Walkers Deep Ridged: Flame grilled steak

Product name: Walkers Deep Ridged: Flame grilled steak
Purchase details: £1.00 for a multipack of five bags (Tesco Superstore)
Calories: 144 per 28g bag
Country of origin: UK

I had my first bag of Walkers Deep Ridged at a picnic a few weeks ago and was rather chuffed to win a ‘free bag’ from the Go Big or Go Home promotion. This was then followed by disappointment when I realised it came in the form of a voucher for 50p off a multipack. However, I won in the end as I think five bags of these Flame grilled steak crisps for £0.50 was well worth it, and it effectively meant I got more than one for free!

This range of savoury snacks claimed to be ‘ridged twice as deep’ and came in very manly packaging. The black and white colour scheme was dramatic and the mountain in the background added to the overall ruggedness. The only colour on the front of the pack was from the appetising product photograph and branding which, for this flavour, was orange.

As I said in my review for Pops: Melted cheese & crispy bacon, I’m not generally a fan of meaty crisp flavours. However, having already tried the Mature cheddar & onion variety of this range, the Flame grilled steak was the one that sounded the most interesting to try next, so I took a risk. Once again, despite the meaty seasoning, the crisps were actually suitable for vegetarians, and they contained no MSG, preservatives or artificial colours.

The individual glossy bags felt full of air but, thankfully, it wasn’t the case that there were only a couple of crisps inside. Instead, there were a number of large and well-defined potato snacks, although some of them were, understandably, not whole.

I’ve never liked roast beef crisps so I was a bit nervous when I discovered that that’s what these smelt like. However, I was surprised that the dried potato itself also had quite a strong aroma, which I thought was a bit unusual. The seasoning definitely won the battle on the fingers though – it took several hand washes to remove the smell!

For some reason, I wasn’t a fan of crinkle-cut crisps as a child – it was probably my dislike of change that made me want to stick with what I knew (i.e. standard crisps!). I’ve long grown out of that, though, and I’m very glad I did since these deep ridges made for extremely crispy crisps that delivered on the promised ‘epic satisfaction’. They were so chunky that they sounded hollow when I put them down on the kitchen worktop!

What I loved even more about the shape, though, was the way the seasoning clung to the increased surface area. My overall impression was that the ‘bold flavour’ didn’t specifically taste of meat but, rather, of Marmite crisps (I’m a lover not a hater!). However, a BBQ aspect did make itself known towards the end of each mouthful, and there was an unexpected succulent aftertaste too. I’ve no idea what specific ingredients contributed to the seasoning’s flavours but the effect was a taste that was far stronger than the smell. There was a slight oniony tang in the mix and, when I sucked hard on a crisp, it really did taste of meat.

Who knew meat-flavoured crisps could taste so good?! I can’t wait to finish off the multipack...

Appearance: 7.5/10
Aroma: 6.5/10
Taste: 7.5/10
Texture: 8.5/10
Overall score: 7.5/10