It’s the delightfully savoury snack beloved by the nation for its tasty offerings that work for almost every occasion and at every age.
But now, the face of the nation’s cherished crisps could be set to change – with smoky bacon flavours at risk of a possible ban from supermarket shelves under a controversial EU reset.
The threat comes from Prime Minister Andy Burnham‘s decision to sign the UK up to following EU laws on food and farming in return for Brussels scrapping post-Brexit red tape on British food exports to the continent.
Under the terms of the deal, which will be signed at a UK-EU summit in Brussels on November 20, the UK will accept ‘dynamic alignment’ with EU rules, meaning it will have to adopt future regulations over which it will have little, if any, say.
If implemented, it would mark a devastating end to the beloved crisps Britons know and adore.
However, smoky bacon would just be joining one of many discontinued classics of the Sixties, Seventies, Eighties and Nineties that several nostalgic Britons are still mourning to this day.
Last year, a petition was launched in a desperate bid to bring back much-loved Brannigans crisps, withdrawn in 2020. But while it amassed more than 1,200 signatures, the British ‘pub classic’ has ultimately failed to make a comeback.
From Farmer Browns to Piglets, read on to reminisce over the most unusual British crisps that mysteriously disappeared from the supermarket shelves…
Piglets
These 3D, hollow pig-shaped puffs were an undeniably exciting addition to a school lunchbox in the 1980s, with a crunchy texture reminiscent of Burton’s Puffs
These 3D, hollow pig-shaped puffs were an undeniably exciting addition to a school lunchbox in the 1980s, with a crunchy texture reminiscent of Burton’s Puffs.
Sold in bright yellow bags, they came with a savoury, smoky bacon seasoning that saw them highly distinctive from other competitors.
However, they sadly disappeared from the supermarket shelves in the 1990s due to a shift in consumer demands and other more popular flavours.
Due to their fragile shape, most of the pigs also ‘shattered’ during manufacturing and transit meaning that several disgruntled consumers often opened a packet to find pig-flavoured dust in the bag.
Smiths Snaps Spicy Tomato
With a delicious zesty tomato flavour and light crunch, these tasty rectangular crisps were always bound to delight the tastebuds
With a delicious zesty tomato flavour and light crunch, these tasty rectangular crisps were always bound to delight the tastebuds.
First launched in 1979, they quickly became a staple across British households and a exciting corner-shop treat for younger generations across the 80s and 90s.
At the height of their success, a bag of Snaps cost just 5p to 10p, with avid shoppers desperate to get their hands on the delicious crisps.
In October, Walkers left shoppers devastated across the country when it announced it was discontinuing the beloved crisps after a nearly 50-year run.
Farmer Brown Crisps
First launched by Smith’s in the 1980s, Farmer Brown’s Crisps were a delightful animal and character-shaped potato puff snack that sold for around 8p a pack
First launched by Smith’s in the 1980s, Farmer Brown’s Crisps were a delightful animal and character-shaped potato puff snack that sold for around 8p a pack.
Varieties ranged from the likes of bacon flavours, to onion rings, scallion, beef and onion and Worcester sauce – with school lunchboxes of the 80s and 90s often filled with the delicious crisps.
Their popularity was also boosted by the cheerful and catchy television programs used to promote the offerings, with jingles such as ‘Farmer Brown, you got a crunchy snack there with lots of savoury shapes like me and you!’
However, while the whimsical crisps were once the height of popularity, they were sadly discontinued last year after PepsiCo, owner of Walkers and Smiths, announced that it was looking to focus more on the better-performing ranges and flavours.
KP Outer Spacers
Launched in the late 1970s amid the Star Wars craze in Britain, these delightful crisps were particularly popular among children due to their starship-like shape
Launched in the late 1970s amid the Star Wars craze in Britain, these delightful crisps were particularly popular among children due to their starship-like shape.
Each of the three flavours came in different shapes – with beefburger shaped as A-shaped interceptors, pickled onion as ring-shaped space stations and chutney as X-shaped starships.
But despite the initial success, in the early 1980s, the original Outer Spacers branding was tweaked to Alien Spacers to reflect the changing interest in Star Wars.
These later became known as Space Raiders – which are still sold across British stores today.
Smith’s Chinese Quavers
Offering a retro twist on the staple cheese puff crisp, Chinese Quavers came with a bold spicy beef-inspired flavour that delighted tastebuds across the nation
Offering a retro twist on the staple cheese puff crisp, Chinese Quavers came with a bold spicy beef-inspired flavour that delighted tastebuds across the nation.
Designed to recreate familiar Chinese takeaway-style spices but in snack form, they were renowned for their unique taste and design.
Similar to traditional quavers, the crisps were designed to dissolve on the tongue and became a staple in school lunchboxes and tuck shops in the late 20th century.
However, much to the dismay of customers, they were quietly discontinued ahead of a major restructure.
Brannigans
Famous for their staple roast beef and mustard and smoked ham and pickle flavours, Brannigans crisps were first introduced in the 1980s and soon became a staple across British pubs
Famous for their staple roast beef and mustard and smoked ham and pickle flavours, Brannigans crisps were first introduced in the 1980s and soon became a staple across British pubs.
In earlier decades, they also offered delicious chicken and lamb varieties, and were favoured for their thick crunch.
However, in 2020, Brannigans crisps were officially discontinued by KP snacks – with devastated Britons even launching a Change.org petition in a desperate bid to campaign for their return.
Despite obtaining more than 1,200 signatures, the petition proved unsuccessful, with Brannigans failing to make a comeback.
Skips Sweetcorn Relish
Launched in 1985, these tangy crisps came in a distinctive yellow bag and quickly became a hit after landing on the supermarket shelves
Launched in 1985, these tangy crisps came in a distinctive yellow bag and quickly became a hit after landing on the supermarket shelves.
At the time, the vegetable flavour was considered highly unusual but the niche taste combined with the exciting packaging saw it soar in popularity.
‘I loved them!’ said one reminiscent Facebook user, while another added: ‘I miss them, they were fab.’
However, the limited-edition crisps were sadly discontinued after just a few months.
Instead, the market paved way for the more popular Prawn Cocktail flavour – which is still a go-to offering for Britons today.
Riley’s
Founded in Scunthorpe by brothers Alfred (Biff) and Dennis Riley in 1947, Riley’s were famous for offering unconventional crisps that are yet to be recreated
Founded in Scunthorpe by brothers Alfred (Biff) and Dennis Riley in 1947, Riley’s were famous for offering unconventional crisps that are yet to be recreated.
Alongside the more traditional offerings of ready salted and cheese & onion, Riley’s also offered the likes of Scampi & Lemon, Grouse and New Potatoes with Mint.
Much to the devastation of shoppers, Rileys were slowly phased out of British supermarkets under their original branding during the 1990s – when the company was eventually acquired by Golden Wonder.
However, the original factory in Scunthorpe remains operational today under the ownership of the Tayto Group.
Kung Fuey
Popular across the nation during the 1970s, Kung Fuey sought to capitalise on the martial arts craze of the decade following the release of Bruce Lee’s films and TV shows
Popular across the nation during the 1970s, Kung Fuey sought to capitalise on the martial arts craze of the decade following the release of Bruce Lee’s films and TV shows.
Shaped uniquely like a small hollow, round ball with a crunchy texture, the beloved bags cost just 5p a packet.
Of the weird and wacky flavours they offered, nostalgic Britons may best remember their bacon and mushroom offering which was considered rather unusual for the 1970s snack market.
However, they were discontinued later that decade due to a change in consumer demands and a shift towards more mainstream crisp flavours.
Hedgehog Crisps
Developed by Phillip Lewis in 1981, a pub landlord in Wales, Hedgehog crisps quickly soared to popularity for their unusual flavouring and shape
Developed by Phillip Lewis in 1981, a pub landlord in Wales, Hedgehog crisps quickly soared to popularity for their unusual flavouring and shape.
Packets featured a playful note which read: ‘Savour all the flavour of traditional country fare cooked the old-fashioned way without harming a single spike of a real hedgehog.’
But in 1982, the Office of Fair Trading saw the crisps swiftly removed from the shelves as they argued that the name was misleading given that the product contained no actual hedgehog.
In a bid to reduce any confusion, Mr Lewis renamed the popular crisps ‘Hedgehog Flavoured Crisps’ and they returned to British supermarkets in 1984.
While they remained a beloved British snack, they were sadly discontinued in 1994.
Monster Munch Vanilla ice cream
In 2003, Walkers launched a limited-edition vanilla ice cream flavour that left shoppers both perplexed and intrigued
In 2003, Walkers launched a limited-edition vanilla ice cream flavour that left shoppers both perplexed and intrigued.
The sweet variety saw salt replaced by sugar, and lasted just 16 weeks on the shelves before being sadly discontinued.
However, while they were remarkably short-lived, Monster Munch’s vanilla ice cream flavour is widely considered a memorable nostalgic snack.
‘You had to give them a go. Generally while drinking a Ribena,’ said one Reddit user, while another added: ‘Everyone but me seemed to hate them. I didn’t mind when shops started selling them off for 10p a bag.’
ThunderCats
Soaring to popularity in the 1980s, ThunderCats crisps became quickly famous for offering a free set of collectable glitter stickers with each packet
Soaring to popularity in the 1980s, ThunderCats crisps quickly became famous for offering a free set of collectable glitter stickers with each packet.
Manufactured by Sooner Foods in 1987, the height of the animated television show ThunderCats’s fame, the vintage crisps offered unconventional flavours such as Crispy Bacon and smoky Bar-B-Cue.
However, once the television broadcast run came to a close and merchandise deals expired, market trends saw a swift end to the once beloved crisps just a few years later.
Tudor Crisps
Founded in Sunderland in 1947, Tudor Crisps soon made their mark as one of the most experimental crisp brands on the market at the time
Founded in Sunderland in 1947, Tudor Crisps soon made their mark as one of the most experimental crisp brands on the market at the time.
The sweet-and-salty potato mix came in a number of flavours that ranged from hot dog and mustard to mint sauce, and even a rather unusual mix of gammon and pineapple.
For those with a sweet tooth, their chocolate flavour proved highly popular, alongside Irn-Bru in Scotland and the North East of England.
Despite their hugely popular experimental flavours, Tudor Crisps were sadly discontinued in 2003 after PepsiCo phased out the label to focus solely upon Walkers.