Shoppers comparing familiar brands
If you usually pick up a named brand, check the amount of crisps in the pack rather than assuming a larger bag will suit your shop better.
Who is this for?
Lunchbox and household multipack buyers
Separate packs can be useful for lunches, work breaks or dividing snacks at home. Consider whether you need those sealed portions or will use a sharing bag after opening.
Shoppers checking labels
Salt, ingredients and allergen statements differ by product and flavour. Read the exact pack when dietary suitability matters.
What should you check?
Start with the format you will use, then compare the exact flavours and labels that meet that need.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Pack quantity | Read the net weight and, for multipacks, the number and size of the inner bags. Do not judge quantity by the outer pack alone. | I want enough crisps for the occasions I have in mind, without choosing a format simply because it looks larger. |
| Portions | Decide whether sealed individual bags or one sharing bag will be more practical. Consider when the contents will be eaten after opening. | Separate bags suit my lunches or work breaks; for snacks at home, I may use a sharing bag instead. |
| Salt and nutrition | Compare the exact products’ nutrition labels on the same per 100g basis, then consider the portion you expect to eat. Walkers Salt & Shake has a separate sachet containing 0.6g salt, according to its Joybuy UK listing. | If salt is a consideration for me, I want to know what is in the crisps and whether I will add a separate seasoning sachet. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients, highlighted allergens and may-contain statements for the chosen flavour. A dietary statement for one variety does not cover a whole range. | I need to check the precise flavour before buying crisps for someone with an allergy or a particular dietary requirement. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming a larger bag is the more useful choice
A 130g or 150g sharing bag serves a different purpose from separate 24g or 25g packs. The Competition and Markets Authority cautions against relying on familiar assumptions about grocery pack sizes when comparing value.
Choose the format around how you will use the crisps, including whether an opened sharing bag will be finished.
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Reading a simple ingredient list as a salt claim
The brands’ product information lists 1.3g salt per 100g for REAL Sea Salt and 0.94g per 100g for Pipers Anglesey Sea Salt. A short ingredient list alone does not tell you the salt content.
Compare salt on the exact pack’s nutrition label. For Walkers Salt & Shake, account for the separate sachet if you use it.
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Assuming every flavour has the same dietary status
Tyrrells Mature Cheddar & Chive contains milk and may contain gluten, while Pipers labels its Anglesey Sea Salt variety gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Those details apply to the named varieties.
Check the current pack’s ingredients and precautionary allergen statements, particularly when choosing flavoured crisps for someone with an allergy.
Brand and range references
Walkers
Walkers offers multipack formats including Salt & Shake 6 × 24g, which has a separate salt sachet.
- Individual bags can suit lunches and planned snack portions.
- The Joybuy UK Salt & Shake listing says each sachet contains 0.6g salt; check flavour-specific allergen statements on other varieties.
Tyrrells
Tyrrells has sharing-bag varieties, including Lightly Sea Salted and Mature Cheddar & Chive.
- Its Lightly Sea Salted range includes a 150g bag, according to Tyrrells.
- The Joybuy UK Mature Cheddar & Chive listing identifies milk and a may-contain gluten statement. Check the flavour you choose.
KETTLE Chips
KETTLE Chips has a 130g Lightly Salted sharing bag among its potato-crisp options.
- The 130g format suits occasions when one bag will be shared.
- It does not provide separate sealed portions for lunches.
Seabrook
Seabrook’s original range includes crinkle-cut crisps in sea-salted and flavoured varieties.
- The Joybuy UK Sea Salt 6 × 25g listing provides an individual-pack format.
- Ingredients and dietary suitability need checking for each flavour rather than across the range.
Pipers
Pipers offers Anglesey Sea Salt crisps alongside other named flavours.
- Pipers labels Anglesey Sea Salt gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
- The brand lists 0.94g salt per 100g for that variety; assess other flavours using their own labels.
REAL Crisps
REAL lists its Sea Salt crisps in 35g and 150g bags.
- REAL lists potatoes, vegetable oils and sea salt as ingredients for Sea Salt and labels it suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
- The brand lists 1.3g salt per 100g for Sea Salt; its short ingredient list is not a lower-salt claim.
Joybuy crisp options
These options include a Walkers multipack and several 130g or 150g sharing bags. Choose between them by how you will use the pack, then check the exact flavour’s label.
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Walkers Meaty Variety 20 × 25g
The 20 individual 25g bags suit planned lunches or dividing snacks at home. Check each flavour’s allergen statement; the pack information includes may-contain warnings for soya, mustard, wheat and other gluten-containing cereals.
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KETTLE Chips Lightly Salted 130g
This 130g bag is a sharing format rather than a multipack for lunches. If allergens matter, check the pack’s precautionary statement about production in a facility that handles milk and soya.
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Tyrrells Lightly Sea Salted 150g
This 150g sharing bag suits occasions when separate portions are unnecessary. Tyrrells lists potatoes, sunflower oil and sea salt for Lightly Sea Salted and advises that it may contain milk.
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Savoursmiths Truffle & Rosemary Flavour 150g
This 150g sharing bag is an option when you want the named truffle and rosemary flavour rather than individually packed crisps. Check the exact pack’s nutrition and allergen information before choosing it.
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Savoursmiths Vegan Wagyu Beef & Honey Mustard Flavour 150g
This 150g sharing bag offers a different named flavour from the plain salted options. For a dietary requirement, check the current pack’s ingredients and allergen statements rather than relying on the flavour name.
Questions about choosing crisps
Should I choose a multipack or a sharing bag?
Choose a multipack when sealed individual portions help with lunches or dividing snacks; choose a sharing bag when you expect to use its contents after opening. Check the net weight and number of inner bags so the formats meet the same need before you compare them.
Is a larger bag always better value?
No. The Competition and Markets Authority has found that assumptions about which grocery pack offers better value can be wrong. Consider how much of the bag you will use as well as its size.
What should I check on a crisp nutrition label?
Compare the exact products’ figures per 100g, then look at the portion you expect to eat. If you choose Walkers Salt & Shake, its Joybuy UK listing says each separate salt sachet contains 0.6g salt, so whether you use the sachet matters to that comparison.
Are plain or sea-salt crisps automatically vegan or gluten-free?
No; check the exact pack’s ingredients and statements. Pipers labels Anglesey Sea Salt gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans, while REAL labels Sea Salt suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Those statements do not establish the status of other flavours or brands.