Walkers Salt and Vinegar Crisps, 150g

Salt and vinegar is the flavour that makes the corners of your mouth tingle, and this 150g sharing bag of Walkers Salt and Vinegar is the size for a table of people. The label divides it into five 30g servings and asks you to eat an opened bag within three days.

Where the vinegar is

Read the published ingredients and you will not find vinegar. According to the pack listing, the crisps are made from potatoes, sunflower and rapeseed oil in varying proportions, a salt and vinegar seasoning and antioxidants (rosemary extract, ascorbic acid, a tocopherol rich extract and citric acid). The seasoning lists acids (potassium acetates and citric acid), flavourings, potassium chloride, sugar, salt and yeast extract.

The acids do the job of the vinegar. Vinegar is a liquid, and a liquid would turn a crisp soft, so powdered seasonings use dry acids instead. Potassium acetates are salts of acetic acid, the acid that gives vinegar its sourness and smell, and citric acid adds a brighter sharpness on top. Acids come first on the seasoning list, which is why this is the sharpest of the classic Walkers flavours rather than the saltiest.

Why the salt figure is lower than it tastes

Per 100g the label gives 0.64g of salt, about half the 1.2g of Walkers Cheese and Onion and Ready Salted. Two things on the list explain the gap. Potassium chloride tastes salty but contains no sodium, and potassium acetates, the vinegar acid, are potassium salts too. The salt figure on a UK label is worked out from sodium, so a seasoning that leans on potassium can taste sharp and salty while showing a lower number.

A sharing bag in numbers

Per 30g serving the label gives 153 kcal, 8.8g of fat, 0.7g of saturates, 16g of carbohydrate, 0.3g of sugars, 1.3g of fibre, 1.8g of protein and 0.19g of salt. That serving is about 8% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake and 3% of the salt. Per 100g it is 510 kcal, 29g of fat, 2.3g of saturates, 0.9g of sugars and 0.64g of salt, which is high for fat, medium for saturates and salt, and low for sugars on the UK front of pack scale.

The whole bag is five servings. If you are counting, pour 30g into a small bowl rather than eating from the bag.

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. The pack states they are suitable for vegetarians and made with no added MSG. No vegan or gluten free claim is made, so we would not describe them as either. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

How the crisps are made

These are the standard thin Walkers slices: potatoes washed and cut thin, rinsed of surface starch, and fried in the sunflower and rapeseed blend until almost all the water has gone. The acid seasoning is tumbled over the warm crisps so the oil on each slice holds it, and the pack says the bag is packaged in a protective atmosphere, with the air replaced by a gas mix to keep the oil fresh until you open it.

Serving the bag

Salt and vinegar suits a table where there is something rich to cut through: sausage rolls, cheese, cold meats or a creamy dip. A soured cream dip is a particularly good match, because the cool, fatty dip softens the acid and the acid lifts the dip. Serve the crisps in a wide, shallow bowl so the ones at the bottom are not crushed, and top up from the bag rather than pouring it all out at once.

A chip shop night at home

If you are frying fish or making fish finger sandwiches at home, a bowl of salt and vinegar crisps on the table does the job of the vinegar bottle for anyone who wants that sharpness without soggy chips. Crush a handful over a portion of mushy peas for crunch, or serve the crisps with tartare sauce as a dip. The sharpness works against the batter and the fat in the same way malt vinegar does.

Other sizes

For one person there is a 45g bag of Walkers Salt and Vinegar, and for lunches a six bag multipack of 25g bags. Salt and vinegar also appears in every size of the Walkers Classic Variety box. For a sharing bag of a different classic, we stock Walkers Cheese and Onion and Walkers Ready Salted at 150g.

After opening

The pack advises storing it in a cool, dry place and eating it within three days once opened. Roll the top down tightly and clip it, and keep it away from the kettle and the cooker; an open bag softens quickly in a warm, steamy room.

Sizes of Walkers Salt and Vinegar 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 on this page are our own editorial assessment against the current pack format and the brand's published description.