Walkers Roast Chicken Crisps, 6 x 25g

The Walkers Roast Chicken multipack is not simply six small versions of the single bag. The published pack listing shows a different seasoning, with about half the salt per 100g of the 45g bag. There are six 25g bags in the pack, 150g in total.

The seasoning, and how it differs

According to the published pack listing, the crisps are made from potatoes, sunflower and rapeseed oils in varying proportions, a roast chicken seasoning and antioxidants (rosemary extract, ascorbic acid, a tocopherol rich extract and citric acid). The pack says the potatoes are 100% Great British potatoes and sustainably sourced.

The seasoning in this multipack lists sugar, potassium chloride, salt, flavourings, onion powder, dried sage, citric acid and paprika extract for colour. Compare that with the 45g bag we stock, whose seasoning starts with salt and dextrose and adds yeast powder, yeast extract and garlic powder. The multipack recipe puts sugar and potassium chloride first, and it does without the yeast and the garlic entirely.

Why potassium chloride matters here

Ordinary salt is sodium chloride. Potassium chloride is a close chemical cousin that also tastes salty, with a slightly bitter edge on its own, and it contains no sodium. The salt figure on a UK label is worked out from the sodium content, so replacing part of the salt with potassium chloride brings the number down while keeping a salty taste. On this list potassium chloride comes before salt, which means there is more of it by weight.

Numbers for one bag

The label gives 127 kcal, 7.2g of fat, 0.6g of saturates, 13g of carbohydrate, 0.4g of sugars, 1.1g of fibre, 1.5g of protein and 0.16g of salt for a 25g bag. Per 100g that is 508 kcal, 29g of fat, 2.2g of saturates, 1.6g of sugars and 0.65g of salt. On the UK front of pack scale fat is high, saturates and salt are medium, and sugars are low.

For a parent counting salt across a child's week, 0.16g per bag is a useful number: about 3% of an adult's daily salt reference intake, and roughly half what the same weight of the single bag carries.

Sugar at the top of the list

Sugar is the first ingredient in this seasoning, which can look surprising on a savoury crisp. It does not make the crisps sweet in any obvious way, and the whole product carries only 1.6g of sugars per 100g, low on the front of pack scale, because the seasoning is a small part of each crisp's weight. In lower salt seasonings, a little sugar is a common way to round off the slightly bitter edge potassium chloride can have, so the recipe still tastes rounded. Sage and onion then sit on top of that base, giving the roast dinner impression without the yeast extract used in the single bag.

If you have both versions at home and want to tell them apart, read the ingredients: yeast extract appears on the 45g bag's list and not on this one, and this one lists sugar first.

Allergens and diet

No allergens from the UK list of 14 are highlighted in the published ingredients. The allergy advice says the crisps may contain cereals containing gluten, milk, mustard and soya; unlike the 45g bag, this pack's published allergy advice does not mention celery. The pack states they are suitable for vegetarians, and there is no chicken in the ingredients despite the name. No vegan or gluten free claim is made. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

Tasting the difference

With less salt and no yeast extract, the multipack version reads a little sweeter and lighter than the single bag. The dried sage and onion still give the roast dinner impression, but it is softer, and it sits comfortably next to a sandwich without overpowering it.

How the crisp is made

The crisp is the thin Walkers slice: washed potatoes cut thin, rinsed, and fried in the sunflower and rapeseed blend until the water has cooked out. The seasoning goes on while the slices are warm, and the pack says the bags are packaged in a protective atmosphere, which keeps oxygen away from the oil until you open one.

Other ways to buy it

In the same six bag format we also stock Walkers Cheese and Onion, Salt and Vinegar, Prawn Cocktail, Smoky Bacon, Barbecue and Worcester Sauce. Roast chicken also appears in both sizes of the Walkers Meaty Variety box, alongside smoky bacon, prawn cocktail and cheese and onion. For the full salt version of roast chicken there is the 45g bag, and for a herbier sharing bag, Walkers Sensations Roasted Chicken and Thyme.

Keeping them fresh

The pack advises storing it in a cool, dry place. Keep the bags in the outer pack until needed; each sealed 25g bag stays crisp far longer than an opened one. In a lunchbox, keep the bag in a dry compartment away from fruit and drinks.

Sizes of Walkers Roast Chicken 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 Walkers Snack Foods Ltd as the maker. The tasting notes are our own editorial assessment against the current pack format and the brand's published description.