Taste test: Budget supermarket salt and vinegar crisps outrank big brands

Crisp lovers put supermarket labels head to head with big brands in a blind taste test which saw one retailer come out on top.

While leading manufacturers including Pipers, Tyrells and Kettle are specialists at making the salty snacks, the 64 survey participants voted Co-op’s own label as the best option.

Ranked as the “best buy” out of 11 premium crisp brands was the Co-op “Irresistible Hand Cooked Sea Salt & Chardonnay Wine Vinegar Crisps”. 

The 150g bags are sold for £1.75 (£1.17 per 100g) and topped the chat for their thick, crispy texture. 

According to the majority of blind taste testers, the salt level was spot on, though the strong vinegar flavour divided opinion. 

Despite being cheaper than most big brands, the supermarket crisps are the priciest of the own-label products.

However, budget supermarket Aldi was ranked as the second best place to buy salt and vinegar crisps, and is also the second cheapest in the entire taste test.

The Aldi “Specially Selected Sea Salt & Chardonnay Vinegar Hand Cooked Crisps” were praised for their “perfect thickness”, with more than two-thirds of people saying that they “loved their crispiness”, and that the salty flavour was spot on.

Sold in 150g bags for £1.15 (£0.77 per 100g), the crisps were voted as the best value amongst those tested.

Renowned crisp retailer, Kettle Chips were voted as equals to Alid by participants who loved the thick texture and “satisfying crispy crunch” of their Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar of Modena Potato Chips.

However, the savoury snacks lost out for their controversial flavour which some said needed more salt.  Around half of people who participated in the taste test said they wanted more bite in the taste, something which Aldi and Coop didn’t struggle with.

The crisps are also more pricey than the leading supermarket options, costing £2.40 for a 130g pack (£1.85 per 100g).

Morrisons joined Aldi and Kettle in the joint second spot for their “The Best Sea Salt & Suffolk Cider Vinegar Crisps”. Sold in 125g bags for £1.35 (£1.08 per 100g), the supermarket snacks were also much cheaper than the branded Kettle Chips.

Beyond the top two spots, Sainsbury’s, Tyrrell’s and Asda were voted as some of the tastiest crisps.

The ranking was as follows:

• Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Sea Salt & Suffolk Cider Vinegar Crisps
• Tyrrells Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar Crisps
• Waitrose Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar Crisps
• Asda Extra Special Sea Salt & Chardonnay Wine Vinegar Hand Cooked Crisps
• Harry Ramsden’s Salt & Vinegar Hand Cooked Sharing Crisps
• Lidl Deluxe Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar Hand Cooked Potato Crisps
• Pipers Burrow Hill Cider Vinegar & Sea Salt Crisps