McCoys Crisps: The Complete Guide

McCoys are not a subtle crisp. The ridges are bigger, the seasoning is heavier, and the crunch is louder than anything in the standard flat-crisp aisle. That is entirely by design. McCoys launched in 1985 with a specific brief: to make a crisp for people who found normal crisps insufficient. Forty years on, they are the UK’s number one ridged crisp and the third-biggest crisp brand overall, consumed in roughly a third of all UK households every week.

McCoys are a ridged potato crisp launched in 1985 by KP Snacks. They are the UK’s best-selling ridged crisp, worth over £190 million annually. The core range includes Flame Grilled Steak, Salt and Malt Vinegar, Cheddar and Onion, and Thai Sweet Chicken. Flame Grilled Steak is not suitable for vegetarians. Around 5 million packets are eaten every week in the UK.

The history of McCoys

Born bold in 1985

McCoys launched in 1985 under KP Snacks, the same company behind Hula Hoops, Discos, Nik Naks, and Space Raiders. The name comes from the Scottish idiom “the real McCoy”, meaning something genuine or authentic, and the brand leaned into that from the start. The original strapline was “The Real McCoy’s: Accept No Imitations”, and the crisps were positioned as a more serious eating experience than the standard flat crisp.

The key innovation was the ridge. A corrugated crisp has more surface area than a flat one of the same weight. More surface area means more seasoning powder makes contact with your tongue in every bite, and the ridged structure also creates a more substantial crunch because there is more physical crisp to break down before it collapses. Both of these things make the eating experience noticeably different, and noticeably more intense, than a flat crisp with the same flavouring.

Growth and the premium market

McCoys found a clear space in the market quickly. By the 1990s they had established themselves as the go-to ridged crisp in the UK, a position they have not lost. KP has described them over the years as the brand aimed at adults who want more from a crisp, and the flavour profile backs that up: Flame Grilled Steak, Salt and Malt Vinegar, and Mexican Chilli are not flavours designed to appeal to everyone. They are designed to appeal strongly to people who want a strong flavour experience.

Annual sales exceeded £190 million as of 2024, making McCoys one of the most commercially significant crisp brands in the UK. KP Snacks, owned by Intersnack since 2012, continues to produce McCoys at UK facilities. For the full KP history and what the company makes beyond McCoys, the KP Crisps complete guide covers it.

The ridge: why it matters

The corrugated pattern pressed into each McCoys crisp during manufacturing is not cosmetic. It does three things: it increases the surface area available for seasoning, it creates a stronger structure that gives a more pronounced crunch, and it makes the crisp thicker and more substantial to eat than a flat-cut alternative.

This is why McCoys fans tend to be emphatic about them. The physical eating experience is genuinely different. A McCoys Flame Grilled Steak and a flat steak-flavoured crisp from any other brand are not equivalent products. The ridged format changes how the flavour is delivered and how the texture feels, and for a significant chunk of the UK crisp-buying public, that difference is the whole point.

The current McCoys flavour range

The core range

Flame Grilled Steak is the McCoys signature and the flavour most associated with the brand. A deep, smoky, meaty seasoning that sits at the bold end of the flavour spectrum. It is not subtle. Not suitable for vegetarians, as the flavour contains animal-derived ingredients including lactose from milk, dried skimmed milk, and beef-adjacent flavourings.

Salt and Malt Vinegar is the sharper option. The use of malt vinegar rather than standard spirit vinegar gives it a more complex, less one-dimensional acidity. The vinegar hit is more aggressive than most salt and vinegar crisps, partly because of the ridged format amplifying the delivery.

Cheddar and Onion is the cheesy option in the range. Suitable for vegetarians. Rich, savoury, and noticeably sharper than a standard cheese and onion flavour crisp.

Thai Sweet Chicken sits at the lighter end of the McCoys range. The sweetness balances the seasoning and makes it more snackable than the steak or vinegar variants. Suitable for vegetarians.

The cult flavour: Mexican Chilli

“mccoys mexican chilli” appears in the GSC data with a 9% click-through rate, which is one of the highest of any specific query on the site. The people searching for it really want it. Mexican Chilli has developed a devoted following, with a heat level that puts it a step above most chilli-flavoured crisps and a flavour complexity that has kept people coming back since it joined the range. It is not always the easiest to find in smaller shops, which is part of why people search for it specifically. The McCoys range at One Pound Crisps stocks it alongside the full core range.

Are McCoys gluten free?

No. McCoys are not gluten free. The Salt and Malt Vinegar flavour contains barley malt vinegar extract and wheat flour. Other flavours also contain wheat-derived ingredients or are manufactured alongside products containing gluten. They are not suitable for coeliacs.

Are McCoys vegetarian or vegan?

It depends on the flavour. Cheddar and Onion and Thai Sweet Chicken are suitable for vegetarians. Flame Grilled Steak is not, as it contains dairy-derived ingredients and beef-adjacent flavourings. Salt and Malt Vinegar contains no obvious meat or dairy in the base recipe but uses “flavourings” which may not be confirmed vegetarian. Always check the current packaging before buying if dietary requirements are important.

None of the core McCoys flavours are certified vegan. The Flame Grilled Steak flavour contains lactose and dried milk, making it unsuitable for vegans. Check individual flavours against current labelling as recipes do change.

Buying McCoys in bulk

Individual bags and cases are available at One Pound Crisps. If you go through McCoys at any pace, buying by the case works out considerably cheaper per bag than picking them up individually. If you are after a broader comparison of bulk buying options across brands, the how to buy crisps in bulk guide covers the approach.