Ella Scott
It’s a sad time for crisp connoisseurs as Tyrells has cancelled production on one of its most popular snacks after more than 20 years on supermarket shelves.
The British potato crisp manufacturers, founded in 2002, are owned by KP Snacks. They specialise in tasty hand-cooked picky bits made from the finest local potatoes, as well as popcorn and tortilla crisps.
However, lovers of the quintessentially English snack are set to be disheartened as the snack giant announced its Tyrells factory in Staffordshire was shutting down.
With the Uttoxeter site on the chopping block, it means the brand is also looking to ditch its beloved vegetable crisps range.
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It’s understood that the decision has been made due to a ‘sustained’ decline in demand as well as ‘the loss of key export volumes’.
“While no final decisions have been made, we appreciate this is an uncertain time for our colleagues at Uttoxeter, and we are supporting them throughout the consultation process,” the business explained.
"Should the proposal progress, we will explore any ways to reduce or avoid redundancies where possible."
KP Snacks added that while the vegetable crisps would be slowly phased out, the other items are ‘not affected’ by the factory closure and that the products ‘continue to perform strongly’.
Following the news that the chips were getting the chop, fans have taken to Reddit to have their say.
“I love them but they are so pricey,” said one Reddit user, possibly hinting at the reason why the sales had declined.
A second wrote: "Man, no. Are there any good alternatives that the mainstream supermarkets stock?
“I absolutely love the veg crisps but they keep getting more expensive and seem to be increasingly full of beetroot and grease instead of the parsnip crisps that I actually want,” reported someone else.
“The supermarket ones are cheaper and the same quality so I don't feel like it's a huge loss really. It feels planned if anything.”
Another social media user begged: “Don't do this please f**k sake why can't we have nice things.”
The good news is that if you’re on the hunt for a new salty snack, then Walkers Sensations has you covered.
Ahead of Easter, the brand launched new limited-edition flavours: Lamb and Mint Sauce and the divisive Chilli and Cocoa.
Both Sensations packs are HFSS compliant and are available to purchase in 150g sharing bags.
“Easter continues to be a key moment for savoury snacking as the long bank holiday weekend brings more opportunities for friends and family to celebrate, with shoppers seeking snacks that feel a little and familiarity with the return of an iconic roast-inspired flavour and the launch of Chilli & Cocoa, offering something genuinely different for consumers,” said Wayne Newton, senior marketing director at PepsiCo.