Golden Wonder Salt and Vinegar Crisps, 6 x 25g

Golden Wonder Salt and Vinegar is the sharp one of the range: a short seasoning list on a classic thin slice. This multipack holds six 25g bags, 150g in all, and the pack says each bag is one serving. The pack names Golden Wonder Ltd of Corby, Northamptonshire, as the maker for Great Britain.

The ingredients

According to the published pack listing, the crisps are made from potatoes, vegetable oils (rapeseed and sunflower in varying proportions) and a salt and vinegar seasoning of flavouring, potato starch, a flavour enhancer (monosodium glutamate), salt, a stabiliser (potassium chloride) and citric acid.

Vinegar without vinegar

There is no vinegar on the list, and no sodium diacetate, the vinegar powder many salt and vinegar crisps use. The vinegar taste comes from the flavouring, which leads the seasoning, and citric acid adds the sharpness.

Salt first

Salt is the other half of the flavour, and this is the saltiest of the Golden Wonder six packs we stock, at 1.68g per 100g and 0.42g in a bag. Potassium chloride, listed here as a stabiliser, adds salty taste without sodium.

Potato starch

Potato starch carries the seasoning so it spreads evenly over each crisp. With the potatoes themselves, it means the crisps are made mostly of potato, oil and seasoning.

MSG

The flavour enhancer is monosodium glutamate, which rounds the sharpness with a savoury note. Anyone who avoids MSG should read the list; all four Golden Wonder six pack flavours we stock use it.

Citric acid

Citric acid, the acid of lemons, gives the sharpness, so the tang comes from fruit acid rather than from vinegar itself.

Sugars

There is no sugar on the list, and the label gives 0.4g of sugars per 100g and 0.1g in a bag.

Numbers for one bag

The pack gives 129 kcal (536 kJ), 7.8g of fat, 0.7g of saturates, 12.8g of carbohydrate, 0.1g of sugars, 0.8g of fibre, 1.5g of protein and 0.42g of salt for each 25g bag. That is about 6% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake, 11% of the fat and 7% of the salt. Per 100g it is 514 kcal (2144 kJ), 31.1g of fat, 2.9g of saturates, 51.1g of carbohydrate, 0.4g of sugars, 3.3g of fibre, 5.8g of protein and 1.68g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 31.1g is red, as it is for fried crisps generally. Saturates at 2.9g are amber. Sugars at 0.4g are green. Salt at 1.68g is red, over the 1.5g line.

Allergens and diet

No allergens from the UK list of 14 are highlighted in the published ingredients, and the published listing gives no may contain advice. The pack says the crisps are suitable for vegans, which covers vegetarians too. There is no gluten free claim, though no gluten containing cereal is on the list. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

What the pack leaves out

The pack says there are no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. There is no colour on the list at all, so the crisps keep their natural golden shade.

The oils

The crisps are fried in rapeseed and sunflower oils, in varying proportions. The label gives 2.9g of saturates per 100g, amber on the front of pack scale.

The slice

The crisps are classic thin slices of potato, fried and seasoned, with a crisp, clean snap.

Salt across the range

At 1.68g of salt per 100g, Salt and Vinegar is the saltiest of the Golden Wonder six packs we stock: Tomato Ketchup has 1.38g, Beef and Onion 1.32g and Cheese and Onion 1.23g.

The pack

The blue bag carries the red Golden Wonder name with the line more punch per crunch around it, a crisp beside the figure 6 and the words salt and vinegar.

Six bags

At 25g, each bag is one serving, 129 kcal. Six bags cover a school or working week with one to spare.

Who it suits

A sharp, salty crisp with a vegan statement suits a plant based lunchbox. It is not suitable for anyone avoiding MSG, and anyone watching salt may prefer the Cheese and Onion.

Serving ideas

Salt and vinegar goes with fish finger sandwiches, a cheese and pickle roll or a pint of bitter.

Chip shop night

Serve a bag beside fish and chips at home, or tip one into a chip butty for extra crunch and a sharper edge.

In the kitchen

Crushed, the crisps make a sharp crumb for fish goujons or the top of mushy peas.

Storage and packaging

The pack advises a cool, dry place.

Other Golden Wonder flavours

In the same six bag format we stock Golden Wonder Cheese and Onion, Beef and Onion and Tomato Ketchup. Salt and vinegar is also one of the four flavours in the Golden Wonder Variety box of sixteen bags.

Other 6 x 25g packs of Golden Wonder we stock

Figures as published on each pack's label.

The tasting notes on this page are our own editorial assessment against the current pack format and the brand's published description.