Before the 1950s, British crisps came plain: Smith's sold them with a small blue twist of salt in the bag for snackers to sprinkle themselves — an idea Walkers revived decades later as Salt & Shake. Walkers itself was founded in Leicester in 1948 by butcher Henry Walker, whose first crisps were salted and sold for threepence a bag. Flavour changed everything. In 1954 Joe "Spud" Murphy of Ireland's Tayto and his employee Seamus Burke created cheese & onion, widely credited as the first flavoured crisp, and Walkers launched its own Cheese & Onion that same year, inspired by the ploughman's lunch. Salt & Vinegar, a nod to fish and chips, followed in 1967. Together with Ready Salted, those flavours remain Walkers' big three. Walkers has belonged to PepsiCo, owner of Frito-Lay, since 1989 and is Britain's largest crisp maker, but the shelves are far from a one-brand show: thicker, hand-cooked crisps from Tyrrell's, Pipers and Kettle, and ridged McCoy's, sit alongside Walkers. Crisps are a fixture of the packed lunch, the multipack in the supermarket trolley and, of course, the pub, where a packet beside a pint is a national habit.
Top Potato Chip Brands in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom chip market is led by Walkers (Lay's), followed by Tyrrell's and Kettle Chips, McCoy's, Pipers. These brands compete for shelf space across supermarkets, convenience stores, and increasingly through online retail channels.
Most Popular Chip Flavors
These are the bestselling, most widely available potato chip flavors you'll find on shelves across United Kingdom.
Unique & Exotic Flavors
These distinctive flavors are what make United Kingdom's chip culture truly unique — flavors you're unlikely to find anywhere else in the world.
Snacking Culture & Occasions
In United Kingdom, potato chips are most commonly enjoyed during pub snacking with pints. Other popular snacking occasions include packed lunch staple, afternoon tea-time nibbles, picnics & gatherings. The average bag of chips costs £1.50/bag, making them an accessible everyday snack across all demographics.
- Pub snacking with pints
- Packed lunch staple
- Afternoon tea-time nibbles
- Picnics & gatherings
Did You Know?
Walkers is actually Lay's — but the brand kept its UK name after acquisition. It's the UK's #1 crisp brand by far.
Try United Kingdom Chips at Home
Want to taste authentic United Kingdom flavors? Check out our top picks on Amazon:
As an Amazon Associate, World of Chips earns from qualifying purchases. This doesn’t affect our editorial content — we only feature products we genuinely think chip lovers will enjoy.