Here we are with another of kettle chips' seasonal additions - of which I am a big fan usually.

They've really nailed it before with some wintery treats. Stilton with a cranberry relish - cheese with sweet bits go down well in my book. WOW it's intense!

It's a full on Stilton, but without the usual blue tang - which is I guess why they specified that it's white Stilton.

The cranberry sharpness hits the tip of your tongue, and there are blueberries in there too, which add a little sweetness. A great snuggly winter warmer, but intense - so this is a share pack for clean palates that don't have anything else going on in there.

Would probably pair well with a full-bodied red wine at a Christmas soirée.

​ 6.5/10

​Next up in the chef signature range, and doesn't it sound delish.

First whiff of the pack smells pretty appley (which is strange). While apple and cheese go really well together, as a crisp flavour...

Pretty disgusting. I gave it a chance, let the flavour settle a bit, after the initial shock - but no.

After a few mouthfuls, I'm still feeling pretty vommy. Can't say much for the cheese - I suppose it's quite creamy.

But the overarching flavour is apple, which simply doesn't belong on a crisp.
The aftertaste is almost floral. Some of them do taste more chutney-ish, and are nearly ok, but then others taste like pure fruit. Doesn't feel like there's any salt. Can't handle more than a few.

Just a 2/10 for these.

“What’s New Pussycat? Well, these crisps for starters. They’re a flavour not seen before in snack format as far as I’m aware and at time of writing they don’t even appear as part of REAL crisps’ range on their website. 

I really love the design of the packet though. For those not up to speed with their traditional British foodstuffs, Welsh Rarebit is ‘… a dish made with a savoury sauce of melted cheese and various other ingredients and served hot, after being poured over slices (or other pieces) of toasted bread, or the hot cheese sauce may be served in a chafing dish like a fondue, accompanied by sliced, toasted bread.’ So in short, everyone’s favourite ‘late-night-post-pub-didn’t-get-to-the-kebab-shop-in-time’ cooked snack, cheese on toast! And these are endorsed and flavoured no less by the Powerful brand version Welsh cheddar specialists, Collier’s.

“As you might expect then, these crisps are definitely one for those who like to dabble in a spot of fromage and certainly It’s not Unusual to find me time to time chowing down on chipped off chunks of cheddar. However, I’m not altogether sure you’d find these crisps in my Green, Green Grass of Home. 

The crisp texture itself is as I would expect from REAL crisps, thick and crunchy, so no complaints there. My issue is with the potent cheese taste which is more overpowering than powerful and I struggled somewhat with the strength of the flavour which packs a punch that Welsh miner and packet cover star ‘Rhondda Rodders’ would have been proud of I’m sure. For me, it’s not that it’s TOO CHEESY (this is Collier’s Powerful Welsh Cheddar after all) but that it was too dry and powdery. And, like a kiss from an ex-girlfriend that you didn’t know wanted you back, it lingers in your mouth longer than expected. If you queso crazy you might want to try but a step too far for me. Mama Told Me not to eat too many crisps.

PS. Apologies to Sir Tom Jones.

5/10.


Stevo, Crisp Nation

What did the Mexican say to the person trying to steal his cheese? 'That's Nacho cheese!'

I have to say I didn't have high hopes for these but I've been very pleasantly surprised! The cheese flavouring has been done very very well, it's so similar to Doritos tangy cheese.. But maybe slightly creamier. The result is a really tasty, non-sickly cheese crisp that's pretty addictive!

I'd still like the tortilla to be thicker so you can actually use it to dip- but hey it's a Pringle, I guess I could double or triple up for dipping purposes.

Cheesy goodness.

8/10

Well now - I saw these pop up on social media and thought to myself 'there's goes another amazing looking novelty crisp that will only be eaten by American and never cross the water.

Well hot dang - THEY ARE HERE!!! Found casually in my local tescos.

I'm so excited and I just can't hide it, time to roll that roulette wheel.....


Ok first taste is in and it's a tangy cheese. That's fine, I've got this. It's got the usual tangy cheese goodness that I've grown to enjoy. 

Time to roll again.. wait a second - surely if I have a peak I'll be able to tell which ones are chilli? Nope.. THEY ALL THE DAMN SAME. 

I'm playing a dangerous game here and I don't like my odds.

Another few crisps in and i'm starting to feel cocky - I feel like i've tasted a little chilli - that's nothing I exclaim to the rest of the office, not a chilli hit at all!

Next crisp goes down the crisp hole.. and BOOM there goes my taste buds! It turns out the crisp I thought was the bullet was actually just rubbed against a proper chilli crisp. I'm feeling a rushing feeling to my head, i'm going really red and my face feels like it's pulsing. I reach for the nearest liquid.. hot tea  - ouch! cold water - does nothing.. orange juice - phewwwww! 

These crisps sure are fun, my office are in hysterics. We're now working our way through the pack - and I have to say I'm not having the best of luck - I've had 3 hits of chilli already!!

Bravo Doritos - what a great idea. We're sold! 

9/10

Tyrells attack a flavour here that I'm very fond of. I'm very fond of it because of a little number by red sky (aka walkers), with their cream cheese and bacon crisps, which I love so dearly. 

So this effort has a lot to live up to. But you know what? I love them, I think they've done really well here. They've captured a really smokey bacon - with a real sweetness to it, which blends beautifully into the cheese flavouring. Now Brie, as cheeses go, is a pretty bland cheese - great melted, but as a flavouring, it doesn't come across as specifically 'Brie'. But I'm ok with that because this is a tasty crisp. On top of which, Tyrells always deliver an excellently crunchy crisp with a wonderful skin encasing the potatoey goodness. 




9/10

I'm always pretty excited by Kettle's seasonal editions. They're usually pretty daring and have some very fitting flavours. For example Stilton & Port.

Here we have a flavour of which the ingredients would be best suited to an autumnal evening. A nice cheese with red wine and sweet cranberry. Delish.

Unfortunately as much as I try to taste what I need to - it's not happening. The Cheshire cheese sure is lovely, but my taste buds are desperately searching for the warming subtle red wine but a very apparent sweet cranberry tinge. It's just not there, a lovely Cheshire cheese crisp with the usual great quality of the Kettle chips crisp. Just no red wine & Cranberry.

Still a tasty crisp, I just wanted more.

6/10

Third up in the Do us a flavour range reviews..

And they've turned something amazing, simple and tasty into something overly cheap and vommy. I really thought they could do better than this, get some some sweet ketchup flavouring and add a bit of cheddar - what can go wrong?!

These are really sickly. Really can't stomach the whole pack I'm afraid.

Bad luck Emma C!

2/10