Which Crisps Had A Blue Packet of Salt?

The crisps with the blue packet of salt are Walkers Salt ‘n’ Shake, originally made by Smiths from 1920. The concept came from pub customers stealing salt shakers. The blue twist of paper salt became one of the most nostalgic details in British crisp history, and the product is still available in major supermarkets today.

Why did crisps have a blue packet of salt?

When Frank Smith started selling potato crisps from the garages behind a pub in London in 1920, he ran into an immediate problem: customers were taking the pub’s salt shakers to season their crisps. His solution was to include a small twist of blue waxed paper containing a measured portion of salt inside every bag, so people could add as much or as little as they wanted.

That simple idea created one of the most distinctive products in British crisp history. The blue twist of salt became so well known that it has stayed in the cultural memory of anyone who grew up eating crisps in the UK.

Why was the salt sachet blue?

The blue colour was a deliberate branding choice to make the sachet immediately recognisable inside the bag. Over the decades the format changed from a twisted paper wrap to a sealed foil sachet, but the blue colour has remained consistent throughout. Walkers, who now make the product, still use a small blue sachet to this day.

What are Salt ‘n’ Shake crisps?

Salt ‘n’ Shake are plain potato crisps with no seasoning applied during manufacture. The crisps come completely unsalted, and a separate blue salt sachet sits inside the bag. The idea is that you open the salt, pour it in, fold the top of the bag over, and shake until the salt distributes across the crisps.

The product comes in one variety only: plain unsalted potato crisps. Despite what some sources online claim, Salt ‘n’ Shake have never come in cheese and onion, sour cream and onion, or salt and vinegar flavours. There is no flavoured version. The entire point of the product is that the only seasoning is the salt you add yourself.

The current ingredients are straightforwardly simple: Potatoes, Vegetable Oils (Sunflower, Rapeseed in varying proportions), Antioxidants (Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol Rich Extract, Citric Acid). The salt comes separately in the sachet. No artificial colours, suitable for vegetarians.

The history of Salt ‘n’ Shake

From pub problem to iconic product

Frank Smith launched his crisp business in Cricklewood, London in 1920. The blue salt twist was part of the original product from the very start, born out of practical necessity rather than marketing strategy. Smiths grew to become one of the dominant crisp brands in the UK over the following decades, and Salt ‘n’ Shake became one of their most recognised products.

Smiths becomes Walkers

PepsiCo acquired both Smiths and Walkers in 1989. Since then, Salt ‘n’ Shake has been manufactured under the Walkers name while retaining the Smiths heritage. For a period the product was sold as “Walkers Formerly Smiths Salt ‘n’ Shake”, though the branding has since simplified. The packets still acknowledge the Smiths origin.

Disappeared and came back

Salt ‘n’ Shake largely disappeared from shelves during the 1990s. Walkers brought them back in 2003, and they have been available in supermarkets ever since, though they are not always the easiest to find compared to standard Walkers flavours. Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, and Waitrose all stock them in multipack format.

What happened to the original blue twist of paper?

In the original 1920s product, the salt came in a small twist of blue waxed paper, hand-folded at the factory. The texture and ritual of untwisting it was part of the experience, and many people who remember eating Smiths crisps as children in the 1970s and 1980s specifically remember the feel of that paper twist.

The modern version uses a sealed blue foil sachet instead. It is less tactile but more practical, and it keeps the salt dry more reliably. The colour has stayed blue throughout every format change, which is part of why the blue salt packet is so deeply embedded in British crisp nostalgia.

Are Salt ‘n’ Shake still made?

Yes. Walkers currently produces Salt ‘n’ Shake and they are available at most major supermarkets in multipacks of six 24g bags. You can also find bulk packs online. They are not stocked at One Pound Crisps currently, but for other classic Walkers and Smiths products including Frazzles and Chipsticks, the full Smiths range is available to browse.

If Salt ‘n’ Shake brought back memories, our post on crisps that were popular in the 1980s covers a wider look at the classic British crisp era and the brands that defined it.