Marks & Spencer's cheese and onion crisps have come out on top in a taste test against Walkers and other supermarket own-brands, with the 150g packet costing £1.70.
The test, carried out by What's On, compared Walkers' classic cheese and onion, its oven-baked variety, and offerings from M&S, Sainsbury's and Lidl. The crisps were ranked from worst to best, with the supermarket version outshining the market leader.
Oven-baked Walkers ranked last
Walkers Oven Baked, introduced in 2006 as a healthier alternative with 50% less fat, was rated the weakest of all the contenders. Available at Tesco for £2.50 per pack of six, the crisps were described as having an unpleasant powdery texture and a peculiar aftertaste.
One tester remarked: "Not pleasant. They taste kind of cheap. I definitely taste more cheese than any onion." The crisps received a rating of 1/5.
Lidl and Sainsbury's mid-table
Lidl's Deluxe mature cheddar and red onion hand-cooked potato crisps, priced at £1.15, were rated 2/5. The packaging states: "Tangy mature cheddar combined with the sweetness of red onion." However, one tester said: "There's nothing to it. It's very bland, which is surprising for being 'deluxe.' I would not eat any more of this."
Sainsbury's, offering the most economical packet at 85p for a six-pack, came in third with a rating of 3/5. The crisps were noted as coming closest to replicating Walkers in taste, though with extremely thin potato slices and minimal seasoning. One customer on the Sainsbury's website said: "These crisps are best. Really large crunchy crisps and much better than Walkers. Half the price as well. The grandkids can't get enough of them (and neither can the adults). The best of all of the own brands."
Walkers second, M&S first
Walkers, rated 4/5, was praised as crispy, perfectly seasoned and utterly satisfying, though the quantity in each packet was noted as having substantially reduced. The brand declares: "To make sure our crisps are perfect, we run taste tests six times a day. We lock in freshness with our protective foil to ensure that our crisps taste as fresh as the day they were cooked... and that's our Guarantee."
M&S took the top spot with a rating of 4.5/5. The crisps, described on the M&S website as offering "a satisfying crunch and a subtle yet savoury taste that's not overpowering," were found to be extremely moreish with a pleasant balance between cheese and onion. Although the cheese tasted somewhat artificial and the crisps could have been crunchier, they were highly flavourful, offering more taste than Walkers.
