with the major manufacturers. The only other item on sale was Jax crisps. One flavour. Er, potato. Blue paper twist with salt, and they were also made in Bournemouth. The thickness varied a lot, and like my mum’s crisps, you would find bits of soft potato in the middle of some. My mum’s potato bits were hot. Jax weren’t. However, they were better than Smiths.

The first flavoured crisp was Cheese & Onion, and the powder coating made them realize they could eschew screwed twists of paper, and move to Ready Salted.

Nostalgia remained for the twist of salt. Smiths then re-introduced the Salt & Shake range with a sachet (rather than a twist) of salt. They’re still popular – note they’re labelled Walkers – Originally Smiths nowadays. In 2025 there’s an apology for temporary white sachets rather than traditional blue. Who knew there was a blue sachet shortage?

The first Cheese & Onion were Ireland’s beautifully named Tayto brand in 1954. Smiths followed.

I just started looking for images. People are selling empty 1960s and 1970s crisp packets on eBay for £20 plus. There is a reason. I looked in the Robert Opie Scrapbook series, hoping for images of crisps. They’re not around because the waxed paper wrap does not survive. There is a Golden Wonder pack in the 1960s Scrapbook. By the 70s, plastic survived better.

The Smiths images are outer card packs. I sympathize. In the 80s, comics like Beano & Dandy often gave away savoury snacks as covermount freebies. My son, a keen Beano and Dandy collector, kept them. They were in a box in the loft for twenty years. This year we went looking for them, surmising few would have survived. A mouse had got in. All were destroyed,

Golden Wonder were Smiths main competitors from 1947 on, and they started out with Ready Salted and were first with Cheese and Onion in 1962, and introduced the other early flavour, Smoky Bacon in 1960. In the 1950s, Smiths dominated where I lived in the South.

Salt & Vinegar came in 1967 in Britain, made by Smiths, but Tayto had got there first in 1966 in Ireland. Salt & Vinegar was what you put on fish ‘n’ chips in a chip shop, hence the choice. It was malt vinegar, though it was replaced by a liquid called Non-brewed condiment.

We were not a nation of wine drinkers then. Nothing is worse than being at a party with a nice glass of red wine, being handed a bowl of salt ‘n’ vinegar crisp and biting into one assuming it was ready salted. Wine ruined. It fast vied with Cheese ‘n’ onion as the second most popular flavour. By 2025 some claim Salt n Vinegar sales exceed ready salted. I always thought cheese and onion smelled of bad breath. Perhaps they just gave you bad breath.

What was next? Roast chicken, I think. 1970s, then Prawn cocktail. However the top four were Ready Salted, Cheese ‘n’ Onion. Salt ‘n’ vinegar and smoky bacon.

Tayto sail on. The picture is Belfast, the first time I saw them. Pickled onion, spring onion, roast chicken, prawn cocktail.

The flavoured powder coating was up and away. In Scotland in late 1970 we bought the Tudor brand in a petrol station, and we had to buy the kipper flavour. We opened it and two of us took one. The third was hit by the smell, and the expressions of deep disgust on our faces and declined to try one. I’ve never seen them since.

Tudor were founded in 1947 and based in Newcastle from 1961, which is why they got into Scotland, I guess.

Tudor were acquired by Smiths then by Walkers crisps, but tried out some weird flavours in the early 1970s. Gammon and pineapple? Spring onion? Chocolate? Sweet n Sour sauce? Mint sauce? Brown sauce? Hot dog and ketchup? Hot dog and mustard? Beef barbecue? Pickled onion? Tomato sauce? Mild curry? Saucy sausage? Worcestershire sauce?

How many lost flavours are there? This 1965 Smiths advert has hamburger. Smiths red and blue stripes were instantly recognizable, as on this 1966 Flexidisc with advertising jingle.

A bizarre one was Hedgehog crisps, presumably evoking an alleged Romany delicacy.

It appeared in 1981. In 1982, they were withdrawn under a Trades Description offence, in that they contained no hedgehog. They were flavoured with pork fat and herbs. The owner of the company argued that Romany visitors to his pub said they tasted like baked hedgehog. After a legal battle, they were re-named Hedgehog Flavoured crisps in 1984 and lasted until 1994.

Walkers shot past Smiths, Tudor and Golden Wonder from 1995 when they started a major TV campaign fronted by footballer Gary Lineker. It worked so well that they intyroduced a Salt & Lineker pack.Golden Wonder then started a campaign filming football fans.

2008/9 saw Walkers introduce a Do Us A Flavour promotion where buyers voted for flavours. The idea was that you really should buy all six to have an opinion. So a couple of comedy ones were included. At this point, it is increasingly obvious that most of the flavour elements are artificially created. No one was distilling bacon, eggs, sausage, beans etc to create a “breakfast” flavour.

“Flavoured” carried a great weight. Mostly flavours mimic real foods. Vinegar is acetic acid. Cheese is skimmed milk powder with added salts and acids. Beef is often vegan- yeast extract. Ham, bacon, gammon is fat with smoking. When you get to premium brands, they do use herbs, spices and extracts.

Builders Breakfast was allegedly bacon, egg and sausage. Onion Bhaji was the Indian restaurant side dish, Fish ‘n’ Chips were a bit fishy, Cajun Squirrel was a joke, Crisy Duck & Hoisin conjours Chinese takeaways, Chilli and chocolate would be based on Mexican Molé sauce (if it was savoury). How many went into full production the next year? None.

Cajun squirrel contained no squirrel, but used a seasoning mix of chilli, cumin, onion, garlic, ginger, coriander, oregano, thyme, allspice, sugar and paprika. I reckon they were cashing in on the lost Hedgehog crisps.

In 2014, Lineker spearheaded a new Do Us A Flavour campaign where six new flavours were introduced and buyers could vote for them to be retained or abandoned.

The six were Cheesy Beans on Toast, Ranch Raccoon, Hot Dog With Tomato Ketchup, Sizzling Steak Fajita, Pulled Pork in a sticky BBQ sauce, Chip Shop Chicken Curry. So how many were voted to remain? I make it none.

An online food review of Ranch Raccoon:

This raised a lot of eyebrows. There isn’t much known about where this idea came from or even where this delicacy began, if it has existed at all. Google searches raise nothing but a few feral raccoons spreading rabies across some ranches in America. So, as the majority of customers have no idea what raccoon tastes like, Walkers couldn’t exactly get this flavour wrong. On ingenuity and originality alone, I think this is the best flavour. Unlike other reviews, I didn’t find it to have a meaty taste and was overpowered by a taste of sour cream. It was a different taste, but a likable taste nonetheless and not like any other sour cream flavour crisp. It has also been suggested that this could just be ranch dressing flavour, which could be more accurate.

Over the years limited editions have included Maple Moose, Roast Beef & Yorkshire Pudding, French Garlic Baguette and Coronation Chicken.

In the play Dear England Gary Lineker’s character carries a pack of Walkers Crisps around with him.

McCoys is a further “non-premium” brand. Cheddar & onion, Flame Grilled Steak, Salt & Malt Vinegar. They go for thicker ridge cut crisps.

We were beyond just crisp shaped crisps. We soon saw Quavers (cheese by default) and Hula Hoops (ready salted by default).

The 70s showed diversification into various other shapes and flavours. Fangs, Monster Munch, Wotsits, Discos, Cheesy Crunchies. Smiths had Square Crisps, KP had Wigwams.

Flavours appeared never to be seen again. Golden Wonder tried Baked Bean and Oxo. Walkers took over the Square crisps and still do them.

The Museum of Crisps catalogued 1362 flavours worldwide by 2025. Premium crisps became the order of the day, normally sold in large bags.

Kettle were famed for very good Lightly salted but added Asian Chilli Beef, Mature Cheddar & Red Onion and Sweet Chilli & Sour Cream. Their Sea salt and crushed black peppercorns are good. I have not ventured to try Brie & caramalised onion. Nor Honey Dijon Mustard or Sour cream & chives.

Pipers is another premium vbrand, started in 2004:

Note it has to be Anglesey Sea Salt, Atlas Mountains Wild Thyme & Rosemary, Trealy Farm Chorizo, Biggleswade Sweet Chilli, Lye Cross Cheddar & Onion, Karnataka Black Pepper & Sea Salt, Burrow Hill Cider Vinegar & Sea Salt, Great Berwick Longhorn Beef. Fine, but Upton Cheney Jalapeno & Dill? Is Upton Cheney famous for jalapeno chillis? (Atlas Mountains Wild Thyme & Rosemary, is the one we buy regularly).

Marks & Spencer decided to have their own flavour range.

Sticky glazed pork was a limited edition, not surprisingly. Thai Sweet Chilli and Sour cream and chive had more appeal, then Honey Roast Ham anf Worcestershire Sauce had both been used elsewhere.

The supermarket own brand race was on. The Co-op had their own choices:

This is a Christmas theme. Pigs in Blankets (sausage wrapped in bacon flavour),Camembert & Black Garlic, and Turkey Tikka Masala for that traditional English Christmas with Indian takeaway for lunch.

Tesco repeat Pigs in Blankets, add Roast Rib of Beef, Japanese Fried Chicken and Roast Turkey & Herb Butter, using only British turkeys. All are Limited Edition. Three of the four are crinkle cut.

Tesco are the current leaders in the vinegar wars. First there was vinegar (acetic acid). Then there was malt vinegar (brewed). Then there was cider vinegar. Tesco topped the lot. The others have vinegars, Tesco have chardonnay vinegar. Not even wine vinegar, but specific grape type.

They added horseradish to their roast beef, and not content with onion, specified red onion with their mature cheddar.

Waitrose are in with name dropping.

Han cooked. Sea Salt & Apple Cider Vinegar, hang on, cider is made from apples. Pembrokeshire Chicken with Lemon & Thyme, Beef & Bernaise Butter. I can’t see why Pembrokeshire produces better chicken than anywhere else. My great-grandfather was born there and there is no mention in family tales.

Sainsburys compete for longest flavour name:

Here you go Camembert, Onion and Red Wine Chitney with Sweet Paprika and Cumin.

Asda add Mushroom & Roasted Garlic

Tyrells have Roasted chicken & sage, Truffle & Sea Salt and Beef Brisket & Black peppercorn.

The Wars of the Roses continues in Lancashire and Yorkshire.

Fiddler’s Lanashire Crisps go for local reference: Lancashire Cheese & Onion, and Lancashire Black Pudding & English mustard. We’ve bought them at Booths, the North-West’s Waitrose, and brought them back to the South. The Lancashire Cheese are good. I don’t eat black pudding, but others tried the ones we brought.

Unsalted exist in the main ranges, but Fiddler’s call them Simply Spuds (no salt). They have Lancashire sauce, Sweet Chilli and Sea Salt and Ellsley’s Malt Vinegar.

Not to be outdone, Yorkshire has its own brand too.

Listers are “born and bagged in Yorkshire.” Looking at their online advert, I hope the potatoes are washed too.

Yorkshire tykes go for Prawn cocktail, Cheddar Cheese and Onion (Hey! Cheddar’s in Somerset!), Sweet Chilli, Steak, Ale & Caramelised Onion.

Serious Pig is also a Yorkshire brand. Sausage flavour and Pickle with Dill.

You can buy Yorkshire crisps in a tub too. They’re Natural Sea Salt (as opposed to Unnatural Sea Salt).

Wales has Jones and Scotland has Taylors. Jones is content with Sea Salt & Vinegar but Taylors does the full Scottish Haggis & Black Pepper.

Marmite went for theirt own brand of crisps.

Then you have to have Christmas themed crisps:

These were August 2025:

Note the gourmet changes. So Cheese n Onion becomes Mature Cheddar and Onion. Salt ‘n’ vinegar has become Sea Salt & Malt Vinegar. Roast chicken has become Herb roasted chicken.

Then not just beef but Devon Roast Beef. I bought a packet of the Guinness and they weren’t bad.

Then we get French and Spanish crisps – the olive oil cooked Spanish are excellent.

The French have Mozzarella, Miel Moutarde, Aioli and Camembert and Confit d’Oignon au vinaigre balsamique. No malt vinegar, merci.

The Spanish use Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and for me, make the best plain crisps.

San Nicasio are very expensive, £3.25 against £1.50 for Waitrose No 1 Finest, but are also way better than most brands. Sea salt? Not for them. It’s Himalayan Pink Salt. The Smoked paprika are not so good.

Torres are even more expensive. £4.95. This is why I’ve never tried them.

Savoursmith offer premium British crisps. Desert Salt & Vinegar, SOMERSET cheddar and shallot, Bubbly Serrano Chilli, Italian Cheese & Port, Desert salt, Truffle & Rosemary, Wagyu Beef & Honey mustard. Where is Desert Salt from? Utah salt flats? Death Valley? Is the beef REALLY Wagyu Beef massaged daily?

Made for Drink call them Premium Bar Snacks and have a tie in with English Heritage )”Crafted in partnership with …). So English Truffle and Dorset Sea Salt.

I really loathe truffle aftertaste. You can taste it however many times you scrub your teeth.

Then there is Walkers MAX range with twice as much powdered coating in stronger flavours: Punchy paprika, strong Jalapeno & Cheese, Texan BBQ.

Sensations is Walkers premium stronger flavouring line. Not just salt and pepper but Crushed Sea Salt & Black Peppercorn, or Mature Cheddar & Chilli Chutney. No one likes a childish cheddar, bouncing around with a cheesy grin. Go back a couple of pictures and they do Sensations Poppadoms with Indian flavours like Lime Coriander or Mango Chilli Chutney. On the Indian theme:

So limited edition Chicken Shawarma.

Walkers still like the Oriental. December 2025. Usually the exotic flavours come in large bags, not the “lunch pack” small size, but these are six packs, so small:

Sticky Terriyaki and Masala Chicken. Small packets. No, I’m not going to taste test them. I suspect that bizarre flavours rely on people buying a pack to try them out of misplaced curiosity.

Walkers are in to brand tie-ins. Heinz Tomato Ketchup, Lea & Perrins Worcester Sauce.

Tortilla chips and Tortilla rolls are not as one might reasonably expect, Mexican Jalapeno, Guacamole or Molé flavours, but Turkey Tikka and Spicy maple.

This is where it gets ridiculous: A Taste of Game crisps.

Wild Duck & Plum Sauce, Grouse & Whinberry , Wild Boar and Apple. Can we assume the apple was in the Wild Boar’s mouth when it was served on the dining table in a Scottish hunting lodge? What’s a whinberry?

I’m not acquainted with eating game, though I have had wild boar ham in Italy. This is what this one contains:

Grouse reminds me of the 70s. A brave man opened a Game Restaurant with Takeaway in Poole. It lasted about six months. We tried it once. I think it was pheasant rather than grouse. I bit into it, found the lead shot that killed it, broke a tooth and needed a crown.

Now a personal favourite. Slabs. They’re thick and big. These three are the original basic flavours too. They are like the Jax of ,my schooldays. They sometimes have soft potato in the middle. We bought these in Stalbridge, Dorset. We couldn’t find them locally so bought a box of Slightly Sea Salted online.

They do unfortunately add other flavours. I don’t approve. Beef Roast with English Mustard and Chicken Roast.

At the end of the day, we tend to ready salted, preferably lightly, preferably cooked in olive oil.