Walker's World Cup Crisps: A Taste Test
Shania King-Soyza sampled the full range of Walker's new World Cup-inspired crisps, which includes flavours representing England, Mexico, Spain, and Portugal. Her overall verdict: "tasty yet uninspiring." The crisps are part of a limited-edition lineup celebrating the football tournament.
Portuguese Crisps Ranked Last
The Walkers Max Portuguese flavour, described as chorizo and onion, scored 5/10. King-Soyza found the initial taste bland, lacking the expected smoky, spicy kick. A friend noted that "the more you eat, the nicer they get. They also had an enjoyable aftertaste." Online reviews were mixed; one Tesco customer said, "I couldn't taste any of the flavour. Supposedly, it was supposed to be, I felt that these crisps overpromised and underdelivered." Another disagreed: "We absolutely love them."
English Bangers and Mash Crisps
The English flavour, bangers and mash, scored 6/10. King-Soyza described them as "fine and nice to eat, but there was nothing special about them at all. They taste like normal roast chicken crisps." She noted a herby, meaty hint reminiscent of Bisto gravy, but no distinct sausage or mash taste. A friend said they were "decently strong flavour. No strong aftertaste." One Tesco reviewer commented, "As a standard Walkers crisp, I agree they're great, but regarding a new flavour, they are just a typical chicken flavour. Sometimes I think they are just rehashed flavours with crafty 'new' marketing. Won't buy again."
Spanish Queso Flavour Divides Opinion
The Spanish queso flavour scored 7/10. King-Soyza said, "These crisps are like Marmite, you either love them or hate them." She enjoyed the strong cheesy taste, reminiscent of the old 'just cheese' flavour. Her mother, however, said it "tasted like vomit." A friend described it as "a light, cheesy flavour." Online reviews were split: one Tesco reviewer said, "I love strong flavoured crisps which these were but I found the taste horrible. Its how I imagine sweaty socks to taste." Another wrote, "Really cheesy flavour! For once, you can close your eyes and definitely know what flavour the crisps are."
Doritos Mexican Beef Taco Takes Top Spot
The winning flavour was Doritos Mexican Beef Taco, scoring 9/10. A spokesperson for Doritos said, "At Doritos, we believe no one should settle for boring crisps and snacks. When it comes to bold snacking experiences, we're where it's at." King-Soyza found the crisps had a strong smell and flavour, "surprisingly as close to a beef taco as you can get: meaty, with that classic taco seasoning, but not spicy as expected." A Tesco shopper awarded five stars, calling them "lovely" and noting they would become a permanent addition after the World Cup. Another added, "A lighter beef flavour with hints of 'taco' seasoning, not very spicy."
Pricing and Availability
The English and Spanish packs cost £2.15 for a pack of five at Tesco, or £1.90 (£1.35 with Clubcard) for a 150g bag. The Mexican and Portuguese crisps are priced at £2.50. The crisps are available while stocks last during the World Cup period.
