Everyone's trying to save money on their supermarket shopping bills these days and that includes when buying snacks.
A packet of crisps might not be an essential food item, but they are a much loved treat for many so this week we decided to see how those value packs compare to the big brands and supermarket luxury ranges. A bag of Walkers Sensations, tube of Pringles, or Kettle Chips is likely to set you back at least around £1.50 at most supermarkets these days, but many stores also sell a few cheaper alternatives that come in a family 'grab bag' sizes.
Recently, we've been testing out all kinds of cheaper shopping products including tea bags, coffee, tomato ketchup and even milk. Some budget items have certainly impressed us, but did we find a cheap packet of crisps that hit the mark while still being good value?
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Here's our verdict:
Sainsbury's Tangy Cheese Tortillas
This was the cheapest large bag of crisps I could find in Sainsbury's at £1.05 for a 200g bag. I do love a bag of Tangy Cheese Dorito's, which are usually £2 in Sainsbury's for a 180g bag, but currently on offer at £1.50.
For its own brand Tangy Cheese Tortillas, Sainsbury's has gone for a bright yellow packet, with a Mexican-inspired design, making them stand out on the shelves. I was pleased when I opened it to find the bag absolutely full of tortillas - I hate it when you get what looks like a big bag but it's only half full.
The tortillas certainly looked cheesy, with the seasoning visible on each crisp. Taste-wise they didn't quite pack the same punch as the Dorito's version, but on the plus side that meant I didn't end up with orange residue all over my fingers. The texture was different too - a little bit less crisp than usual I'd say and the flavour seemed to disappear once I began chewing, so they were a bit underwhelming after I'd have a few.
I think these would be great though if eaten with a spicy tomato salsa, as they would definitely hold up to being dunked in a dip, so I'd buy them again for that purpose, but perhaps not to enjoy as a snack on its own.
Price: £1.05
Rating: 3/5
Where to buy: Sainsbury's online or in store
Asda Essentials Lightly Salted Sharing Tortilla Chips
I adore crisps - all sense of self control flies out of the window when I open a bag, so I don't tend to buy them too often. We all know they're not the healthiest but a treat every once in a while doesn't do much harm.
When I popped into my local Asda, its value range was disappointingly sparse and I had to scour the shelves to track down a budget-friendly alternative to the big brands. Out of lack of choice, I picked up a 180g sharing bag of the popular chain store's Lightly Salted Tortilla Chips.
Anything lightly salted is, in my opinion, pretty bland. These tortilla chips were no exception, but for the price, they certainly get the job done. As tortilla chips and dips are a match made in heaven, it's not a deal-breaker for me that these are a little on the bland side, as they'd be the perfect accompaniment to a spicy salsa or creamy dip.
If you're craving a really flavoursome packet of crisps, I wouldn't recommend these but if you're making nachos or serving chips and dips, then these are a brilliant option at an excellent price. I don't think many people buy lightly salted tortilla chips and expect mad flavours, so these won't let any shoppers down.
It was incredibly disappointing that this was the only Essentials packet of crisps I could find, with Asda's regular range starting from around 90p, so more than double the cost of its Essential Tortilla Chips. I think, especially in this current climate, people on a budget deserve more choice - we're all skint and feeling the pinch more than usual and little treats here and there can make a world of difference.
Price: 43p
Rating: 4/5
Where to buy: Online at Asda or in store
M&S Maple Bacon Hand Cooked Crisps
I’m absolutely obsessed with crisps and anything bacon flavoured, so when you put the two together it’s an absolute winning combination for me. I’ll be honest, I don’t usually get my crisps from M&S purely because I don’t shop there all too often, but it’s always a nice treat when I do get something from the rather luxurious store.
My go to crisps are anything meaty flavoured, but I really love salt & vinegar too. For a bit of a change, I decided to go for the Maple Bacon Hand Cooked crisps and I’m so glad I did.
After one crunchy bite, I was overwhelmed with a sweet and salty mix of flavour that made my mouth water. The bacon crisps actually tasted like bacon, and vaguely reminded me of the infamous Frazzles crisps - another bacon flavoured crisp I adore.
The sweetness of the maple was just enough without making the crisp sickly, and in terms of consistency they had a really nice crunch. The share bag of crisps actually contained a good amount of crisps too, unlike some bags that are mainly filled with air!
This was the cheapest share bag I could find, and for £1.50 I’d say that was really quite pricey, but the taste made up for it. I’ll definitely be purchasing these again and I’ll try not to eat the whole pack this time.
Price: £1.50
Rating: 4/5
Where to buy: Your local M&S or Ocado
Diamond Snacks multipack
I'm not a massive fan of crisps to be honest, but when the mood does strike I tend to stick to my usual brands such as Walkers or Pringles. This week I took a trip to my local Heron Foods store to see just how cheaply I could get my hands on some crisps - and it turns out I could get 10 packs for £1.
Heron's Diamond Snacks include 10 packs of crisps - three Cheese & Onion, four Ready Salted and three Salt & Vinegar. Despite the huge bag they come in, the individual packs are small, which was to be expected considering the price.
I opted for the Cheese & Onion flavour as it's my favourite and I was pleasantly surprised. The texture of the crisps were similar to Golden Wonder. The were firm and crisp and the flavour packed a punch, to say the least.
The only thing I wasn't impressed with was how small the bags were - or rather, that the already small packs were only filled half way. The flavour does tip the scale for me though, so I'd buy these again.
Price: £1 for a multipack of 10
Rating: 3/5
Where to buy: Your local Heron store
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