Seabrook Crinkle Cut Beefy Crisps, 6 x 25g

Beefy is Seabrook's meaty flavour, and there is no meat in it. This multipack holds six 25g bags of crinkle cut crisps, 150g in total. The full product name on the pack is Beefy Flavour Potato Crisps, and the pack names Calbee Group UK Ltd as the maker.

A short list

According to the published pack listing, the crisps are made from potatoes, vegetable oils (sunflower and rapeseed, in varying proportions), yeast extract, rice flour, onion powder, flavouring and citric acid. That is the whole list, and it is one of the shortest seasonings in our range.

How a crisp tastes of beef with no beef

The meaty taste comes almost entirely from yeast extract, which leads the seasoning. Yeast extract is made by breaking down yeast cells and concentrating their contents, and it is naturally rich in glutamates, the compounds behind the savoury depth of roast beef, gravy and stock. That is the same principle as a yeast extract spread on toast or a spoon of it in a stew. Onion powder adds a sweet, browned note, the flavouring rounds out the beefy character, rice flour carries the powder, and citric acid gives a small lift.

Rice flour and citric acid

Rice flour is the carrier: a fine, neutral powder that helps the seasoning spread and stick evenly without adding a gluten containing cereal. Citric acid, the acid found in lemons, is used in a small amount to brighten the savoury flavour, much as a squeeze of lemon lifts a gravy or a stew.

Vegan and gluten free

The pack says the crisps are Vegetarian Society Approved, including its vegan approval. It also carries a gluten free claim and the Crossed Grain symbol, the gluten free mark licensed by Coeliac UK, with a licence number. That makes Beefy one of the more widely suitable meat flavoured crisps: no meat, no milk, no gluten containing cereal on the list.

What a crinkle cut adds

Crinkle cut slices are cut with a wavy blade, which gives them ridges on both faces, a firmer bite and grooves that hold more seasoning. With a short, savoury seasoning like this one, the extra powder in the grooves gives each crisp a full flavour.

Numbers for one bag

The label gives 126 kcal (527 kJ), 6.8g of fat, 0.7g of saturates, 13.9g of carbohydrate, 0.2g of sugars, 1.8g of protein and 0.3g of salt for each 25g bag. That is about 6% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake and 5% of the salt. Per 100g it is 504 kcal (2109 kJ), 27.4g of fat, 2.6g of saturates, 55.6g of carbohydrate, 0.8g of sugars, 7.1g of protein and 1.19g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 27.4g is red. Saturates at 2.6g are amber. Sugars at 0.8g are green, with no sugar in the seasoning. Salt at 1.19g is amber.

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 approved as vegan by the Vegetarian Society and carries a gluten free claim with the Crossed Grain symbol. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

How the crisps are made

Washed potatoes are sliced with a crinkled blade, rinsed and fried in the sunflower and rapeseed blend until the ridged slices are firm. The seasoning goes on while they are warm, and the pack says the bags are packaged in a protective atmosphere.

Six bags for the week

Six bags cover a week of lunches with one to spare. A beefy crisp suits a cheese and pickle sandwich, a tomato soup or a ploughman's, and for a vegan or coeliac lunchbox it gives a savoury, meaty flavour with nothing to worry about on the label, as long as allergies are checked on the pack.

In the kitchen

Crushed, the crisps make a savoury crumb for the top of a vegetable cottage pie or a bean casserole, adding a beefy note to a meat free dish.

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.

Other Seabrook flavours

Beefy is also in the Seabrook Crinkle Cut Meaty Variety box, with Canadian ham, prawn cocktail and sea salted. In the same six bag format we stock Seabrook Crinkle Cut Cheese and Onion, Sea Salted, Salt and Vinegar, Prawn Cocktail, Cream Cheese and Chives and Tomato Ketchup.

Other 6 x 25g packs of Seabrook 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.