Walkers English Bangers and Mash Crisps (Ocado) By @Cinabar

So far, so good for England in the World Cup. We topped our group and made it through to the knockout stages. We decided to have these crisps to help cheer them on during their last match. These were released as part of the World Cup 'Flavours of the World' range, and here we have Walkers English Bangers and Mash. For anyone reading from abroad, "bangers" is a very British name for sausages.

I opened the bag and was greeted by a lovely meaty aroma. We poured the crisps into a basket for sharing and I gave one a try. They really do have a distinctive sausage flavour, making for a wonderfully meaty bag of crisps. I love savoury, meaty flavours, so these were perfect for me.

They are supposed to capture the mash element too, and I think I was hoping for a stronger buttery flavour. Food critic and legend Jay Rayner has talked about mashed potato being 50% butter, and following that wonderfully indulgent philosophy, I was expecting a rich buttery hit alongside the sausage flavour. Unfortunately, it never really came through. Not to worry though, as the meaty taste was so good that these crisps still shone.

Fingers crossed England continue their World Cup journey. I hope you're raising a crisp for the team you're supporting! 

Walkers Max Portuguese Chorizo & Onion (Ocado) By @Cinabar

Here we have another flavour from Walkers' FIFA range celebrating tastes from around the world. This one is inspired by Portugal, specifically chorizo and onion.

As soon as I opened the bag, I was greeted by a lovely meaty aroma that reminded me of salami. We poured some into a bowl to share while watching Netflix, as we're still a little early for the World Cup itself. The crisps are ridged, which means they hold plenty of flavour in all those grooves.

I gave one a try and was impressed. You can really pick up the meaty chorizo flavour, complete with a nice smoky taste and a gentle hint of spice. The onion adds a slight sharpness that works well alongside the richness of the chorizo. Overall, these are very tasty, easy-to-eat crisps.

My first experience of the Walkers World Cup inspired flavours was the Walkers Wavy Spanish Queso Crisps, and those absolutely blew my mind. They were the cheesiest crisps I have ever eaten, packed with flavour and then some. So when I opened these Walkers Max Portuguese Chorizo & Onion crisps, I assumed the seasoning levels would be just as intense and that they too would deliver a full-on flavour overload. They don't quite reach those heights. The flavour is well done and they are certainly tasty, but I was hoping for a little more punch. To be honest, I could happily have handled double the seasoning.

Walkers Wavy Spanish Queso Crisps (Ocado) By @Cinabar

Firstly, I have to admit to using Google. Queso is Spanish for cheese. We have written about over 600 different varieties of crisps over the years, and many of them have included cheese. From the first cheese crisp review in 2014, Aldi’s Vintage Cheddar and Real Ale Crisps, to the more recent Walkers Emmental Cheese flavour that was out at Christmas, I can safely say this is not my first rodeo. I have eaten a lot of cheese crisps.

I was fairly sure nothing could surprise me about cheese crisps anymore, but I was wrong. These Walkers Wavy Spanish Queso Crisps blew my mind. They are the strongest cheese crisps I have ever eaten. The first one was a bit of a shock. I liked it, but the cheese flavour was on another level. They were salty, cheesy, and somehow cheesier than actual cheese, which makes no sense at all. I had poured the wavy crisps into a bowl when Spectre came in. I warned him they were ridiculously strong, but he shrugged, tried one, and immediately said, “Oh my word!” I replied, “I know.”

Fun fact though, we still finished the bag. Once you get accustomed to the strength of the cheese flavour, you really start to appreciate it. I think we would buy them again.

These crisps are part of the FIFA World Cup Flavours of the World range. I have also bought the England Sausage and Mash flavour, although I am assuming that one may be slightly less dramatic!

Walkers Worcester Sauce Crisps in Brecon Beacons [@NLi10]

 We are on holiday in Wales again, and I spotted a multibag of nostalgic crisps to take with us

Walkers brought out the Worcester Sauce alongside the Heinz ketchup flavour when I was an impressionable youth.  They came in combo multibags so I had these while my sister ate the sauce ones.  I swear they were much bigger than 25g...

They also used to taste a lot stronger, but that might be my tastebuds

Or my lovely home-brewed Exhale coffee in it's travel canister

We picked a good day for the walk, got to see Alpacas and the sun, although it was very windy

And the rain earlier in the week meant the ponds and puddles were big

Got to hang out in the local rainforests too!

Today however it's absolutely torrential so we went to the shops instead!

Walkers Sensations Chilli and Cocoa (Ocado) By @Cinabar

These new Sensations Chilli and Cocoa crisps are the latest limited edition Easter flavour from Walkers. I have no idea how they relate to Easter. Perhaps it is the cocoa, since Easter eggs are made of chocolate. The chilli addition is a bit more confusing. That said, chilli and cocoa is actually a very old flavour combination, dating back to some of the earliest uses of cocoa.

I do have to say I am impressed that Walkers have brought out such an interesting flavour. We decided to share these at lunchtime, which raised the question of whether they were crisps to have with sandwiches or more of a dessert crisp to eat afterwards. In the end we went with the sandwiches.

The aroma from the bag is very cocoa forward and quite chocolatey. I took a bite and they have the usual Walkers texture and crunch. The flavour is slightly sweet with a noticeable cocoa taste. At first the chilli is very mild, but as you eat a few more a gentle warmth builds, followed by a bit of heat.

My first reaction was curiosity, but a handful of crisps in and I was hooked. They are not too sweet and the balance of cocoa and chilli works surprisingly well. I also love that there is a brave new flavour on the shelves.

Walkers Hot Honey Crisps (B&M) By @SpectreUK

I have seen a few different products with the new trending flavour of Hot Honey. I tried Hot Honey Jaffa Cakes the other day, and wasn't that fussed by them. For me, there was a little too much chilli, and not enough honey, So, when I saw these Walkers Hot Honey Crisps, I was a little apprehensive.

However, on opening the packet there was a sweet light chilli aroma from the crisps inside. On taste, these crisps had a sweet honey flavour, with a light hint of chilli. There was no noticeable chilli burn from these crisps. So, if you're looking for a super chilli waker-upper snack, these might not be for you. If you are looking for something unique, with sweet honey and mild chilli, you've come to the right place.

Information on the packet; The 128g bag contained 128 calories, with 7.2g of fat, 0.7g of sugar, and 0.14g of salt. Please see photograph fpor the ingredients.

Walkers Succulent Beef Wellington Crisps (Tesco) By @SpectreUK

I haven't had Beef Wellington for quite sometime. This is mainly because there is only two of us, and Beef Wellingtons are generally huge and packed full of calories. Beef Wellington is beef covered with mushroom pate and coated with pastry. It's very traditional at Christmas time.

I'm sure Cinabar will search the shops for a sharing one closer to Christmas. I know we picked up some Picky-Bits that were flavoured with Beef Wellington around last Christmas time.

So, here is Walkers seasonal limited edition Succulent Beef Wellington Crisps. On opening the packet, there was indeed a Beef Wellington aroma. On first crunchy taste, the beefy flavour definitely had more than a reminiscence of Beef Wellington, and there was also a pastry flavour to go very well with it. Yum.

Information on the packet: Each 25g packet contained 127 calories, with 7.2g of fat, 0.3g of sugar, and 0.12g of salt. Please see photograph for the ingredients.

Walkers Festive Emmental Cheese (Tesco) By @Cinabar

I’m not sure Emmental cheese screams “festive,” to be honest. Sure, people tend to buy more cheese boards at Christmas, and Emmental is a popular choice, but so is Cheddar, and no one’s putting that in a Christmas hat. Still, I’m not complaining. I love cheese, and I’ll happily try anything cheese-flavoured. For those who don’t know, Emmental is Swiss, nutty, and yes, it’s the one with the holes.

There are five bags in the multipack, not six, which is a bit cheeky but seems to happen a lot with limited editions. I opened one up and was immediately hit with a gorgeous cheesy aroma. Promising start! The flavour didn’t let me down either, these aren’t just cheese crisps, they’re wow cheese crisps. The nutty Emmental flavour really shines through, and I was hooked straight away.

The crisps have that familiar Walkers thin and crunchy texture, but the flavour is proper full-on cheese heaven. They’re strong, moreish, and just that bit different from your usual cheese variety. Who cares if Emmental isn’t exactly a Christmas flavour? These are absolutely delicious, and I’m more than happy to find them in my festive snack stash.

Walkers Sticky Teriyaki (Tesco) By @Cinabar

If the rumours are true, these new crisps from Walkers aren’t just another fun limited edition but could be a permanent addition to the UK crisp range.

The flavour is Sticky Teriyaki, inspired by the Japanese sauce. The thing with sauce-based flavours is that they often miss the meaty element you’d usually expect to go with them. I’ll admit I prefer meaty crisps, so that was already on my mind when opening the bag.

Inside, they looked like regular Walkers crisps: thin cut with a good coating of seasoning. On first taste they were bold and sweet, with a flavour that reminded me of barbecue sauce but with an extra kick of Asian spices. It was more Teriyaki-meets-sweet-barbecue than pure Teriyaki, and yes, there was that lack of meatiness I’d been expecting.

The flavour is okay, but not something I’d rush out to buy again. If Walkers decide to make this a permanent flavour, I won’t complain, but I also wouldn’t miss it if it had stayed as just a limited edition.

Walkers Masala Chicken Flavour Potato Crisps (Tesco) By @SpectreUK

I love curry and chips. It's one of my favourite meals. A place I used to work at had a canteen in the cellar. Every Friday I kept the server talking for a while, they would pile chips onto one plate, then a huge amount of curry on another plate. I would then put lots of salt on the chips, and pour the curry on top. After that I would go to the university art gallery where they would play classical music in a theatre for half an hour whilst I ate my packed lunch. I was a lot bigger then, as you can imagine.

I have curry and chips almost once a week. I have half a bag of oven baked chips to reminisce on the old days, and after adding way too much salt, I pour whatever curry I have on top. These Walkers Masala Chicken Flavour Potato Crisps may help me snacking on the days I don't have curry and chips for dinner.

On opening the bag there was a beautiful spicy Masala smell, with a little chicken aroma to follow. On taste these orange coloured Walkers Masala Chicken Flavour Potato Crisps had a lovely spicy Masala Chicken curry flavour. First came the strong spicy Masala, and then the chicken into the aftertaste. These might not have been curry and chips, but they certainly cheered up my chicken sandwich for lunch.

Information on the bag; The 25g bag contained 128 calories, with 7.3g of fat, 0.6g of sugar, and 0.16g of salt. Please see photograph for the ingredients.

Walkers Smokin’ BBQ Sauce flavour crisps (Morrisons) By @SpectreUK

I like a lot of different sauces. I'm not going to list them all, as there is so many. My favourite sauce is probably BBQ, I say probably, it's my go to sauce I have with pretty much everything.

So, these Walkers Smokin' BBQ Sauce flavour crisps should go down rather well accompanying my chicken, hot sauce and red pepper sandwich for lunch.

On opening the bag there was a sweet and smokey aroma to the reddened crisps inside. On first crunchy taste Walkers Smokin' BBQ Sauce flavour crisps are certainly smokey and with a luscious sweetness following into the aftertaste. Very nice indeed. I'll have to have these in regularly.

Information on the packet; Each 25g bag contains 128 calories, 7.3g of fat, 0.7g of sugar, and 0.28g of salt. Suitable for Vegetarians, see photograph for the ingredients.

Walkers Sensations Crushed Sea Salt & Black Peppercorn Crisps (Tesco) By @SpectreUK

Sea salt and black pepper crisps are one of my favourite crisps flavours. They pretty much go with anything from a beef or ham sandwich to tuna sandwich and anything in between. They usually come in huge sharing bags, and it's fairly rare to find the flavour in individual bags.

These Walkers Sensations Crushed Sea Salt & Black Peppercorn Crisps should be quite a treat with my tuna and red pepper sandwich for lunch. I like my salt and black pepper crisps to be a little fiery. So here is some hope.

On opening the packet there was a mild salt and black pepper aroma from the lightly flecked crisps inside. On first crunchy taste, these Walkers Sensations Crushed Sea Salt & Black Peppercorn Crisps are definitely more sea salt than black peppercorn. Mild in flavour, they complemented my flavoursome sandwich, but there was no real pepper fire.

Although I do rather like this flavour, I would be inclined to buy sea salt and black pepper crisps with a bit more umph than these.

Information on the packet; The 40g bag had 194 calories, with 10g of fat, 0.4g of sugar and 0.26g of salt. Please see photograph for the ingredients.

Heinz (Scarily Good) Monster Munch Pickled Onion Flavour Mayo (Iceland) By @SpectreUK

Halloween is coming up and we're well into Spooky Season. Heinz have brought out this (Scarily Good) Monster Munch Pickled Onion Flavour Mayo just in time for the weird seasonal snacking to commence. I have dipped crisps in salad cream and also mayonnaise since I was young. Many a movie or gaming night in the past has been fuelled with a few bags of crisps in a bowl with dipping sauce on the side.

My favourite flavour of Monster Munch is Pickled Onion. Some strange people don't like the flavour of a Monster Munch Pickled Onion, but the crisps have been present in many of those snacking nights, as well as accompanying many a cheese, cold meats and port meal. Here, Heinz (Scarily Good) Monster a munch Pickled Onion Flavour Mayo have done most of the job for me, and of course, I have my packet of Monster Munch Pickled Onion flavour to try it with. I have a feeling this is going to be good.

So, you can see from the photographs that I decided to mix this Heinz (Scarily Good) Monster a munch Pickled Onion Flavour Mayo in my tuna sandwich I usually have after weight lifting. On first tentative taste before mixing, this Pickled Onion mayonnaise does taste like Pickled Onion flavour Monster Monster mixed with mayonnaise. Not much of a shock there, however, it tastes great. Better than great. Just like dunking Monster Munch, but without the Monster Munch. For now…

Then, of course, I opened the bag and dunked my first Monster paw. Oh yes, the ultimate Pickled Onion dipped sauce has now been invented. Not only did this Heinz (Scarily Good) Monster Munch Pickled Onion Flavour Mayo go perfectly mixed with tuna in a sandwich, but it went scarily good with my Monster Munch Pickled Onion Flavour crisps. Keep this mayo coming by the barrel please.

Walkers Roast Chicken and Mayonnaise Crisps (Iceland) By @Cinabar

I take chicken crisps more seriously than most. I, dear readers, am a connoisseur. Chicken crisps are my favourite of all the flavours, and as such, this new offering from Walkers totally caught my eye. Here we have Walkers Roast Chicken and Mayonnaise Crisps.

The first quirk here is the description of the flavour. The picture shows a chicken sandwich, which is significant because with the other new 'sausage sarnie’ flavour, you could really taste the bead. The flavour of these crisps is just Roast Chicken with Mayo; unlike the sausage variety, these crisps are missing the word 'sarnie’ from the title. 

I gave one of the crisps a try, and there was a very definite taste of roast chicken, then there was a little spice like black pepper and a creamy finish from the mayo. These were good, tasty chicken crisps. I still have to say I prefer the usual Walkers Chicken crisps, which I reckon is just because they are my go-to variety. I’m still unclear whether these Walkers Roast Chicken and Mayonnaise Crisps should have a bread flavour mixed in too, which I couldn’t pick up on. I do, however, have no regrets over buying two multipacks of this flavour, as they are really good crisps. 

Walkers Wotsits Crispy Bacon (Ocado) By @Cinabar

When I was a kid, I didn’t get Wotsits as a concept. I don’t know why; I’ve always loved crisps. It is only since becoming an adult that I’ve really taken to Wotsits and their cheesy goodness. Now they have launched some new flavours, and I am all stocked up. The first ones to try are Walkers Wotsits Crispy Bacon. Now these crisps will be up against Frazzles in my head, another favourite.

This bag is from a multipack, but I have to say each of the single packets are quite small. They are low-calorie, but partly that is because of the size. I gave one a try, and I did love the taste and texture. They had the firm crunchy munchy feeling, and the smoky bacon was just lovely. There was a meatiness, plenty of smoke, and a touch of sweetness. These Walkers Wotsits Crispy Bacon were yummy and moreish. My only complaint is the packets are too small, so, er, I had two! 

Walkers Sausage Sarnie with Heinz Tomato Ketchup (Tesco) By @SpectreUK

When I started work just after art college there was a food van nearby the factory. Every Friday I would have either bacon sandwich or a sausage sandwich. Sometimes I'd go wild and have a fried egg on my sandwich too. I don't think Bob either stored the food very well or cleaned the area he cooked on though. Every time I had a sausage sandwich I'd be ill all weekend. So, I stuck with bacon sandwiches for a while until I realised I'd put on two stone, and got to exercise and healthier eating instead.

These limited edition Walkers Sausage Sarnie with Heinz Tomato Ketchup crisps should remind me of those days gone by, just hopefully not with the illness afterwards. I reckon Tomato Ketchup is probably better on a sausage sandwich than brown sauce, though either or can be used on a bacon sandwich.

On opening the packet of these crisps there was a good strong smell of Heinz Tomato Ketchup, with the meaty aroma of freshly cooked sausages. On taste the bread and sausage were the key flavours with a light complement of Tomato Ketchup. Walkers obviously don't know just how much sauce I put on my food. I loved the flavour and decided to have the rest of my packet of Walkers Sausage Sarnie with Heinz Tomato Ketchup crisps on a sandwich, for a crisp sausage sarnie sarnie, with no added Ketchup. It's the type of guy I am really.

Information on the packet; The 25g bag contained 128 calories, 7.3g of fat, 0.7g of sugar and 0.17g of salt. Please see photograph for the ingredients.

Walkers Cheese Toastie With Heinz Beanz (Tesco) By @Cinabar

Firstly, Heinz linked up with Richmond Sausages for their new beans flavour; now they have linked up with Walkers for a new limited edition crisps flavour. I’ve always been a fan of Heinz; I like their ketchup, and their beans are always in our cupboard for an easy jacket potato meal. Their beans are the inspiration for this new flavour of crisps. Here we have Walkers Cheese Toastie With Heinz Beanz. 

My first thought when I heard about the flavour was that it sounded weird to me, not beans and cheese; they go together like a dream, but I’d never dream of having them in toasties. That's what jacket potatoes are for. Do people make toasties with beans? I guess they must.

I opened up the bag of Walkers Cheese Toastie With Heinz Beanz crisps, and they had an orange-coloured seasoning, and the aroma was mostly of sweet tomatoes. I gave one a try, and the flavour was incredibly spot on for beans and cheese. I could taste a sweet tomato taste, but it was also actually a proper baked bean flavour, and running with it was this creamy but flavoursome cheese. They were like magic and had a delicious flavour. It is a shame they are a limited edition, because these are super tasty, and I’ll pick up a second multipack when I’m back in the shop. 

Walkers Wotsits Sweet & Spicy Flamin’ Hot (Morrisons) By @SpectreUK

I have an open tuna sandwich with cucumber and fried eggs for lunch, so a snack that's nice and spicy should go well with that. These Walkers Wotsits Sweet & Spicy Flamin' Hot crisps, should be just a step away from the usual Hot & Spicy Flamin' Hot. Albeit not a step too far away, but they must have at least a little sweetness to them from name.

On opening the packet there was an orange tint to these Walkers Wotsits Sweet & Spicy Flamin' Hot maize crisps inside. Having quite an instant fire to them, there was a paprika burn mixed in with a little caramel sweetness to begin with. This spicy burn kept on giving making my tongue tingle, with a hint of onion added to the sweetness into the aftertaste. Very nice indeed. I'll have to these regularly in.

I like a packet of Walkers Cheesy Wotsits now and then. I prefer Monster Munch for their crunchiness, but they don't come in Cheesy flavours. Maybe Walkers should try that next?

Information on the packet; Per 16g bag contains 85 calories, with 4.8g of fat, 0.6g of sugar, and 0.31g of salt. Please see photograph for the ingredients.

Walkers MAX Extra Flamin' Hot Ridged 'Fuego' Crisps [@NLi10]

 I'm not entirely sure if these are based on the American Cheetos 'Flamin Hot' or not.  They have Wotsits in the range which are a better version of the same shape crisp - but then the branding here is blatantly ripping off Takis Fuego.

I'm not used to Walkers being the imitator and not the leader in the Crisp Aisle - I guess they just got overtaken at some point.

For £1.25 you get 70g of Crisps - made with real potato too - so from a value perspective these are doing OK

And the bag is filled with magic gas to protect the cargo so you get a decent amount of whole crisps.  the colour hints at magical spices, and the smell is pretty good.

The ridges are good too - holding in the flavour dust.

Unfortunately that flavour is just boring!

Yeah - it's hot - but the flavour is flat as a pancake, with none of the lovely lime depth of the Takis Feugo, or Cofresh spicy good-times.  These are the whitest of white - hot for hot's sake kind of spice.  If it was a sauce you'd mix it with something else to desperately try to get it to excite anything.

It's like a focus group wanted an inoffensive but very hot crisp. If that's your bag then I'd get them quick - these are not going to be around in a year or so - there are already much more exciting options on the market.

Walkers Unbelievable Vegan Flame Grilled Steak Crisps (Tesco) By @SpectreUK

Some people don't eat meat because of the principle, some for their dietary requirements, and some because they just don't like the flavour. I am a meat eater, I always have been. I miss those big juicy steaks I used to eat with tons of calories and a little "sauce", as I used to say, dripping out of its medium rare pinkness.

I still have steak, but the lower more healthy Fillet steak, as I count my calories to keep my weight down for my knee, rather than the big juicy Ribeye or T-bone varieties. These new limited edition Unbelievable Vegan Flame Grilled Steak crisps may appeal to those that miss the flavour of steak. I have tried a few Vegan products, and really like Vegan ice cream for its big on flavour. So, I have high hopes for big on flavour flame grilled steak crisps.

On opening the packet I was greeted with a luscious beefy aroma from the Unbelievable Vegan Flame Grilled Steak crisps inside. These crisps definitely tasted of flame grilled steak, and they were really moreish. No wonder most of the multipack had disappeared by the time I came to try them. I was glad to have hidden away a second multipack for myself.

I was very impressed by the big on flavour of these Flame Grilled Steak crisps, and all Vegan friendly. I can barely believe no cows were harmed in their production. Although I believe there were extensive and possibly stressful interviews on what they may taste like flame grilled.

Information on the packet; The 24g packet contains 112 calories, with 4.9g of fat, 0.3g of sugar and 0.26g of salt. Please see photograph for the ingredients.