Vico Kettle Cooked Gaufrette Chips Sel de Mer

After much trial and error, considerable taste testing and a lot of thought, I have definitely decided that I prefer crispy snacks that don’t taste of very much. As in this example simply flavoured with sel de mer: sea salt.

The reluctant taste testers and I have tried lattice design crisps before. We tried Seabrook Sea Salt flavour and liked them very much. We tried other Seabrook flavours and liked them but not so much.

And now we have a similarly delicious lattice crisp from French snack company Vico (an Intersnack subsidiary). I really thought we must have tried them before because they’ve been around since 2017, but apparently not.

A good bite, a light salty flavour, and I do like the lattice design. What could be nicer? And they do work well with a dip.

Apparently the 120g packet contains 4 servings. Well, the Chef and I have very nearly polished off 2 whole packets between us. Perhaps we’re just greedy.

This really is a great crisp. Highly recommended.

Seabrook Lattice Food Heroes Steak & Ale

And another packet of Seabrook crisps bought for the delectation and delight of the reluctant taste testers by Noble Friend. The Food Heroes in this case are Black Sheep brewery; a new brewery started by Paul Theakston using 6 generations of experience, and of course they are based in Yorkshire.

I liked these a whole lot better than the Chorizo crisps but honestly I am not completely convinced by this flavour. There is nothing the matter with it, but I couldn't pick the steak flavour, nor the ale flavour neither. Now Tech taste tester is a meaty crisp flavour fan but I'm not sure he was particularly impressed here. A shame because obviously someone has gone to the trouble of choosing a particular beer brand and creating a specific flavour. It isn't a nasty flavour, of course not, just not a flavour that encourages me to have another crisp or buy another packet.

Why are Seabrooks trying so hard to succeed with fancy flavours when they make the plain ones so brilliantly? I adore their sea salt flavour: a true great. It's on our list of favourites because we love it.  But this is ordinary.

Seabrook Lattice Hand Cooked Crisps Natural Sea Salt

I seem to have corrupted the office. Most of the taste testers are nothing like so reluctant these days and several have brought in interesting crispy offerings. Today the Senior taste tester brought in this packet of Lattice crisps from Seabrook.

I discovered that Morrisons sell Seabrook crisps which have been heartily recommended by a friend, and I've tried their Sea Salt crisps which I thought were wonderful and have made it to my Favourites list. I had determined to make a foray  to stock up on Seabrook's products but Senior taste tester beat me to it with this one.

This is a lovely old fashioned (basically ready salted) flavour crisp but with the modern lattice texture. A very nice crunch, and just the right amount of salt.

But where most crisps might be ready salted or sea salt flavour, this packet is Sun Drenched Natural Sea Salt. So I suppose the salt is naturally dried in the sunshine. Which is great, but as the packet emphasises the natural process I wonder if most salt is dried in some nasty chemical process. In which case: what a pity. Because I'd so much rather have something natural.

The taste testers rather enjoyed this packet of crisps. It is a testament to their enthusiasm that this 120g packet was all finished by lunchtime. Just gentle grazing on the way to and from the photocopier can finish a bowlful (or several bowlsful) rather quickly.

And the packaging design is beautifully subtle. Very nice. I especially like the little string bow.

And here are a few images of the National Collection of Euphorbias in the University of Oxford Botanic Garden.