Pijo Murcia Chips with Lemon and Pepper 130 g Bag

Product Information

However, flavoured powders were likely the most significant breakthrough in the crisp sector. These powders, which are manufactured from a combination of natural and artificial flavours, are sprinkled onto crisps during the manufacturing process to provide a blast of flavour with each mouthful. Some of the most popular flavouring powders in the UK are Worcestershire sauce, sour cream and chive, and beef and onion. Crisps. For good reason, they are among the most beloved treats on the planet. Nothing beats the delightful crunch of a perfectly cooked crisp or the taste explosion that comes with each bite. But where did these tasty morsels come from? Who were the creative minds behind them as well? Explore the fascinating history of crisps to find out!

In 2005, Tayto closed its crisp factory and Largo Foods won the contract for the manufacture of the whole range of Tayto products. The story continues in August, 2006, when Largo Foods acquired the Tayto and King brands from C&C plc for €62m. Hovey works on roughly 12 new flavours at any one time, but he says only half of these see the light of day. “I spend a lot of time working in the future. It takes me eight months to make a seasoning, so I’m trying to make something that’s going to be bang on trend in eight months’ time.” Sometimes this means the chef misses the mark – his team have been known to cry: “What are you making?!” – while other flavours make it to taste-testing groups that ultimately disapprove. For Walkers, novelty arrived in 2009 in the form of its “Do us a flavour” competition, which asked the public to come up with seasoning ideas. The winners – among them chilli and chocolate, cajun squirrel and builder’s breakfast – led the way for the brand’s 2010 World Cup range, including yorkshire pudding, bratwurst, garlic bread, salsa, paella and haggis flavours. Tomlinson points to the amalgamation of crisp companies as a reason for the decline in unusual flavours after the 80s (Smith’s, for example, was bought in the 90s by PepsiCo, which owns Walkers; its Bovril flavour didn’t make the cut). From there, crisp flavours became fairly standardised. Sarah Lawson, the marketing manager for the British brand Tyrrells, says 70% to 80% of its sales come from four flavours: lightly salted, salt and vinegar, cheddar and chive, and sweet chilli.In 1980, Largo Food’s CEO, Raymond Coyle, was supplying Tayto with potatoes which he grew on his family farm just outside Ashbourne, Co Meath. Today, he owns the company! The iconic red King bag is recognisable everywhere and has witnessed merely subtle changes since its inception in the 1960's." So, what is next for crisps? Hovey believes the demand for “bolder and bigger” flavours isn’t going anywhere, while Berenstein says that nothing – not even a climate apocalypse – can break the seasoning spirit. These are just a few of the many crisp companies that have grown up in the United Kingdom and Ireland throughout the years. Each had an own flavour, trademark, and tale to tell. Original and best? Despite the plethora of choice, traditional flavours are still popular. Photograph: Les Gibbon/Alamy

Walkers Crisps, which would go on to become the UK's biggest crisp brand, is founded by Henry Walker in Leicester. But the market changed again, Berenstein says, roughly a decade ago. “It’s not that there’s been any kind of technological breakthrough that has allowed for these things that were previously only dreamed of,” she says. “It’s a new understanding of consumer desires and a new pace of production. It’s a bloodbath out there in the supermarkets.” New, limited-edition and mystery flavours attempt to capture the market by “promising something new and different”, she says. How is it possible that, in 60 years, British shops have gone from selling one crisp flavour to selling hundreds – and why are seasonings becoming more unusual? What led Kettle Chips to release a “truffled cheese and a splash of English sparkling wine” flavour in October? Was there a mad scientific breakthrough that caused Walkers to release bratwurst, paella, haggis and spaghetti bolognese crisps in 2010?

Here is a list of some of the crisp brands and producers that were formed in the UK and Ireland in those early years: So, as we continue to enjoy our favourite crisp flavours, consider the influence our eating habits have on the world around us. Let us also recognise the several crisp companies that have offered us so much joy throughout the years.

Climate change is going to change agricultural production: people will eat less meat, there will be finite availability of certain kinds of produce, or at least a higher cost to pay,” she says. “But I think, because flavour is potent in very small quantities, it’s one of the things you’ll be able to expand.” As our food options shrink, Berenstein argues, artificial flavourings could become more prevalent as we look to mix up our limited diets. Tassy Goodall, a chef who works with Sainsbury’s to develop its Taste the Difference crisps, says that the UK crisp market has been influenced by global food trends. “Because the UK is so multicultural and we’re quite well connected with different cultures through restaurants specialising in different cuisines like Middle Eastern food and regional Indian dishes, it gives us more leeway to use more unusual or interesting flavours.”