Kettle Mature Cheddar and Red Onion Potato Chips, 130g

Mature Cheddar and red onion is the savoury, grown up take on cheese and onion, and Kettle puts it on a thick, hand cooked chip. This is the 130g sharing bag, which the label suggests serves five. The full product name on the pack is Hand Cooked Potato Chips with Mature Cheddar Cheese and Red Onion Seasoning, and the pack says the chips are hand cooked in Norfolk with British potatoes.

The ingredients

According to the published pack listing, the chips are made from select potatoes, vegetable oils (rapeseed and sunflower, in varying proportions), rice flour, dried onion, dried buttermilk, natural flavouring, dried yeast extract, salt, sugar, dried parsley, citric acid, paprika extract for colour, dried mature Cheddar cheese (milk), dried Cheddar cheese (milk) and dried red onion. The label adds a note that the chips may be fried in either oil or a blend, depending on supply.

Two Cheddars and two onions

This seasoning names its cheese: dried mature Cheddar and dried Cheddar. Mature Cheddar is aged longer, which gives a sharper, more savoury flavour, and using both gives depth as well as a creamy base. The onion comes twice too: dried onion high on the list for a sweet, rounded onion flavour, and dried red onion at the end, which is milder and slightly sweeter. Dried buttermilk adds a soured tang, yeast extract savoury depth, and parsley a green note like a homemade cheese and onion filling.

Rice flour in a crisp seasoning

Rice flour is the first seasoning ingredient. It carries the dried cheese and onion and helps them stick to the chip evenly, and because it is not a gluten containing cereal, it keeps the seasoning in line with the pack's gluten free claim.

Hand cooked in Norfolk

Kettle chips are cooked in batches rather than in a continuous fryer. Each batch cools the oil when it goes in, and the slower cook that follows gives a harder, crunchier chip with a deeper golden colour and plenty of curls and folds. The pack says these are hand cooked in Norfolk, and it states absolutely nothing artificial.

Numbers per 100g

The label gives 494 kcal (2065 kJ), 26.4g of fat, 3g of saturates, 54g of carbohydrate, 1.4g of sugars, 4.9g of fibre, 7.8g of protein and 0.5g of salt per 100g. With five servings in the bag, a serving is about a fifth of the bag.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 26.4g is red. Saturates at 3g are amber. Sugars at 1.4g are green. Salt at 0.5g is amber, in the lower part of its band.

Allergens and diet

The published ingredients highlight milk, in the dried buttermilk, mature Cheddar and Cheddar. The published listing gives no may contain advice for this bag. The pack says the chips are suitable for vegetarians and carries a gluten free claim. They are not vegan, because of the milk. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

Absolutely nothing artificial

The pack states absolutely nothing artificial, and the list bears it out: the only colour is paprika extract, from peppers, and the flavouring is described as natural. The savoury depth comes from yeast extract and the cheese itself rather than from an added flavour enhancer.

Serving the bag

A sharp cheese chip suits a ploughman's lunch, a pint of bitter, a bowl of tomato soup or a cheese and pickle sandwich. On a buffet it is the crisp for people who find ordinary cheese and onion too sweet. It also works with a cool soured cream and chive dip.

In the kitchen

Crushed, the chips make a savoury, gluten free topping for a macaroni cheese or a cauliflower cheese, adding a second layer of Cheddar and a crunch. Scatter them on for the last few minutes in the oven.

Not the tortilla chip

Kettle also makes a Mature Cheddar and Red Onion tortilla chip, which we stock in a 140g bag. That is a corn chip with its own recipe; this is the hand cooked potato chip. Check the name when ordering.

Storage and packaging

The pack advises a cool, dry place away from bright light. The published recycling guidance says the whole packaging can be recycled with carrier bags at large supermarkets and should not go in home recycling. The pack names Kettle Foods Ltd as the maker.

Other Kettle flavours

In the same 130g bag we stock Kettle Brie and Caramelised Onion, Honey Dijon Mustard, Sea Salt and Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, Lightly Salted and Sea Salt and Crushed Black Peppercorns.

Other 130g packs of Kettle Chips we stock

Figures as published on each pack's label.

The published listing gives the United Kingdom as the country of origin. The tasting notes on this page are our own editorial assessment against the current pack format and the brand's published description.