Crisps/Chips a mini rant.

Years ago the only brand of crisps we knew in Bristol was sold by the name of "Smith's":.  They were plain and ordinary unsalted crisps. Each bag contained a little blue coloured twist-tie packet of salt - to be added at will.

("Smith's" is a brand name which survives in Australia)

Later on we could buy "flavoured" crisps, made by "Walker's" or "Golden Wonder",.

My dear Aunt Irene recalls  that I once went to our local corner store - long before the days of self service.- and , being very formal, I asked the shop assistant for a bag of "potato crisps".

The shop assistant allegedly replied "sorry we don't have that flavour".

True or false,  the demise of "Smith's Crisps" and the ascent of "Walkers" and "Golden Wonder"  led to the abomination  of variously flavored crisps.


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"Way back when" my flight .from London U.K. to Boston MA was diverted from Boston to Montreal, Canada.

This was on account  of the remnants of a hurricane which was sweeping up the eastern coast  of  north America.

Our  plane was refueled on  a distant runway.

We sat there for two hours. The best that the flights attendants could offer we hapless passengers were bags of  "salt and vinegar flavored " crisps to relieve our minor hungers.  Damn. I'd have sooner eaten fricasseed frog's legs with whipped cream.  Damn again  - there's nothing more thirst inducing than salt and vinegar flavoured crisps, and the plane had run out of drinking water.

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The 7-11 chain of convenience stores are selling their own "brand" of kettle cooked crisps.  (By the way -  what is "kettle cooked?).  The 7-11 brand crisps are very good, and at least for =now they are 50% cheaper than the named brands.

I bought a bag the other day  my for my bedtime snack  I opened them with keen anticipation (!!!), and then had to utter yet more "damns".  I had not noticed the fine print at the bottom of the bag.  They were "salt and vinegar" flavoured.

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I have not ranted on this blog for a while - so the above is to reassure myself (and you) that I am as quirky as ever.


Crisps as I knew them





The Smith's Crisps factory in Brislington, Bristol. An olfactory delight as we road by on the 'bus. 

The beginning of the end -  ready salted




The end of the end - flavoured crisps.



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