Pipers Atlas Mountains Wild Thyme and Rosemary Crisps, 150g

Pipers make sharing crisps with named ingredients, and this is their herb crisp: wild thyme from the Atlas Mountains with rosemary and four more herbs. This is the 150g sharing bag. The full product name on the pack is wild thyme and rosemary flavour potato crisps, and the pack names Pipers Crisps of Elsham, North Lincolnshire, as the maker.

The ingredients

According to the published pack listing, the crisps are made from potatoes, sunflower oil, rice flour, sugar, salt, onion powder, yeast extract powder, garlic powder, rosemary, tomato powder, dried lemon juice, black pepper, dried red bell pepper, wild thyme, basil, citric acid, oregano, parsley, sage, natural flavouring and turmeric extract.

Atlas Mountains thyme

The pack says the wild thyme is sourced from the Atlas Mountains, chosen for its aroma and for the way it is harvested, and blended with rosemary for the finish.

Six herbs

Rosemary, wild thyme, basil, oregano, parsley and sage are all on the list, the herbs of a Mediterranean roast. Rosemary comes first of the herbs, with thyme behind, and the others fill out a green, savoury flavour.

Lemon and pepper

Dried lemon juice and citric acid give a fresh, sharp lift, and black pepper a gentle warmth. Garlic, onion, tomato and red pepper give the seasoning its savoury body, much like a herb rub for roast potatoes.

Red pepper and tomato

Dried red bell pepper and tomato powder give a sweet, roasted vegetable note under the herbs.

Rice flour

Rice flour carries the seasoning so it spreads evenly over each crisp, and it contains no gluten.

Yeast extract

Yeast extract powder gives savoury depth behind the herbs. It is naturally rich in glutamates, worth knowing for anyone who avoids them altogether; there is no added MSG on the list.

Turmeric

Turmeric extract gives the seasoning a warm golden colour.

Numbers per 100g

The label gives 509 kcal (2121 kJ), 30g of fat, 1.8g of saturates, 56g of carbohydrate, 2g of sugars, 6g of fibre, 6.4g of protein and 1.4g of salt per 100g. The listing gives no serving size, so the figures on this page are per 100g.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 30g is red, as it is for fried crisps generally. Saturates at 1.8g are amber, the lowest of the Pipers bags we stock. Sugars at 2g are green. Salt at 1.4g is amber, in the upper part of its band.

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 and vegetarians, with Vegetarian Society vegan approval, and carries a gluten free claim. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

Vegan and gluten free

With no animal ingredient and no gluten containing cereal on the list, and both statements on the pack, one bowl of these suits vegans, vegetarians and coeliac guests at the same table.

Fibre

The label gives 6g of fibre per 100g, the most of the Pipers bags we stock.

Sunflower oil

The crisps are fried in sunflower oil, the only oil on the list.

The pack

The lilac and white bag carries the Pipers trumpeter over the Pipers name, with Atlas Mountains in lilac above wild thyme and rosemary crisps and the 150g weight.

The Pipers range

Pipers name the source of a key ingredient on each bag: Wyke cheddar, Atlas Mountains thyme, Trealy Farm chorizo, Burrow Hill cider vinegar and Anglesey sea salt. The five bags we stock share the same 150g format and are all fried in sunflower oil.

A sharing bag

At 150g, the bag is made for sharing. Tip a handful into a bowl rather than eating from the bag, and clip it shut between servings.

Who it suits

A herby, savoury crisp with no strong heat suits a mixed table, and the vegan statement and gluten free claim suit most diets. It is a grown up flavour for a drinks table.

Serving the bag

Wild thyme and rosemary goes with a roast chicken supper, a Mediterranean platter of olives and cured meats, or a glass of white wine or a gin and tonic.

In the kitchen

Crushed, the crisps make a herby crumb for the top of a fish pie or a tomato gratin, or a crunchy topping for a Greek salad.

Storage

The pack advises a cool, dry place and eating the crisps within three days of opening. Clip the bag shut between servings.

Other Pipers flavours

In the same 150g bag we stock Pipers Anglesey Sea Salt, Wyke Cheddar and Onion, Burrow Hill Cider Vinegar and Sea Salt and Trealy Farm Chorizo.

Other 150g packs of Pipers 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.