Tried & tested: our favourite Christmas crisps of 2018
Festive flavours
From subtle hints of camembert and rosemary to punch-your-palate pink gin and peppercorn, the vast variety of Christmas crisps means everyone can find a flavour suited to their tastes. Here are our festive favourites...
M&S Black truffle & olive oil
Thankfully, the truffle in these crisps isn't overpowering and adds a touch of festive luxury. Leaving a distinctive extra virgin olive oil aftertaste, these crisps will stand up nicely to other snacks you might serve and they'll be a nice accompaniment to a Christmas cheese board.
Asda Mature cheddar & winter chutney
A brilliant combination of subtle flavours, these crisps are perfect for post-dinner snacking. The flavours mingle nicely with a hint of tanginess from the chutney. We especially love that they're not powdery, like some cheese-flavoured crisps can be.
M&S Port & Stilton
The combination of red and white potatoes is really effective and will look stunning served in a bowl. The crisps also deliver on flavour – the classic after-dinner combination is intriguing and leaves you wanting more.
Iceland Christmas tree flavour salted
An extremely divisive flavour, you'll either love it or hate it. They're great for bringing an element of surprise to your Christmas snacking spread and will definitely be a talking point. Whether you like them or not, they do deliver on flavour and actually taste of pine.
Waitrose & Partners Pink peppercorn gin
Another divisive, slightly bonkers flavour, these crisps won't be everyone's cup of tea but everyone will want to try them. The juniper flavour from the gin comes through very well although we'd argue that it's not as peppery as we expected it to be. It's definitely an intriguing flavour that you won't have tried before.
Tesco Finest Camembert with rosemary
Although the cheesy smell might put some people off, the flavour is absolutely spot on. Neither the camembert or the rosemary are overpowering and each bite offers a good balance of both.
Waitrose & Partners Iberico ham & fig
There's a subtle smoky flavour coming from the ham here that's complemented by a slightly sweet, figgy aftertaste. The flavours aren't overpowering and the individual crisps are really thin and crunchy, making for very pleasant eating.
Kettle Limited Edition Truffled cheese & champagne
Brilliantly balanced, rich and savoury flavours of truffled cheese are lifted by bright, zingy and slightly sparkly pops of champagne. These crisps will be the star of the show at any Christmas party and you'll have trouble not going through the whole bag at once.
Walkers Brussels sprouts
You have to commend Walkers for innovation and actually being able to infuse crisps with Brussels sprouts flavour. This, of course, means that some people will love them and some will hate them – either way, everyone will want to try them at least once.
Winner: Iceland Lobster cocktail
If you think they'll taste just like prawn cocktail, you'll be making the same mistake we did. The clear winner of our taste test, these crisps deliver the sweet, delicate flavours associated with lobster meat, followed by a punchy, recognisable flavour of Marie Rose sauce. You won't want to share.
Now take a look at our favourite mince pies.