Tyrrells Sweet Chilli and Red Pepper Crisps, 150g

Sweet chilli is a sauce as much as a flavour, sticky, sweet and warm, and Tyrrells builds its version from spices, with red pepper for sweetness and colour. This is the 150g sharing bag, which the label suggests serves five. The full product name on the pack is sweet chilli and red pepper seasoned potato crisps.

The ingredients

According to the published pack listing, the crisps are made from potatoes, sunflower oil, sugar, salt, yeast extract, onion powder, tomato powder, ground spices (cayenne pepper, white pepper, jalapeño pepper, ginger and star anise), garlic powder, dried herbs (parsley and basil), a colour (paprika extract) and dried red bell pepper.

Sweet first

Sugar is the third ingredient, straight after the potatoes and oil, so the first taste is sweet, like a sweet chilli sauce. Tomato powder and dried red bell pepper add a fruity sweetness and colour, and onion and garlic give the savoury base. Even so, the label gives only 1.5g of sugars in a 30g serving, because the seasoning is a small part of each crisp.

Where the heat comes from

The warmth comes from three spices: cayenne, a hot dried chilli; jalapeño, a green chilli with a fresh, grassy heat; and white pepper, which gives a sharp tingle. Ginger adds a clean warmth of its own. They come after the sugar and tomato on the list, so the heat builds gently behind the sweetness rather than hitting first.

Star anise and herbs

Star anise is an unusual touch. The dried, star shaped pod of an evergreen tree, it tastes of liquorice and is used in Chinese five spice and in many Asian dishes. With parsley and basil it gives the seasoning a fragrant, rounded edge.

How hot is it

Expect a warmth that builds rather than a burn. The heat is real, from cayenne and jalapeño, but the sugar leads and the sweetness softens it, so it suits anyone who likes a little spice without a lot.

Hand cooked

The listing describes these as hand cooked English crisps. Hand cooking means frying the slices in batches, which gives a harder, more uneven crunch than a crisp fried continuously on a conveyor. The label says the crisps are made in England and carries the Red Tractor certified standards mark.

Numbers per serving

The label gives 151 kcal (630 kJ), 8.2g of fat, 0.7g of saturates, 16.2g of carbohydrate, 1.5g of sugars, 2g of fibre, 2.1g of protein and 0.33g of salt for each 30g serving. That is about 8% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake and 6% of the salt. Per 100g it is 503 kcal (2100 kJ), 27.3g of fat, 2.3g of saturates, 54.1g of carbohydrate, 4.9g of sugars, 6.6g of fibre, 7g of protein and 1.1g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 27.3g is red, as it is for fried crisps generally. Saturates at 2.3g are amber. Sugars at 4.9g are green, just under the 5g line. Salt at 1.1g is amber, in the middle of its band.

Allergens and diet

No allergens from the UK list of 14 are highlighted in the published ingredients, but the allergy advice says the crisps may contain milk. The pack says they are suitable for vegetarians and carries a gluten free claim. There is no vegan claim. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

What the brand leaves out

The pack says Tyrrells never uses artificial flavours, colours or MSG; the colour here is paprika extract, from peppers. Yeast extract, which is on the list, is naturally rich in glutamates, which is worth knowing for anyone who avoids glutamates altogether.

The pack

The red bag uses a black and white vintage photograph, like the other Tyrrells packs we stock: three firemen in brass helmets holding outsized chillies.

Serving the bag

Sweet chilli suits a party table or a barbecue: serve it with chicken wings, halloumi, prawns or a platter of wraps, and a cold lager. A soured cream or yoghurt dip cools the warmth.

In the kitchen

Crushed, the crisps make a sweet, spiced crumb for chicken strips or fish goujons, or a crunchy topping for a noodle salad.

Storage and packaging

The pack advises a cool, dry place and, once opened, an airtight container. The bag is packaged in a protective atmosphere, and 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 Tyrrells flavours

In the same 150g bag we stock Tyrrells Lightly Sea Salted, Sea Salt and Black Pepper, Sea Salt and Cider Vinegar, Smoked Paprika, Cheddar Cheese and Chive and Roasted Chicken and Sage. Smoked Paprika has the same salt figure, 1.1g per 100g, with a smokier, gentler spice.

Other 150g packs of Tyrrells we stock

Figures as published on each pack's label.

The tasting notes on this page are our own editorial assessment against the current pack format and the brand's published description.