Tyrrells Furrows Sea Salt and Vinegar Crisps, 150g

Furrows are the deep ridged crisps from Tyrrells, hand cooked in England, and Sea Salt and Vinegar is the sharp one. This is the 150g sharing bag, which the listing says holds five servings. The full product name on the pack is sea salt and vinegar seasoned potato crisps, and the pack gives a freepost address for Tyrrells.

The ingredients

According to the published pack listing, the crisps are made from potatoes, sunflower oil, maltodextrin, sea salt, cider vinegar powder, spirit vinegar powder, sugar, natural flavouring, dried barley malt vinegar, apple juice powder and an antioxidant, extracts of rosemary.

Three vinegars

The tang comes from three vinegars: cider vinegar, made from apples, for a fruity sharpness; spirit vinegar, the clean, sharp one; and barley malt vinegar, the chip shop vinegar, with its malty depth. All three are dried to a powder so they cling to the crisp.

Apple juice powder

Apple juice powder adds a light fruity note alongside the cider vinegar, with a little sugar to round the sharpness. The label gives 1.3g of sugars per 100g, green on the front of pack scale.

Sea salt

Sea salt is the fourth ingredient, ahead of the vinegars. The label gives 1.5g of salt per 100g, amber on the front of pack scale, right on the line.

Deep ridges

The front of the pack promises deep ridges and full on flavour. The deep ridge cut gives a thick, sturdy crisp with a big crunch, and the furrows catch the seasoning.

Hand cooked

The listing calls these hand cooked English crisps. Hand cooked crisps are fried in batches, which gives a harder, crunchier bite than a continuously fried crisp. The listing says the potatoes keep their skins on.

Maltodextrin

Maltodextrin, a carbohydrate made from starch, carries the vinegar powders and the salt so they spread evenly across the ridges.

Rosemary extract

Extracts of rosemary are a natural antioxidant, used to help keep the sunflower oil fresh.

No MSG

The pack says the crisps have no MSG, and Tyrrells says it never uses artificial ingredients such as artificial flavours, colours or MSG.

Numbers per serving

The label gives 151 kcal (631 kJ), 8.2g of fat, 0.7g of saturates, 16.4g of carbohydrate, 0.4g of sugars, 1.9g of fibre, 1.9g of protein and 0.45g of salt for a 30g serving. That is about 8% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake, 12% of the fat and 8% of the salt.

Numbers per 100g

Per 100g the label gives 504 kcal (2104 kJ), 27.2g of fat, 2.3g of saturates, 54.7g of carbohydrate, 1.3g of sugars, 6.3g of fibre, 6.4g of protein and 1.5g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 27.2g is red. Saturates at 2.3g are amber. Sugars at 1.3g are green. Salt at 1.5g is amber, right on the line.

Salt

At 1.5g of salt per 100g, this is the saltiest of the three Furrows we stock, ahead of Beef Brisket and Black Peppercorn at 1.2g and Sea Salted at 0.74g.

Allergens and diet

The published ingredients highlight barley, in the dried barley malt vinegar, so the crisps contain gluten. The allergy advice says they may contain milk. The pack says they are suitable for vegetarians; there is no vegan statement and no gluten free claim. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

Sunflower oil

Sunflower oil is the only oil on the list, and the label gives 2.3g of saturates per 100g, amber on the front of pack scale.

Five servings

The listing says the 150g bag holds five servings of 30g. Tip a serving into a bowl rather than eating from the bag.

Keeping them crisp

The listing says the crisps are packaged in a protective atmosphere, and advises a cool, dry place and, once opened, an airtight container.

The pack

The green bag carries a vintage black and white photograph of two rugby players in hooped shirts, one with a giant vinegar bottle under his arm reaching for a giant ridged crisp held by the other, with a label reading deep ridges full on flavour, the white Tyrrells name, a Furrows band and the words sea salt and vinegar.

Who it suits

A sharp, thick, ridged crisp suits anyone who likes a strong vinegar hit and a hard crunch. It is not suitable for anyone avoiding gluten, because of the barley malt vinegar.

Serving ideas

Serve the crisps with fish and chips, a fish finger sandwich or a pint of bitter.

In the kitchen

Crushed, the crisps make a sharp crumb for fish goujons, or a crunchy topping for mushy peas.

Recycling

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 Furrows

In the same 150g bag we stock Tyrrells Furrows Sea Salted and Beef Brisket and Black Peppercorn.

Other 150g packs of Tyrrells Furrows we stock

Figures as published on each pack's label.

The published listing gives England 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.