This article aims to give you the answers to all your potato crisp needs, where we’ve cherry-picked the best crisps in the UK and not all are made from potatoes, some are from small independent producers, others from mainstream manufacturers which are stocked at most supermarkets. What they all have in common though is that they will offer your taste buds a great workout and plenty of crunch.
How to Choose The Perfect Crisps For You
We all know that crisps should be for high days and holidays and as with most things, it’s best to have them in moderation, given they’re generally full of salt and saturated fats. Apart from that instant gratification that comes with eating a bag of crisps, they have little in the way of nutrients. Just remember that the calorific value of a bag of crisps equates to what you are likely to have for breakfast and think how long that keeps the hunger pangs away.
However, if you are selective in your choice, you can find some crisps and snacks that are better than others.
Look at the nutritional values on the back of a packet of crisps and try to choose a brand that is low in saturated fats. HealthyFood.com says that anything with less than 5% saturated fat is a good start.
Check out the level of salt (sodium chloride) in your choice as well, as there can be big variations between brands.
The good news is that the market is full of different crisps these days and with some brands, the levels of saturated fat and salt have been carefully considered. Simply Roasted is one such company that aims to produce a ‘healthier’ crisp. See our pick below.
Pick a Crisp That Complements Your Lifestyle
We’ve established that crisps can be consumed at any time of the day, whether you’re putting a packet into a lunchbox, grabbing a snack when you’re on the go or sitting down in front of the telly. It’s not a surprise that crisps are the UK’s favourite savoury snack. In an article published in April 2022, The Daily Telegraph wrote that the most popular crisp flavours in the UK were Walkers Cheese and Onion, followed by Beef Monster Munch, Walkers Salt and Vinegar and Pringles Original.
We reckon we can do better than this as there are now so many different types of crisps and crisp flavours seem to get ever more interesting. You might be looking for a crisp that can hold its own when dipping or a crisp that will go perfectly with a beer, think corn-based tortilla crisps here. Or you might want a more refined crisp that will go with a glass of Prosecco or Cava. Read on and we hope you'll be inspired by the selection of favourite crisps. This useful article on MyBest food and drink recommendations service gives you an excellent overview of your options when searching for a tasty crisp.
Our 10 Best Crisps choices
We’ve undertaken some serious research into selecting this list of ten best crisp brands in the UK and our waistlines aren’t thanking us right now. For the greater good and our lovely readers, it’s been worth it and interesting too as we’ve eaten our way through packets of some of the best-selling crisps in the UK.
Pipers Kirkby Malham Chorizo Crisps
The Pipers story began in 2004 when three farmers joined forces to make great-tasting, quality crisps sourced from the finest potatoes. They work with carefully selected flavour partners who have the same passion as the Pipers team. The Kirkby Malham Chorizo Crisps has an intense meaty flavour with Yorkshire chorizo that is produced by master charcutiers in North Yorkshire.
KCal per 30g serving 158 KCal
Tyrells Lightly Sea Salted Sweet Potato Crisps
With a signature curl and crunch, Tyrells uses potatoes from local farmers within 30miles of its Herefordshire farm. The crisps are hand-cooked in small batches with tons of flavour. We love the sunset-hued sweet potato chips that are simply sliced, with their skins left on.
KCal per 30g serving 159 KCal
Walkers Sensations
These might not be ground-breaking but they are one of the UK’s favourite crisps. There is something very comforting about cracking open a packet of Walkers crisps. They've been around for quite a while now but on occasion, they are just what you want. We think no one does Roast Chicken and Thyme better, with a delicious aroma as you open up the packet and the taste is great, even if on the salty side.
KCal per 30g serving 150 KCal
Pop Chips
If you're looking for a low-calorie snack, how about Pop Chips? These snacks are popped not deep fried in oil and the result is a lighter type of snack that's big on flavour and crunch. The chips are gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians. What's not to love about Sour Cream and Onion Potato Chips? Available from Waitrose.
KCal per 30g serving 123 KCal
Kettle® Vegan Chips & Bread Bites Mixed Box
Kettle® Chips originated in the US before they set up a UK subsidiary. The company is keen to emphasise that they only ever use real ingredients, so you won’t find any MSG, artificial flavours or colours in them. They source the best potatoes using locally grown where possible. These are then hand-cooked in small batches and seasoned with exciting flavour combos.
Perfect for party time or gifting, this mixed box lets you try eight different bags including the new Bread Bites range, Focaccia Bites and Naan Bites.
Typical Kcal value per 30g serving 150 KCal
Simply Roasted Black Truffle Crisps
We are big fans of these low-fat crisps that are oven roasted, not deep-fried. The result is a dryer crisp, that holds its own in the dipping stakes, but it has bags of flavour, less salt and fewer calories. Relatively new to the crisp market, they are available in major supermarkets, you can also buy them directly from Simply Roasted, with some good multi-purchase offers. Our go-to crisp from this brand is Black Truffle for a gourmet treat. Perfect with a glass of red wine, we say.
KCal per 30g serving 131 Kcal
McCoy’s Ridge Cut Crisps
McCoy’s has always made ridge-cut crisps, making them the 'Real McCoy' of the ridge-cut crisp world since they first hit supermarket shelves many decades ago. They have an unmistakable crunch and hold their own when you're doing some serious dipping. Have a glass of beer and a packet of Flame Grilled Steak chips and you'll be in heaven.
KCal per 30g serving 157 KCal
Burts’ Lentil Chips
Burts’ have been making crisps since 1995, a Red Tractor Assured company that is proud to produce potato chips that are traceable, safe and farmed with care. Known as ‘chips’ to make them stand out from its competitors, Burts’ makes potato chips and ridges and lentil chips with delicious flavours. Hand-cooked in small batches, these premium thick-cut crisps are made from the best and freshest natural ingredients, free from artificial additives and preservatives. You can't beat Barbecue Lentil Chips, which are oval-shaped, flash fried and perfect for dipping. See our pick of top dips here. Buy Burts’ Lentil Chips here.
KCal per 30g serving 147 KCal
Off the Eaten Path Pea & Bean Sticks
If you're looking for a different type of crisp, we recommend Off The Eaten Path which produces tasty snacks that are made from peas and beans, with 30% less fat than standard potato crisps. You’ll find them stocked in Sainsbury's, Ocado, Morrisons and Waitrose.
These are not strictly crisps, but they certainly have that moreish quality of crisps. There are two types: Rice & Pea Chips, made with green and yellow peas and black beans, flavoured with caramelised onion and balsamic vinegar, Thai chilli and lime, or sea salt. Our favourite is Pea & Bean Sticks, made with peas, pinto and white beans, seasoned with caramelised online and balsamic vinegar, sour cream & cracked black pepper or sea salt.
KCal per 30g serving 132 Kcal
Emily Root Vegetables
If you’re looking for a colourful twist on your crisps, take a look at Emily, a brand founded in 2014, that takes colourful combinations of real vegetables or fruit and transforms them into unique, deliciously crunchy snacks with vibrant natural flavours. And what’s more, when you crunch on EMILY snacks you’re helping this carbon-neutral company do good things for people and the planet. A win-win all round. We are big fans of Emily's Rainbow Roots, generous slices of sweet potato, carrot and beetroot. They’re not too salty so the natural flavours can come out.
KCal per 30g serving 144 KCal
For something sweeter, try Emily’s Crunchy Apple crisps, naturally sweet slices of apple with an incredible crunch.
What to do with leftover crisps
If you have some crisps left over, highly unlikely as we know from experience, there are a number of nifty things you can do with them when preparing a meal.
Tomato and crisp sandwiches
These are sandwiches fit for a king. Choose the best ripest tomatoes, thinly slice and sprinkle them with sea salt. Make up your sandwich using your favourite bread and spread it with some mustardy mayonnaise, add a layer of tomatoes and then add a thin layer of crisps, a flavour of your choosing. Make sure you eat the sandwich fairly quickly as the crisps will start to go soggy.
Use crunched-up crisps in gratins
If you're making a fish pie, cauliflower cheese or macaroni cheese, why not add some crunch on top with a few smashed-up crisps? You can grate some cheese and add that to the mix as well. You could do the same with pasta.
Serve crisps instead of chips
If you're having a steak, instead of having to fry chips, why not consider serving some quality crisps as a side? Pubs do it, so you can too. See our list of top UK butchers for buying the perfect steak online.
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Make your own microwave crisps
Favourite source of recipes, The Kitchn has a good recipe for making your own crisps in the microwave. All it takes is a quick burst in the microwave and your potato slices will be transformed into a very crispy crisp with not a drop of oil in sight. Find the recipe here.
Summary
Crisps have gone gourmet in recent years and the choice is growing. Whether you’re looking for a low-calorie option or one that packs a lot of flavours, there are many UK crisp brands to choose from. And of course, whether you plan to serve your crisps with a dip or some for plain munching, there are various types that will hold their own, even when loaded up with delicious homemade guacamole. We like to support smaller independent manufacturers of crisps and yes, they might be more expensive but hopefully, this selection of popular crisps should give you some ideas of new brands and flavours to try out. Bon appetit.
November 2022
By Team GWG
