Bobby's Spirals Prawn Cocktail

Back in the summer the Graffiti Artist recommended Bobby's crisps to me.

Graffiti Artist tells me Bobby's are big in the North (he's a professional Mancunian so perhaps not in the real North) and top quality. I thought he might have forgotten he promised to parcel some up for my Christmas present, and it turns out I was right; but I wasn't certain of that when I saw some packets in the local Post Office (first time I've ever seen them) so I bought a couple to see what all the fuss was about.

Prawn Cocktail. And spirals. I love a spiral crispy snack so despite not being a mad keen prawn cocktail fan I bought these anyway.

They're twisted! says the vribant pink packaging and Big Name Snacks... they're class acts! Well, I hope I manage to track down some Snax or Beef Grills as shown on the back of this packet. They look interesting.

There is nothing fishy about this tasty crispy snack (a point in their favour thought Tall taste tester), more of a sort of vinegary tomato ketchup flavour. A little bit too much vinegar perhaps but I think most of the reluctant taste testers rather enjoyed this spirally snack.

Pretty good we thought.

One of the taste testers asked me who owns Bobby's?  Apparently Bobby's Foods plc of Bromsgrove. A proper British company then. Family owned perhaps?

Tayto Prawn Cocktail Flavour Crisps

This is another little 25g packet from the Tayto multi-pack I found in Tesco. And something of a disappointment.

As before I noticed that the Tayto crisps are very small. Which is fine. After all the size of the potato doesn't affect the taste of the crisp.

But the flavour. How can I put it? Very sharp tomato ketchup. That's how.

No prawns were harmed in the making of these crisps which are suitable for vegetarians. And you might think that they are suitable for healthy eaters because just like breakfast cereals they contain iron, thiamin and niacin. I wonder why?

On the other hand you might say they really aren't suitable for healthy eaters because of all the Disodium 5 Ribonucleotide and Sodium Diacetate etc. Surely these days a proper crisp doesn't need to be covered in chemicals.

Oh yes, and the tomato ketchup taste? Where does that come from? No idea at all. Unless from the mystery "flavouring" on the list of ingredients.

The reluctant taste testers were not impressed. The extremely senior volunteer taste tester ate one and a half bags (at the very least) all by himself. But I have to tell you that he'll eat almost anything. We don't think he's allowed crispy snacks at home.

M&S Prawn Cocktail Hand Cooked Crisps

As a non eater of seafood I bought these crisps because I felt I ought to try them. And because I could buy a small 40g bag. And I knew that some of the reluctant taste testers would be sure to eat or even like them even if I didn't.

But guess what? I liked this crisp a lot.

The initial aroma seems to be a bit seafoody, but aromas are often quite different to the taste. And the taste really has nothing to do with prawns. Possibly because these crisps are suitable for vegetarians and thus no prawns were harmed.

These crisps, some of them very large, have a beautiful rich colour and a lovely rich taste. As I say, it's not a seafood taste, more a sort of spicy tomato sauce with onions, pimento, paprika and cayenne pepper. And a big hint of citrus to make the taste brighter. 

Really tasty.

KP Skips Tingly Prawn Cocktail

This is interesting. To me at any rate. KP Skips are made with tapioca starch. At least they are in the UK. For some reason in Ireland they are made with potato starch. Doesn't that seem as though it would be a totally different product?

I read that Skips were launched in 1974 and are manufactured under licence from the Japanese company Meiji Seika. And, which I didn't know because I don't remember seeing them, you can get Skips in three other flavours (Bacon, Cheese and Salt & Vinegar). At some unspecified time in the past there were limited edition flavours such as ReBoot Dots Donut. What??? Oh well what can you say? Anyway, they are best known for the Prawn Cocktail flavour.

I have been aware of Skips for years and years but I'm not sure I have ever tried them before. So let's go.

You know what? These are actually quite nice. I followed the instructions on the packet to balance a Skip on my tongue and let it melt in my mouth. They are quite fizzy, light and melty (as the packet tells me) and quite nice. Although I do slightly get the sensation of eating one of those packaging peanuts.

I don't eat prawns so I don't know if prawn cocktail tastes anything like Skips. Very likely not.

Skips contain no artificial colours of flavours and no MSG. They are cooked with 100% sunflower oil which is supposed to be healthier than other oils. And they are suitable for vegetarians so no prawns involved. I thought as much.

The little guy throwing his rubbish away responsibly has a little label: slam dunk your junk. So, a snack aimed at basketball players perhaps?

I like the way the 39p price tag on this 17g packet is designed to look like an old fashioned dangly tag.