Before going home to his wife, the working man needed some food to soak up a bit of the alcohol, and so the crisp became a compulsory product in any bar. Nowadays, not only have the mines closed but the traditional pub is becoming a rarer thing. So, to celebrate the 200th post on The Tasting Note, we have a special column to salute those pubs, both past and present, as the birthplace of a great British food and drink pairing – the crisp and a pint of beer.
To write this column, a homage to the great Yorkshire pub we needed a coal dust covered, rugged miner, but we couldn’t find one. So Nicola Holmes, a self proclaimed crisp aficionado, and an old primary school friend, took up the challenge. She is from Yorkshire though!According to myth, legend and Wikipedia, crisps have been around for over 150 years. American chef George Crum created the crisp in response to a customer who wanted his fried potatoes thinner and less soggy. The crisps went down so well that Crum continued to make them, so we start with the American contingent.
Kettle Chips – Lightly Salted
It seems appropriate then that the first crisp on my list is the gourmet Kettle Chip. Kettle Foods have been producing their crisps since 1982. They arrived in the UK in 1988 when the American brand set up home in a converted shoe factory in Norwich. The ethos behind Kettle Chips is commendable, with quality natural ingredients lovingly hand cooked in small batches. This is reflected in the price, with Kettle Chips being one of the most expensive crisps on the high street.
On opening the packet, the first thing that strikes you is that there aren’t many crisps in there. The aroma is pleasant, almost zesty, and inviting. Kettle chips are thicker cut than the average crisp giving it a less brittle texture. Disappointingly the flavour is rather oily, not particularly salty, with a rather dull aftertaste.
Pringles - Original
Pringles is another American brand. Not strictly a crisp, I’ve chosen to include it on my list as it’s the sociable snack, being the mainstay of parties and impromptu get-togethers. Rather than using sliced potatoes, Pringles are made by mixing a list of ingredients in to a dough which is then shape and fried.
These days the tubes are filled almost to the top, giving you a good amount of Pringles for your money. On popping the seal the smell is rather inviting. There’s an initial hit of salt in the mouth, with a great crunchy texture, but they leave an unpleasant aftertaste.
Smith's Salt & Shake
Salt & Shake are probably the most traditional crisp on my list. Currently manufactured by Walkers, they were originally made in the 1920’s by Frank Smith. Smith supplied his crisps to pubs in North London, along with salt-cellars so the customer could season their own. As the salt-cellars often got pinched (no pun intended), Smith began to include a blue packet of salt in every pack.
These had an unpleasant, sulphurous odour on opening, similar to rotten eggs. The portion size was small but you have the novelty factor of opening the little blue packet and salting your own crisps. As the salt doesn’t really stick to the crisp you get some mouthfuls that are really salty and others that aren’t salty at all. When you do get a reasonably mouthful it’s quite a satisfying flavour and the texture is nice and light.
ASDA Extra Special – Mediterranean Sea Salt
ASDA Extra Special crisps are the supermarket’s version of the Kettle Chip. They also use natural ingredients and hand-cook the crisps.
These actually smell similar to chip-shop chips, which is rather appetising. The look and taste is very natural and the crisps appear to have been cooked with the skin on. The crisps are fairly thinly sliced but the texture isn’t quite crisp enough. If you ate a reasonable portion of these they would perhaps leave quite a greasy taste in the mouth. In comparison with the Kettle chip I found ASDA Extra Special to be preferable and better value for money.
Walkers – Ready Salted
Gary Lineker’s crisp of choice, Walkers is the self-proclaimed nation’s favourite. The Leicester brand have been around since the 1940’s when butcher, Henry Walker, ran short of meat and decided to sell crisps as well. There’s a nice, fresh smell to the Walkers crisps and a reasonable portion in the packet. They have an excellent, light and brittle texture and a good level of salt in the mouth.
Seabrook – Sea Salted
Seabrook is the Yorkshire crisp. Fish and chip shop owner, Mr C Brook, came up with the idea to produce crisps in 1945. The famous crinkle-cut crisp has been produced using sea salt and sunflower oil for years. They have a similar fresh aroma to the Walkers crisps. Considering the percentage of oil is less than in Walkers, the flavour of Seabrook crisps is more fatty. The crinkle cut gives the crisps a meatier bite.
The Beer
I chose to taste the crisps with Old Speckled Hen as its rich, malty taste provides a suitable contrast to the saltiness of the crisps.
The beer was unable to cut through the flavour of the oilier Kettle Chips and ASDA Extra Special, leaving an overwhelming aftertaste of fat. The taste of the Pringles was too subtle and was lost when combined with the beer. The range of flavours and textures produced by combining potatoes, sunflower oil and salt is astounding, as all the crisps I tasted differed greatly from each other. The best crisps proved to be the lighter flavoured and more brittle textured crisp. The Salt & Shake were OK but if you’re hungry and want a good mouthful to go with your beer, then go for the Seabrook. The best beer crisp overall was the Walkers, subtle enough not to overpower the beer but salty enough to give a good contrast. I am pleasantly surprised, as I assumed that the mass-produced everyman brand would be average and nothing special. It is fitting that Britain’s greatest food and drink pairing should be with Britain’s favourite crisp.
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