Whilst you are all talking about insignificant annoyances like Brexit, it has come to my attention we are in the middle, for the highly change-resistant among us, of a crispy crisis.
Walkers are putting three of their flavours up against three new ones. They are using the Choose me or Lose me slogan. There is "voting" concerned, which boils down to buying the particular flavour of crisp you prefer or registering online for a vote.
So far, so promotional. However, they unequivocally state that the loser, in terms of "votes", will be withdrawn from the market in January 2018, just a couple of months away.
The "battles" are:
Smoky Bacon v Bacon & Cheddar
Salt & Vinegar v Lime and Black Pepper
Prawn Cocktail v Paprika
If we lose Walkers Smoky Bacon and/or Salt & Vinegar crisps I may not be responsible for my actions.
Off to buy a million of the right flavours now.
chooseorlose.walkers.co.uk/
Last edited by: Crankcase on Sun 24 Sep 17 at 13:47
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>> If we lose Walkers Smoky Bacon and/or Salt & Vinegar crisps I may not be
>> responsible for my actions.
Do pull yourself together, Old Bean, and cut along to your nearest Poundland for a few 6 packs of their delicious marmite crisps.
Fresh taste guaranteed.
Last edited by: Clk Sec on Sun 24 Sep 17 at 14:06
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I ate six bags of Walkers Marmite crisps yesterday. I'm eating Poundland Turkish Delight today.
Astonishingly, I weighed myself this week and have gone up by three pounds in the last three months. I can't imagine why.
5ft 11" and 11 stone 10 lb since you're wondering.
Last edited by: Crankcase on Sun 24 Sep 17 at 14:19
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There's only one brand of crisps to worry about and they are XL Cheese! ;-)
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If I ever eat crisps I prefer Seabrooks from Bradford. Just ordinary sea salted variant.
Years ago a professional mountain guide told me that crisps were good ' mountain food'. Salt & carb, and no matter how crushed in the pack they didn't lose those properties.
Personally when on the hill I prefer a few hands full of raisins
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>> and no matter how crushed in the pack they didn't lose those properties.
Reminds me of when I were a wee lad. The local corner shop always had crushed packs available at 1d, instead of the usual 4d.
Them were the days.
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I don't eat many crisps these days (diet, you know) but I try to avoid Walkers because that dog-eared, Brexit hating footballer, Lineker is advertising them!
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For me it is Waitrose plain crisps and I bin the blue packet or really splash out on their no salt crinkly variety.
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>>or really splash out on their no salt crinkly variety.
Unfortunately my local Waitrose haven't stocked these for the past couple of years, but I'll have a word with the manager, now that I know they're available elsewhere.
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>>or really splash out on their no salt crinkly variety.
>>
>> Unfortunately my local Waitrose haven't stocked these for the past couple of years, but I'll
>> have a word with the manager, now that I know they're available elsewhere.
Or perhaps I won't bother, as I've just been advised to eat more salt.
Now, you don't hear that very often...
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>> Or perhaps I won't bother, as I've just been advised to eat more salt.
>>
>> Now, you don't hear that very often...
In the crazy world of ClkSec and Crankcase, nothing surprises me.
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>> In the crazy world of ClkSec and Crankcase, nothing surprises me.
>>
Nothing crazy about me.
The cheek of the fella!
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>>
>> In the crazy world of ClkSec and Crankcase, nothing surprises me.
>>
Eh? Dunno where you get that idea.
Anyway, I was just thinking. No cheating, no looking on boxes or on the Internet. Just your gut answer.
Did the man with the top hat on the Monopoly box wear a monocle?
Last edited by: Crankcase on Mon 16 Oct 17 at 19:51
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>> Or perhaps I won't bother, as I've just been advised to eat more salt.
>>
>> Now, you don't hear that very often...
>>
Indeed.
SWBO developed a low salt level and I had to call an ambulance.
She was kept in hospital for a few days while they corrected it.
The cause was a reaction to a drug prescribed by a consultant neurologist.
We were then told it is a known possible reaction from said drug.
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>> We were then told it is a known possible reaction from said drug.
>>
Mine was picked up on a routine blood test a few weeks ago and was only a tad below normal.
Probably due, I understand, to a combination of a prescribed diuretic, and my dislike of salt.
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>>Personally when on the hill I prefer a few hands full of raisins >>
Thank you, but most forum members probably don't wish to know about your private life.....:-)
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I've weaned myself off crisps. I used to eat them quite regularly and then took to eating them in work (from the vending machines), now stopped..new job in the offing so it may be a good thing
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Stuff and nonsense.
Aldi 'Passions hand cooked crisps lightly salted'. Accept no substitutes.
Get 'em down 'yer.
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Parents ran a small grocery business in Southsea through which we got a tour around the then Smith's crisp factory in Paulsgrove. Tasting handfulls of warm crisps almost straight of the the fryer was wonderful.
This was in the days that the salt came in little twists of blue paper and no flavours were available.
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>> Stuff and nonsense.
>>
>> Aldi 'Passions hand cooked crisps lightly salted'. Accept no substitutes.
>>
>> Get 'em down 'yer.
well you could if your local Aldi hadn't shut down.
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>> Aldi 'Passions hand cooked crisps lightly salted'. Accept no substitutes.
>>
>> Get 'em down 'yer.
>>
I assumed that Aldi was not doing well in the regions
First Spoons closed in Walton upon Thames and now Aldi is boarded up or have they decamped to Weybridge ?
I only visit Aldi if I am passing by.;-)
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>> First Spoons closed in Walton upon Thames and now Aldi is boarded up or have
>> they decamped to Weybridge ?
Decamped to the middle of chertsey. No-one passes by there
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>> Decamped to the middle of Chertsey. No-one passes by there
>>
indeed.
Just looked on their map of stores "near you"
I hope their products are better than their map.
Chertsey not shown nor any store west of the M25 but many listed as just London and one at New bury park - Barking ?
I would be barking going to that store :-)
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>> Chertsey not shown nor any store west of the M25 but many listed as just
>> London and one at New bury park - Barking ?
>> I would be barking going to that store :-)
Chertsey is showing on my "nearest stores" map so it is obviously meant to remain a secret to those living in certain locations..
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 25 Sep 17 at 01:55
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>>Chertsey is showing on my "nearest stores" map so it is obviously meant to remain a secret to those living in certain locations.
So pleased there is a bypass that goes past Sainsburys -:)
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>> >> Decamped to the middle of Chertsey. No-one passes by there
>> indeed.
>> Just looked on their map of stores "near you"
>> I hope their products are better than their map.
>> Chertsey not shown nor any store west of the M25 but many listed as just
>> London and one at New bury park - Barking ?
>> I would be barking going to that store :-)
>>
Sigh
www.aldi.co.uk/store/s-uk-E1151
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Kettle Chips lightly salted, the best IMO.
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The Lime and Black Pepper flavour is quite nice ;) It's likely a stunt.
I hope they do swap some flavours because that gives us more choice overall. The lost flavours are better with the other brands anyway.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Mon 25 Sep 17 at 00:22
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>> Kettle Chips lightly salted, the best IMO.
I've found the packet has a very greasy feel to it on the outside after a little while, even if still in sell by date.
Currently addicted to McCoys ridge cut cheddar and onion grab bags. They must be very popular as the vending machine at work seems to run out of them nearly every day. Plenty of McCoys salt and vinegar, and Kettle crisps of varying flavours left.
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Nothing has been the same since Smiths (do they still exist?) stopped putting little blue twisted bags of salt into their packets made of grease-proof paper.
I don't believe modern crisps are even made from real potatoes, just ironed-out dollops of synthetic potato mush baked flat.
Like chips, all just extruded from the same stuff.
Last edited by: Cliff Pope on Mon 25 Sep 17 at 09:08
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>> Nothing has been the same since Smiths (do they still exist?) stopped putting little blue
>> twisted bags of salt into their packets made of grease-proof paper.
>>
>> I don't believe modern crisps are even made from real potatoes, just ironed-out dollops of
>> synthetic potato mush baked flat.
nope, they are real spuds, sliced.
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Easy to make crisps at home
Choose the right potato - Maris Piper are best. Slice with a mandolin and leave in a bowl of Water for an hour or so to remove excess starch. Deep fry and drain and sprinkle with salt
Not as quick as opening a packet buy they do taste extraordinarily good.
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>> Pringles aren't though>>
A friend, who sadly has since passed away, worked for Nestle for many years. He once told me how Pringles are made and I vowed then never to eat them again....:-)
As for Walkers, the fascinating Inside the Factory series showed the regular delivery of potatoes from assigned growers.
If I remember correctly, it took under an hour from the start of producing the crisps to bagging them. On average one potato represents a bag of crisps.
One especially remarkable sequence showed a computer controlled jet air stream taking out unwanted potato slices as thousands of them went through the machines per minute.
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>>As for Walkers, the fascinating Inside the Factory series showed the regular delivery of potatoes from assigned growers.<<
I spent many years doing bulk loads of potatoes into Walkers crisps at Leicester from their assigned growers.
The QC for growers is much higher than other crisp manufacturers and the new season potatoes starts in July and is from Penzance down to Lands End. After that it is Pembrokeshire and then Norfolk
Sitting in Beaumont Leys factory tipping a load of potatoes onto the conveyor belt always brought someone to the driver with a huge bag of crisp rejects of interesting flavours that had been rejected by Quality Control:)
Pat
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>> I spent many years doing bulk loads of potatoes into Walkers crisps at Leicester from
>> their assigned growers.
>>
>> The QC for growers is much higher than other crisp manufacturers
No thanks. I will stick to Aldi Crisps, if that fails, then Kettle Chips are a good second.
Walkers are nowhere.
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Everyone has their own favourites Duncan but happily I can base mine on the level of hygiene and QC as well as taste at Walkers, Smiths, Seabrooks and Golden Wonder not to mention McCains and their oven chips!
Having delivered into both Aldi and Lidl warehouses on many occasions I prefer to shop elsewhere.
Pat
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>> Everyone has their own favourites Duncan but happily I can base mine on the level of hygiene and QC as well as taste at Walkers, Smiths, Seabrooks and Golden Wonder, not to mention McCains and their oven chips!>>
Seabrooks are brilliant!
One of my best friend's fruit and vegetable distribution business is a big supplier to McCains - he's always rated them as the best potato based food products in the UK, bar none.
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McCains are good but the problem is if you happen to live near to Scarborough or Whittlesey factories.
Down wind on a processing day for oven chips is really not pleasant!
Pat
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>> Having delivered into both Aldi and Lidl warehouses on many occasions I prefer to shop elsewhere.
I stopped buying veg and fruit at Aldi because it didn't last long before it was unusable. Potatoes quickly went bad (some might already be bad in the bag). Fruit would be over-ripe really quick. It all happened IMO when the main supermarkets matched them on price so they dropped them again too... and the quality.
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>>I stopped buying veg and fruit at Aldi because it didn't last long before it was unusable
>>
I do not buy any bagged veg n fruit without a date on, it includes a Budgen franchise..
I did buy a bag of veg from Lidl and binned it when I got home .
No really convenient or local Lidl or Aldi so I spend elsewhere.
I do buy from and trust Waitrose so happily select from loose fruit and veg especially unwashed new potatoes from which I can choose the size I want.
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Yeah agree with that Rob, their fruit and veg simply doesn't last. Good for other stuff though, and the cat will only eat one particular flavour of Lidl cat food so I have to visit regularly. I still think I'd struggle to do a "full" shop there though, but it's close.
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Great bargains and generally good quality at Aldi and Lidl, especially the latter.
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>> Great bargains and generally good quality at Aldi and Lidl, especially the latter.
No idea what your idea of quality is, Generally the fruit and veg at both is crap.
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We tried Lidl about a year ago but were disappointed. Can't see what all the song and dance is about. As others have said, the quality of some of the fresh produce is variable. On some items there was no use/sell-by date, which makes me slightly suspicious. The whole shop seemed rather disorganised, with pallets lying around (some with stock on, some without) and many non-food items more suited to a jumble sale. We tried some in-house bakery rolls and decided they weren't as good as Asda's. However, the chicken and fish was good quality. We are pleased to have tried it but we won't be going back. For our shopping we use Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Asda. M&S rarely as it's not so convenient to get to.
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From years of experience delivering to all the supermarket RDC's if I could afford to shop where I wanted to, based upon what I've seen in the warehouses, my list would be like this...
1) M&S
2)Tesco
3)Sainsbury
4) Morrisons
5) Asda
6) Budgens
7) Aldi
8) Lidl
Graded on cleanliness, QC and other things that shall remain unsaid!
Pat
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Pat Thank you for your behind the scenes update
I usually shop in Waitrose but also 1), 3) for closeness and sometimes if I am passing 4).
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Sorry, I forgot Waitrose, shame on me:)
They would certainly be Number 2 based upon Bracknell, MK and Aylesford.
Ocado at Welwyn would be just above Asda and the Co-op wouldn't even make the list!
Pat
Last edited by: Pat on Tue 26 Sep 17 at 03:33
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Thanks for sharing that Pat. I wonder how a Waitrose would compare to M&S?
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"Graded on cleanliness, QC and other things that shall remain unsaid!"
A friend used to be a pest-controller and he would advise at which restaurants he would and wouldn't eat. Alas, he has now retired and restaurants seem to turn over very quickly - nowadays, we just have to take pot luck.
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Walkers purchases Smiths I believe and do a Salt and Shake variety with a small packet of salt.
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>> Walkers purchases Smiths I believe and do a Salt and Shake variety with a small packet of salt.
www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/default.aspx?id=254926817
Regarding Walkers in general, anyone else find that their bags contain more air (actually nitrogen gas) in the bags than crisps these days? They "claim" it's to prevent them from going stale too quickly. Hmmm!
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>>They "claim" it's to prevent them from going stale too quickly. Hmmm!>>
It's true and it also helps to stop the crisps being crushed.
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>> Like chips, all just extruded from the same stuff.
Some chips are, some are not. As to Walkers crisps, they are real potatoes.
The BBC had an edition of "Inside the Factory" recently showing how they are made. I found it interesting.
Although it's not available on iplayer at the moment, the holding page for it begins:
"The British love eating crisps. So much so that we get through a staggering half a billion crisps a day - and that takes 17 million potatoes."
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>> I've found the packet has a very greasy feel to it on the outside after
>> a little while, even if still in sell by date.
>>
Not sure what you mean? You mean unopened? We typically have half a dozen packets of Kettle Chips, 150g ish, in the cupboard at any one time and have not noticed the packets getting greasy. I'd say they are quite impermeable in perhaps a rather un-environmental way.
Last edited by: Hard Cheese on Mon 25 Sep 17 at 11:25
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>>>>>> I've found the packet has a very greasy feel to it on the outside
>> Not sure what you mean? You mean unopened?
Yes. Maybe they've since changed the packaging though.
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Sounds like a clickbait advertising campaign to me.
Surely if a particular flavour wasn't shifting enough units they'd just pull it from production not put it to a vote.
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Was in one of the pound shops last week and bought a 6 pack of Golden Wonder Haggis flavoured crisps. Quite pleasant and a change from the usual flavours.
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Clockwise or anti-clockwise haggis? (The clockwise ones are much rarer but tastier.)
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More info here...
The wild haggis's left and right legs are of different lengths (cf. Sidehill gouger or Dahu), allowing it to run quickly around the steep mountains and hillsides which make up its natural habitat, but only in one direction. There are two varieties of haggis, one with longer left legs and the other with longer right legs. The former variety can run clockwise around a mountain (as seen from above) while the latter can run anticlockwise.The two varieties coexist peacefully but are unable to interbreed in the wild because in order for the male of one variety to mate with a female of the other, he must turn to face in the same direction as his intended mate, causing him to lose his balance before he can mount her. As a result of this difficulty, differences in leg length among the haggis population are accentuated.
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A crisp crisis indeed, because I love S&V or ready salted. Poles are hugely proud of their variety in the crisp department but rarely includes S&V or RS. This is what you usually get:
Onion. Cheese. Cheese and onion. Onion and cheese. Onion, onion and cheese. Cheese, cheese and onion. Onion and onion. Cheese and cheese. Onion, cheese and onion. Cheese, onion and cheese. Cheese, cheese and cheese. Onion, onion and onion. All available in flat, all available in crinkle. Hope I didn't miss out any combinations.
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>>Hope I didn't miss out any combinations.
Red onion ? Do I bag a prize ?
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Kettle Chips every time in our house. The missus never pays full price, they're often on offer at £1 in one of the supermarkets.
Not so keen on Tyrell's, she bought a bag the other day and they were nice but we both thought Kettle were better.
Walker's are pleasant enough especially cheese and onion.
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I've noticed foodstuff from ALDI and LIDL don't keep very long. I was once told this was because they obey the German rules on additives and preservatives.
I like their fish and we only use ALDI malted bloomer bread (although you have to pick the green bits out after a few days). Had a couple of ALDI gammon steaks for dinner that were rather chewy - we'll give them a miss in the future.
Local ALDI's only a one mile cycle ride away, so we use it once a week or so. Nearest LIDL's in town and we'll visit that when we do the weekly visit to the town market for fruit and veg (and pub lunch).
Otherwise, it's one of the many Tescburys once a week. We refuse to visit Morrisons, as it's on the most congested route in town. We don't have an ASDA, although we do have an ASDA distribution centre.......................
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>> although we do have an ASDA distribution centre.......................<<
Yes!
One of the better ones:)
Pat
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Just found a couple of big bags of crisps in the back of the cupboard, Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli and Kettle Chips Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar, dated 01/07/17 and 26/08/17 respectively, I would have thought that they would be alright in foil packaging though both taste a bit odd.
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In my experience, crisps do not keep particularly well.
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I’d have assumed the oils they were cooked in had continued to oxidise, despite the modified atmosphere inside the bag, and hung on to them until halloweeen when I could give them away to unsuspecting callers ;)
Last edited by: PeterS on Mon 16 Oct 17 at 19:28
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>> dated 01/07/17 and 26/08/17 respectively, I would have thought that they would be alright in foil packaging though both taste a bit odd.
Found a couple of bags of Walkers tear and share crisps that had made their way to the back of the cupboard the other day. Both had Jan 17 dates on them. They tasted fine and were still very crispy. One was cheese n' onion, the other was sticky bbq rib flavour.
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I bought some crisps in M&S the other day to go with a sandwich (railway station food). Imagine my utter disappointment when they turned out to have been baked, not fried. A bit like eating cardboard, only not as nice. Turned out to be low fat. I do think that adulterated food should have big warning signs rather than poxy little ones.
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Mrs CS has just arrived home and has kindly bought me another 6 pack of Walkers delightful marmite flavoured crisps.
Such joy.
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I love marmite, though its difficult to get here.
But I do not like marmite flavoured crisps or biscuits.
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>> I love marmite, though its difficult to get here.
>>
>> But I do not like marmite flavoured crisps or biscuits.
>>
Think Twiglets :-)
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Oh yes, I hadn't thought of those. Love twiglets.
But I'd tried marmite crisps and marmite biscuits and both were horrible.
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Maybe when added to crisps or biscuits it's a synthetic flavour rather than the real thing.
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"the real thing"
Which is made in stainless steel tanks. :o
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Twiglets......blechhh. Known as 'Ghandi's legs' inourowse !
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I prefer the baked ones. Better tasting and texture and I don't like the grease the fried variety level on you hands.
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Same here, I quite like them. They seem much nicer than the fried ones, and as you've said much less greasy.
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>> I prefer the baked ones. Better tasting and texture and I don't like the grease
>> the fried variety level on you hands.
Nope they are wrong on so many levels. Level one, they are not crisps
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>> Nope they are wrong on so many levels. Level one, they are not crisps
>>
Don't buy them then. Problem solved.
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>>
>> >> Nope they are wrong on so many levels. Level one, they are not crisps
>>
>> >>
>> Don't buy them then. Problem solved.
Thats a great tip, where did you get that from?
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>>....... and I don't like the grease the fried variety level on you hands.
>>
I have never noticed it on Waitrose crisps , flat or crinkly versions
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>>I don't like the grease the fried variety level on your hands.
These are just made for you, CGN:
trongs.myshopify.com/
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Crisp crisis - Clk Sec
