Isn’t it great that we no longer have public beheadings in the UK, as well as having central heated houses and toilet roll and vinyl records and Penicillin? I think so, and I certainly would not like to go back to the many drawbacks of the Before Time, but simultaneously I have noticed progress is a complicated thing: for everything positive it brings it tends to drag a covert downside in it wake. One example of this is crisps. When I was growing up in the 1980s, the choice of crisp in the United Kingdom was quite limited and what was generally viewed as “a normal bag of crisps” was much much smaller than what it is now. These days, every corner shop, supermarket and petrol station is filled with virtually all imaginable flavours and textures and shapes of crisps, and it has become socially acceptable to eat a very big bag of crisps without the help of friends, instructions such as “GRAB BAG” that you now find on crisps giving much more confidence to those who were previously nervous around crisps and afraid to act assertively in response to their truest desires. You might think this could all only be a positive thing for a lifelong crisp addict like me yet conversely, several years into this bold new crisp era, I often find myself yearning for a simpler time, lamenting the tyranny of choice now available on the crisp market, and realising that the life of crisp luxury I live has acted as a nourishing enabler to some greedy and entitled sides to my personality that I didn’t even know were there back when I was very content with one small packet of Salt’n’Vinegar French Fries per day (and even more content if they mistakenly contained one of those weird hard ones that hadn’t cooked properly, which, though people might find it hard to believe now, was - from the mid 80s to the mid 90s - the most exciting thing that could happen to a young person, along with losing your virginity and hearing a Stooges album for the first time).
Great read! I've been binging on Tyrrell's lightly sea-salted while the Snooker world championship is on and the Co-op have them at 2 quid for a 150g bag. I'm allowing myself one bag a day and plan on quitting after finals day on Monday. Let's see if I can *actually* stop any time I want!
As a fellow crisp connoisseur I read your article with great interest. I have taken your advice about buying the cheapest tortilla chip and now live by that rule. Even though I’m currently at a drizzley bank holiday food festival what I wouldn’t give for a nice and spicy niknak or my favourite crisp of all time salt and balsamic vinegar kettle chips . Crisps rule!
For me it’s a good old smoky bacon or salt and vinegar usually. I do love a hula hoop, a Worcestershire sauce pack of French fries, flaming hot monster much are great too. Also remember the fish and chips that were actually shaped like fish and chips and were the texture of a mini cheddar. They were lovely.
Delighted to find another consumer of the Max Strong Jalapeno & cheese crisp - I alternate between them and giant wotsits. The Jalapeno & cheese are extremely good in a cheese & onion sandwich.
First, love the velvet shirt! When I go on walking trips over in that neck of the woods, a part of the pleasantries is trying new varieties of crisps with which to satisfy my salt and crunch needs. in particular, the chili game in the chip arena is much stronger in the UK than in the US, and nothing is better on a 15 mile walk than taking a snack break on a fallen tree in the woods with a bag of hot/sweet chili crisps and a lump of local brie to spread on them. on that note, I think it's time to finish the grab bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos I got during a blackout I had yesterday at Home Depot when I saw that ALL of their garden plants/vegetables were in stock and I started making a slew of extravagant and indulgent decisions.
The 1980s had a real revolution in crisp flavours. I remember Bovril flavour and Hedgehog flavour crisps. They all tasted like the now impossible to find Walkers Barbecue.
Is it just me? I laugh uncontrollably at Tim's writing. Is that a good look at 66 when you fall off the couch and thinking about it can I sue because there was no caution at the beginning? To me this is a pleasant reminder of the absolute comical, utter absurdity of life. Somehow you manage to capture exactly what is going on in my head while I pretend to be an adult. May as well eat All The Crisps.
Your crisp review is very worthy. I changed to plant-based eating a while back so no more cheese and onion for me! Now I have to check the ingredients on crisp packets to make sure I'm not eating cheese, meat, or milk solids which sort of spoils the enjoyment a bit.
The very best crips I've ever eaten are plain, freshly cooked salted potato crisps sold in paper bags in Spain. Never seen them in the UK. So my options here are lentil crisps or veggie crisps of the dried parsnip variety. Not bad though. And I never buy the small bags, only the big grab/family bags, which I have no difficulty getting through in one sitting.
Could you do a second series of vegan crisp options?
I miss Hedgehog crisps. They were wonderfully eclectic and not actually hedgehog flavoured. A detail I failed to reveal to my daughter for most of her childhood this ensuring I actually got to eat them!
Failing that for fancy crisps you can’t beat Booths salt and cider vinegar crisps hand cooked in olive oil, preferably eat by the side of Windermere having walked from Booth’s in Bowness. I am sulking now because the nearest Booths is hundreds of miles away.
I am ashamed to admit that Herr's is headquartered across the border from me in Pennsylvania. But I'll be chuckling over your review for the rest of the day.
Reviews Of Some Crisps I Have Eaten Recently
Great read! I've been binging on Tyrrell's lightly sea-salted while the Snooker world championship is on and the Co-op have them at 2 quid for a 150g bag. I'm allowing myself one bag a day and plan on quitting after finals day on Monday. Let's see if I can *actually* stop any time I want!
Meanwhile in New Zealand...
https://thespinoff.co.nz/kai/03-04-2019/i-told-new-zealand-what-chips-to-eat-and-new-zealand-told-me-to-fuck-off
As a fellow crisp connoisseur I read your article with great interest. I have taken your advice about buying the cheapest tortilla chip and now live by that rule. Even though I’m currently at a drizzley bank holiday food festival what I wouldn’t give for a nice and spicy niknak or my favourite crisp of all time salt and balsamic vinegar kettle chips . Crisps rule!
For me it’s a good old smoky bacon or salt and vinegar usually. I do love a hula hoop, a Worcestershire sauce pack of French fries, flaming hot monster much are great too. Also remember the fish and chips that were actually shaped like fish and chips and were the texture of a mini cheddar. They were lovely.
Delighted to find another consumer of the Max Strong Jalapeno & cheese crisp - I alternate between them and giant wotsits. The Jalapeno & cheese are extremely good in a cheese & onion sandwich.
The farm near us grows it’s own potatoes & makes its own crisps,they are delicious!
First, love the velvet shirt! When I go on walking trips over in that neck of the woods, a part of the pleasantries is trying new varieties of crisps with which to satisfy my salt and crunch needs. in particular, the chili game in the chip arena is much stronger in the UK than in the US, and nothing is better on a 15 mile walk than taking a snack break on a fallen tree in the woods with a bag of hot/sweet chili crisps and a lump of local brie to spread on them. on that note, I think it's time to finish the grab bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos I got during a blackout I had yesterday at Home Depot when I saw that ALL of their garden plants/vegetables were in stock and I started making a slew of extravagant and indulgent decisions.
The compost pile has me rolling 🤣 man no matter what you write about, it’s what I want to read 💯
There is an Egg and Chips version of Slabs, they are ace.
The 1980s had a real revolution in crisp flavours. I remember Bovril flavour and Hedgehog flavour crisps. They all tasted like the now impossible to find Walkers Barbecue.
Is it just me? I laugh uncontrollably at Tim's writing. Is that a good look at 66 when you fall off the couch and thinking about it can I sue because there was no caution at the beginning? To me this is a pleasant reminder of the absolute comical, utter absurdity of life. Somehow you manage to capture exactly what is going on in my head while I pretend to be an adult. May as well eat All The Crisps.
Your crisp review is very worthy. I changed to plant-based eating a while back so no more cheese and onion for me! Now I have to check the ingredients on crisp packets to make sure I'm not eating cheese, meat, or milk solids which sort of spoils the enjoyment a bit.
The very best crips I've ever eaten are plain, freshly cooked salted potato crisps sold in paper bags in Spain. Never seen them in the UK. So my options here are lentil crisps or veggie crisps of the dried parsnip variety. Not bad though. And I never buy the small bags, only the big grab/family bags, which I have no difficulty getting through in one sitting.
Could you do a second series of vegan crisp options?
Read this while snacking on some Herr’s Creamy Ranch and Habañero. Perfect pairing.
I miss Hedgehog crisps. They were wonderfully eclectic and not actually hedgehog flavoured. A detail I failed to reveal to my daughter for most of her childhood this ensuring I actually got to eat them!
Failing that for fancy crisps you can’t beat Booths salt and cider vinegar crisps hand cooked in olive oil, preferably eat by the side of Windermere having walked from Booth’s in Bowness. I am sulking now because the nearest Booths is hundreds of miles away.
I am ashamed to admit that Herr's is headquartered across the border from me in Pennsylvania. But I'll be chuckling over your review for the rest of the day.
It is good to see someone treating savoury snacks with the kind of seriousness they deserve. Eloquent, and elegant reviews. Splendid writing.