McCoy's Classic Variety Crisps, 12 x 25g

The twelve bag McCoy's Classic Variety box brings together three McCoy's flavours in one box: four bags of Cheddar and Onion, four of Salt and Malt Vinegar and four of Salted, each a 25g bag of thick ridge cut crisps. That is 300g in total, enough for a fortnight of weekday lunches or a small party.

One crisp, three seasonings

According to the published pack listing, every bag starts from the same crisp: potatoes cut with a corrugated blade into thick, ridged slices and cooked in sunflower oil. The seasonings then set the three flavours apart.

Salted uses salt, rice flour, dried yeast extract and natural flavouring. That makes it a little more than plain salt: the yeast extract adds a savoury depth, so the McCoy's salted crisp tastes seasoned rather than simply salty. Cheddar and onion uses dried onion, dried yeast extract, dried whey, dextrose, salt, dried whole milk, dried cheese, rubbed parsley, flavourings containing milk, onion extract and paprika extract. Salt and malt vinegar uses salt, natural flavouring, sugar, dextrose, citric acid, rice flour, dried yeast extract, maltodextrin, a potassium phosphate stabiliser and dried barley malt vinegar extract.

What to know before you share the bags

Two flavours carry an allergen. The cheddar and onion bags contain milk, in the whey, whole milk, cheese and flavourings. The salt and malt vinegar bags contain cereals containing gluten, because malt vinegar is made from barley. The salted bags list neither milk nor a gluten containing cereal in their ingredients. The published listing for this box highlights both milk and cereals containing gluten but does not carry the may contain advice; the six bag McCoy's Classic Variety box, with the same three flavours, says it may contain mustard and soya, so read the allergy advice on the box and on each bag before sharing. The pack says all three flavours are suitable for vegetarians. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

Three nutrition panels

Per 25g bag, the panels give cheddar and onion 132 kcal, 7.5g of fat and 0.24g of salt; salt and malt vinegar 132 kcal, 7.8g of fat and 0.53g of salt; and salted 133 kcal, 8g of fat and 0.33g of salt. Per 100g, the salt tells the three apart clearly: 0.97g for cheddar and onion, 1.3g for salted and 2.1g for salt and malt vinegar. On the UK front of pack scale all three are high for fat and low for sugars; salt is medium for the first two and high for salt and malt vinegar, which crosses the 1.5g line.

The salted bag, explained

McCoy's calls its plain flavour salted rather than ready salted, and the seasoning shows why the word is different. Where a ready salted crisp usually carries salt alone, the McCoy's salted seasoning adds rice flour as a carrier, dried yeast extract for a savoury depth and a natural flavouring. So the plain bag in this box tastes seasoned, with a little more going on than salt, while still being the mildest of the three. Its label gives 1.3g of salt per 100g, between the cheddar and onion and the salt and malt vinegar.

Reading the colours on the front

Across the three flavours, fat per 100g sits between 30g and 32g, which is red on the UK front of pack scale, as it is for fried crisps generally. Saturates are amber and sugars green in every flavour. Salt is where they differ: amber for cheddar and onion and salted, red for salt and malt vinegar at 2.1g, above the 1.5g line.

Why ridge cut suits a variety box

McCoy's thick ridged slices are sturdier than thin crisps, so they survive a box being opened, shared and carried around. The grooves hold more seasoning, which is why each of the three flavours tastes strong for its size. And because the crunch is firmer, a ridge cut crisp stands up to a dip, which makes a sorted box useful at a party: salted for the dips, cheddar and onion for the sandwiches, salt and malt vinegar for the sharp tooth.

How the crisps are made

Washed potatoes pass through a corrugated blade into thick ridged slices, which are rinsed of surface starch and fried in sunflower oil until the water has cooked out and they are firm through. Each seasoning is tumbled onto warm crisps so the oil and the ridges hold it, and each bag is sealed separately.

Who the twelve bag box suits

Twelve bags cover two working weeks at a bag a day, or a week for a pair. The mix of a savoury dairy flavour, a sharp one and a plain one gives everyone something, and the sturdy crisps travel well in lunchboxes and bags. For a household with someone avoiding gluten or milk, the salted bags are the ones to look at first, after checking their own allergy advice.

Other sizes and single flavours

The McCoy's Classic Variety box also comes with six bags, two of each flavour. For single flavours, we stock McCoy's Cheddar and Onion and Salt and Malt Vinegar in six bag multipacks and 45g bags, and Salt and Malt Vinegar in a 140g sharing bag. McCoy's Flame Grilled Steak and Thai Sweet Chicken complete the regular McCoy's range we stock.

The packets and storage

The published listing says the whole packaging can be recycled with bags at large supermarkets and should not go in home recycling. Keep the box in a cool, dry place, keep the bags sealed until they are needed, and finish each bag once it is opened.

Sizes of McCoy's Classic Variety Crisps we stock

Figures as published on each pack's label.

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