Brown Bag Tiger Prawn

Without a shadow of a doubt, these Tiger Prawn (with a hint of chilli & lime) crisps by Brown Bag have instantly become my favourite prawn flavoured crisps. Traditionally, the choice of British Crisps, when it comes to prawn flavourings, has been Walkers Prawn Cocktail. An intense experience of acidic prawn, they're a crisp option which retains my interest, but perhaps I need a little more these days. And Brown Bag's Tiger Prawn crisps have plenty going on.

Prior to starting British Crisps, I wasn't aware of Brown Bag Crisps. Maybe my eyes had passed over them in the past, but they certainly hadn't registered. However, the wondrous help of my Twitter followers ensured Brown Bag was now on my radar. And, thanks to a chance stop-off at a farm shop, I was able to pick up a bag and not only stuff my face, but consider the finer merits of these crisps.

The packaging is, quite literally, a brown bag. It's a choice which conjures up images of traditionalism and purity, a typical example of the stylistic choices taken by premium crisps. Incidentally, these were £1 for a 40g bag, a fantastic price point considering everything else in the farm shop was astronomically high. Anyway, yes, the packaging, traditional and blessed with an in-your-face yet cheerful logo which benefits from a friendly font. There's not much variation between the packets of different flavours, just a changing coloured background to hold the logo.

Charmed with the visual offering in front of me, it was time to delve into the contents of the packet. Tearing open the packet and cocking my nose directly into the bag, I gave an emphatic sniff to sample the aromas within. Undoubtedly, this would be far from the Walkers experience. Instead, there was a slight tang, a hint of fish which was inoffensive and soft, rather than burning my septum with its intensity. Plenty of potato on the nose as well. As sniff tests go, it was promising, but the proof is always in the pudding or, if you will, crisp.

And, oh my, on the very first crunch, a harmonious combination of flavours unfurled in my mouth as if a gustatory conductor at the height of their powers was in full flow. The meaty fishiness of the tiger prawn, a world away from the mushy prawns of a 70s prawn cocktail, is the first to arrive before this seamlessly transitions into a sweet, citric lime which tickles and tantalises your tongue and cheeks. Finally, the taste finishes with a mild, satisfying burn from the chilli. So fantastic was the flavour, I barely had time to take notice of the potato, but these are of a high quality and act as the perfect carrier for the main flavours. Suffice to say, the bag didn't last me very long.

If Brown Bag had simply made a Tiger Prawn flavour, then these crisps would have been too slight in terms of taste. Thankfully, the genius choice of complementing the prawn with chilli and lime elevates these crisps to, in terms of crisps, rarely seen elegant delights. On the back of the packet, Brown Bag say "We hope you love Brown Bag Crisps as much as we do" and, yes, they've succeeded in this mission with flying colours. Here's to more Brown Bag Crisps!