Cult British crisps axed for good in 'end of era'

Snackers are united, mourning the loss of a beloved pub crisp that’s been in pride of place behind the bar for more than five decades.

Last year, Walkers confirmed it was discontinuing Smith's Tomato Snaps; in March, it was revealed that KP Snacks was shutting down one of its Tyrells vegetable crisp factories

The decision to shutter operations was down to ‘‘sustained’ decline in demand as well as ‘the loss of key export volumes’, as per KP.

Months on, and KP has broken hearts once again, announcing its own brand crisps were on the way out, too.

Despite not being sold in major supermarkets, KP Crisps have been a pub favourite and a cornershop icon for the last fifty years.

But, as they say, all good things must come to an end, with the brand announcing it was retiring Salted, Cheese & Onion, Salt & Vinegar, and Beef flavours.

KP crisps are no more, the brand has confirmed (KP)

A spokesperson told Metro: “We have made the decision to discontinue KP Crisps Salted, Cheese & Onion, Salt & Vinegar and Beef as we focus on our wider portfolio.

“We understand these products have a loyal following and thank consumers for their continued support of our brands.”

The nostalgic staple seemingly have a passionate following, with many fans taking to social media and the comments sections of news articles to have their say.

“So it's the end of KP for good then. People will not be happy about this at all,” one mourner wrote.

A second lamented: “I am still dealing with the loss of Brannigan's beef and mustard crisps!”

Fans have been lamenting the loss (KP)

“KP are the undisputed king of discontinuing my favourite crisps... Sad but unfortunately true!,” said a Reddit user.

Someone else chimed in: “KP beef are elite sarnies.”

“‘F**k nooooooo. Setting up a gofundme page so that y’all can send me all the boxes to keep safe,” another reported, as per Metro.

A sixth added: “They were like the perfect cheap pub crisp with a weirdly legit beefy flavour.”

Devastated fans who aren’t quite ready to trade in their KP crisps and a crisp pint for a can of Guinness and a bag of old reliable Scampi Fries: we have some good news.

You may be able to pick up the last couple of bags via eBay and SnacksOnline.

This isn’t the first time snackers have lost a legend in 2026.

It was announced in April that Gentleman’s Relish had officially been discontinued by manufacturers AB World Foods due to dwindling sales.

Production for The Gentleman's Relish has ceased, manufacturers have confirmed (Amazon)

The once-essential dinner party component, made from 60 percent crushed anchovies, may have had a niche following, but lacked wider commercial appeal, a spokesperson confirmed.

“Despite our best efforts, retailer distribution has dwindled. With Gentleman’s Relish no longer commercially viable and unable to secure a buyer for the brand, we regrettably stopped production earlier this year.”

The item, formally known as Patum Peperium, was previously manufactured in Poland. It’s said 750,000 tubs were sold in 2000.