The UK’s Favourite Crisp Flavours (Backed by Data)

Cheese and Onion is the UK’s most loved crisp flavour according to YouGov data, with 31% of Britons picking it as their favourite. Ready Salted sells the most by volume. Salt and Vinegar divides the nation. Prawn Cocktail has the most passionate fans relative to its market share. Here are 20 of the UK’s favourite crisps counted down from 20 to 1, with the data behind every entry.

How this list was put together

The ranking draws on YouGov consumer preference data, UK search volume, and market share figures from Mintel and industry reports. It is not a purely subjective list. Where data points in different directions, that is noted. Some crisps rank highly on passion and loyalty rather than raw sales numbers, and that counts too.

20 to 1: The UK’s Favourite Crisps

20. McCoys Ridge Cut Crisps

McCoys sit at the premium end of the mainstream market and consistently outperform their shelf space in terms of loyalty. The ridge cut gives them a thicker, crunchier bite than a standard flat crisp, and the flavours, particularly Flame Grilled Steak and Salt and Malt Vinegar, are bolder than most competitors dare to go. KP Snacks makes them, and they remain one of the few mainstream crisps that genuinely tastes different from a standard Walkers flat crisp.

Browse the McCoys range or buy McCoys on Amazon.

19. Kettle Chips

Kettle Chips built the premium hand-cooked crisp category in the UK almost single-handedly. They launched in 1987 and spent years convincing people that a crisp could be worth paying more for. The uneven, thicker cut and the more complex seasoning worked, and today hand-cooked crisps are a genuine supermarket category rather than a niche. Sea Salt and Balsamic Vinegar and Mature Cheddar and Red Onion are the standout flavours.

Browse the Kettle Chips range or buy Kettle Chips on Amazon.

18. Pringles Original

Pringles are technically not crisps under UK law. They contain less than 50% potato and are classified as a potato snack for VAT purposes, a distinction that was tested in court and upheld on appeal. None of that has dented their popularity. The stackable tube, the uniform shape, and the light, consistent flavour have made them one of the most recognised snack products in the world. Pringles are the top snack pick for Gen Z in the UK according to YouGov BrandIndex data from 2025.

Browse the Pringles range or buy Pringles on Amazon.

17. Tyrrells

Tyrrells launched in Herefordshire in 2002 and became one of the most successful premium crisp brands in the UK. The distinctive hand-cooked style, the country estate branding, and the unusual flavours like Mature Cheddar and Chive set them apart from mainstream competitors. They are now owned by KP Snacks but have kept their premium positioning. Tyrrells are one of the brands that proved British consumers would pay significantly more for a better quality crisp.

Browse the Tyrrells range or buy Tyrrells on Amazon.

16. Doritos Chilli Heatwave

Doritos sit in their own category: tortilla chips rather than potato crisps, American in origin, but fully embedded in the UK snack market. Chilli Heatwave is the flavour that defines the brand in Britain, consistently outselling the original Tangy Cheese in recent years among younger buyers. The combination of heat, seasoning, and the distinctive triangular chip shape has made it a party staple and a lunchtime favourite for under-30s in particular.

Buy Doritos Chilli Heatwave on Amazon.

15. Pipers Crisps

Pipers are the premium end of the premium end. Made in Lincolnshire using British-grown potatoes, cooked in small batches, and seasoned with high-quality ingredients, they are the crisp you find in gastropubs and independent delis rather than corner shops. Flavours like Kirkby Malham Chorizo and Anglesey Sea Salt are genuinely more complex than anything in the standard supermarket aisle. They cost more per bag, but the quality difference is real.

Browse the Pipers Crisps range or buy Pipers Crisps on Amazon.

14. Quavers Cheese

Quavers are a Walkers product and one of the most distinctive textures in the UK crisp market. The light, airy, curled shape dissolves almost immediately on the tongue, which gives them a completely different eating experience from a standard flat crisp. The cheese flavour is mild and consistent. Quavers are a genuine favourite with children but also carry strong nostalgia for adults who grew up eating them in the 1980s and 1990s.

Browse the Quavers range or buy Quavers on Amazon.

13. Skips Prawn Cocktail

Skips are one of the most unusual textures in the UK crisp aisle. The light, dissolving corn puff shape gives a completely different eating experience from any potato-based crisp, and the prawn cocktail flavour is distinctly sweet compared to the Walkers version. Skips are one of the most searched-for vegan crisps in the UK, which surprises many people given the prawn name. Our post on whether Skips are vegan confirms they are fully plant-based.

Browse the Skips range or buy Skips on Amazon.

12. Hula Hoops Original

Hula Hoops have been made by KP Snacks since 1973 and are one of the most recognised crisp shapes in the UK. The ring design was originally conceived so you could wear them on your fingers before eating them, a gimmick that became a genuine cultural behaviour for generations of British children. The potato-based recipe has stayed largely consistent, and the Ready Salted and BBQ Beef flavours both have large loyal followings.

Browse the Hula Hoops range or buy Hula Hoops on Amazon.

11. Wotsits Cheese

Wotsits are Walkers’ cheese puff product and one of the messiest crisps available, leaving orange dust on fingers that is now so associated with the snack it has become part of the brand identity. The cheese flavour is more intense than Quavers and the texture is firmer. Wotsits have been around since the 1970s and remain one of the most distinctive products in the Walkers range.

Browse the Wotsits range or buy Wotsits on Amazon.

10. Walkers Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli

Walkers Sensations launched in 2002 as Walkers’ premium sub-brand, with thicker-cut crisps and more complex flavour profiles. Thai Sweet Chilli became the standout flavour almost immediately and has remained the bestseller in the range ever since. The combination of sweetness and gentle heat works across a wide range of tastes. Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli is one of the most reliably popular crisps you can put out at a gathering.

Browse the Walkers Sensations range or buy Walkers Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli on Amazon.

9. Frazzles Crispy Bacon

Frazzles have been made since 1975 and are one of the most distinctive shapes in the UK snack market. Each piece is moulded to resemble a rasher of streaky bacon, and the smoky seasoning is more intense than most bacon-flavoured snacks on the market. They contain no actual bacon and are suitable for vegetarians. Frazzles are now made by Walkers under the Smiths brand name and remain one of only two surviving core products from the original Smiths range alongside Chipsticks.

Buy a box of Frazzles on site or buy Frazzles on Amazon.

8. Wheat Crunchies Bacon

Wheat Crunchies are a KP product and one of the most overlooked great crisps in the UK market. The wheat-based puff has a firmer, crunchier bite than corn-based snacks, and the bacon flavour is genuinely good without being too sweet or too smoky. They have a dedicated following who would notice immediately if they were discontinued. Our complete guide to Wheat Crunchies covers the full range and history.

Browse the Wheat Crunchies range or buy Wheat Crunchies on Amazon.

7. Nik Naks Nice ‘N’ Spicy

Nik Naks are a KP product with a texture unlike anything else in the UK crisp aisle. The extruded corn base is irregular in shape, slightly sticky, and intensely seasoned. Nice ‘N’ Spicy is the most popular flavour by search volume and sales, delivering a tangy, vinegar-forward heat that sits closer to pickled onion than standard spicy. Our full ranking of every Nik Naks flavour puts Nice ‘N’ Spicy at the top with good reason.

Browse the Nik Naks range or buy Nik Naks on Amazon.

6. Space Raiders Pickled Onion

Space Raiders launched in 1986 at 10p a bag and built a loyal following almost entirely on value and bold flavour. The pickled onion variety is the one most people associate with the brand, and the sharp, vinegary hit is more intense than most pickled onion crisps on the market. Space Raiders are made by KP and remain one of the best value crisps available. They are also fully vegan, which makes them one of the few mainstream crisps suitable for plant-based diets.

Browse the Space Raiders range or buy Space Raiders on Amazon.

5. Discos Salt and Vinegar

Discos are a KP product with a flat disc shape and a thin, light texture that delivers more surface area for seasoning than a standard crisp. The Salt and Vinegar flavour is the most popular variety, sharper than most and with a crunch that feels different from any other crisp in the mainstream market. Discos have been around since 1979 and retain a strong following, particularly among people who grew up eating them in the 1980s and 1990s.

Browse the Discos range or buy Discos on Amazon.

4. Monster Munch Pickled Onion

Monster Munch Pickled Onion is one of the most beloved crisps in the UK and has data to back it up. It won Richard Osman’s World Cup of Crisps in 2016, beating out hundreds of competitors in a public vote. The claw-shaped corn puff soaks up the pickled onion seasoning particularly well, delivering a sharper, more intense flavour than the original or flamin’ hot varieties. Monster Munch has been made since 1977, originally by Smiths and now by Walkers.

Browse the Monster Munch range or buy Monster Munch Pickled Onion on Amazon.

3. Walkers Prawn Cocktail

Prawn Cocktail finishes third here not on raw survey numbers, where it sits at 11% in YouGov data, but on the intensity of its fanbase. No mainstream crisp generates more passionate loyalty per percentage point. People who love Prawn Cocktail are very committed to it, and the flavour itself is genuinely unusual in the global crisp market, with very few equivalents outside the UK.

There are no actual prawns in them. The flavour comes entirely from seasonings. Our full breakdown of what prawn cocktail crisps are made from confirms the full picture.

Browse Prawn Cocktail crisps or buy Walkers Prawn Cocktail on Amazon.

2. Walkers Salt and Vinegar

Salt and Vinegar ranks second because, despite finishing third in YouGov preference surveys at 23%, it generates some of the strongest brand loyalty in the UK crisp market and is consistently one of the top-selling flavours by volume. It divides people more sharply than any other mainstream flavour, but the people on the positive side are extremely positive about it.

The colour coding adds to the mystique. Walkers puts Salt and Vinegar in a green packet while most other brands use green for something else entirely. The full story of why Walkers salt and vinegar bags are green explains the origins of the colour swap.

Browse Salt and Vinegar crisps or buy Walkers Salt and Vinegar on Amazon.

1. Walkers Cheese and Onion

The data winner, and by a clear margin. YouGov’s national survey puts Cheese and Onion at 31%, making it the most commonly cited favourite crisp flavour in the UK. It has held this position consistently across multiple surveys and age groups, with only older consumers, those over 60, tending to prefer Ready Salted by a meaningful margin.

Golden Wonder introduced Cheese and Onion in 1962, and Walkers adopted it and made it the dominant version in the UK market. The blue packet is now synonymous with the flavour nationally, even though blue historically meant Salt and Vinegar for most other brands. That is how thoroughly Walkers has made the combination their own.

The flavour works because it is balanced: sharp enough to be interesting, mild enough not to divide opinion, and familiar enough to feel reliable. It is the UK’s favourite crisp for good reason.

Browse Cheese and Onion crisps or buy Walkers Cheese and Onion on Amazon.

Stock up on your actual favourite

Whatever comes out top for you personally, One Pound Crisps stocks the full range at bulk prices. Browse all crisps by brand or shop by flavour to find exactly what you are after.

What is the UK’s favourite crisp flavour?

Cheese and Onion is the UK’s favourite crisp flavour according to YouGov consumer preference data, with 31% of Britons choosing it as their top pick. Ready Salted comes second at 28%, followed by Salt and Vinegar at 23% and Prawn Cocktail at 11%.

What is the best-selling crisp in the UK?

Ready Salted is the highest-volume selling crisp flavour in the UK because it has the broadest appeal and fewest objectors. Walkers is the best-selling brand overall, holding roughly 50% of the UK crisp market by volume.

Which crisp won the UK’s World Cup of Crisps?

Monster Munch Pickled Onion won Richard Osman’s World Cup of Crisps in 2016, beating hundreds of competitors in a public vote. It remains one of the most consistently well-regarded crisps in the UK by consumer sentiment.

Why do crisp packet colours mean different things in different parts of the UK?

Different manufacturers established their colour coding independently in different regions. The most famous example is the blue packet debate. In much of England, blue means Cheese and Onion, following the Walkers convention. But historically many brands used blue for Salt and Vinegar, and some regional brands still do. Walkers reversed the traditional colour coding when they launched, and their national dominance has made their version the de facto standard.

Are Prawn Cocktail crisps actually made with prawns?

No. Prawn Cocktail crisps contain no actual prawns. The flavour comes entirely from a blend of seasonings designed to replicate the taste. This is why many Prawn Cocktail crisps, including Walkers, are suitable for vegetarians.

What are the most popular crisp brands in the UK?

Walkers is the largest crisp brand in the UK with around 50% market share. KP Snacks is the second force in the market, with brands including Hula Hoops, McCoys, Nik Naks, Wheat Crunchies, and Space Raiders. Golden Wonder, Tyrrells, and Kettle Chips round out the top tier.