A perfectly seasoned salted crisp is a timeless snack, whether enjoyed at lunch, a picnic, or a buffet. The market offers an extensive range, with well-known brands like Kettle and Tyrrells leading the premium segment.
However, many UK supermarkets now stock their own premium crisp lines, often in large shareable bags and offering various flavours. Despite the options, nothing beats a classic salted crisp in its purest form.
Given that Kettle and Tyrrells crisps command a higher price point, I was curious to see if supermarket alternatives could match their quality.
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Alongside my partner, I conducted a blind tasting featuring crisps from Lidl, M&S, Asda, Co-op, Tesco, and the established brands. The results were surprising.
Both of us independently picked the same supermarket own-brands as our top two favourites out of the seven samples tested. After combining our ratings, here is our ranking from worst to best:
Tesco’s offering was a major letdown. Struggling to find their standard premium salted crisp, we settled on their crinkle-cut version for the test. Because of its different texture, we refrained from rating texture to keep it fair. The real issue was flavour — it was bland, lacking the saltiness one expects. This crisp landed firmly at the bottom of our list.
Rating: 1/10
Surprisingly, a branded crisp failed to impress due to insufficient saltiness. While ideal for those who prefer milder tastes, it lacked the flavour punch we sought.
Rating: 3/10
One supermarket’s crisps closely matched the Kettle brand in taste. They were thick and crunchy, though occasionally a bit too firm. For anyone seeking a budget-friendly Kettle alternative, this is worth a try.
Rating: 5/10
Lidl’s crisps delivered a satisfying crunch and saltier flavour than Kettle. However, salt distribution was uneven in some crisps, leading to inconsistency. A good shake before opening might solve this.
Rating: 6/10
Kettle’s crisps offered a well-balanced saltiness without excess oiliness. Some chips were thinner than expected but still delivered the expected crunch and flavour.
Rating: 7/10
Asda’s premium crisps narrowly missed the top spot with a strong salt presence. While this might be overpowering for some, we appreciated the bold flavour.
Rating: 9/10
Our unanimous winner was the Co-op own-brand crisps. They struck the perfect salt balance and had just the right level of crunch without being too firm. It genuinely felt like a premium product and easily rivalled the leading brands. Between Co-op, Kettle, and Tyrrells, we’d choose Co-op every time.
Rating: 10/10