Latest news with #Skips
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Something a bit naughty': British snackers fall for the posh crisp
When it comes to crisps, British appetites have traditionally been sated by a packet of Frazzles or a bag of Skips. But, according to chefs, supermarket insiders and social media, 2025 is gearing up to be the summer of the posh crisp. Jay Ledwich, a crisp buyer at Waitrose, said demand for premium and unusual flavoured crisps was 'soaring'. This week, the shop became the exclusive British supermarket stockist of what it is tipping to be the next viral hit in crisps – a fried-egg flavour from the Spanish specialist Torres. It follows other savoury sensations from the brand, including black truffle, caviar, and sparkling wine flavours. Crisps' popularity isn't limited to the snack aisle. The fashion brand Balenciaga is selling a £1,450 glossy 'salt and vinegar' leather pouch and a £625 'spicy chili' crisp charm. It follows Anya Hindmarch's sequinned Walkers crisps bag, originally released in 2000 and now housed in the V&A. This week the US brand Lay's released its new campaign that stars football legends including Lionel Messi munching on its classic salted crisps. Elsewhere, at parties, traditional blinis are out. Instead at-home cooks are whipping up crisp canapés – such as Pringles topped with a dollop of sour cream and caviar. Millennials have swapped the customary bottle of bubbles for the host for a £26 tin of Bonilla's sea salted crisps. Online, there are viral recipes for chocolate biscuits topped with salty crisp crumbs. The American chef Alison Roman suggests serving marinated anchovies with Kettle-style crisps, while the Spanish chef Ferran Adrià proposes folding plain crisps into whisked eggs for a speedy take on a tortilla Española. At hipster-filled bars, natty orange wines are served with bowls of salted crisps topped with Serrano ham. The Greek-inspired restaurant Oma and its sister restaurant Agora in Borough Market, south-east London, feature homemade hot crisps on the menu. The chef/owner David Carter, who fries agria potatoes in rapeseed oil before flavouring them with everything from garlic to kombu dashi,said the idea stemmed from wanting 'something a bit naughty when you sat down'. After trying out fava and chickpeas, he settled on 'the humble crisp', which he said ticked the salty, spicy and crunchy boxes. Over at Toklas restaurant on the Strand, its take on mussels escabeche features crisps instead of bread. The head chef, Chris Shaw, described the British as having 'a sort of love affair' with crisps. He argued it played into nostalgia. 'We've all had them as part of a packed lunch. Or as a kid on holiday. There are good crisps [and] shit crisps. But they all bring you back to a moment.' At £4.95 for a 125g packet, Torres sits at the upper end of the upmarket crisp market but flavours beyond the standard ready salted are booming across the crisp category. Marks & Spencer recently introduced a black truffle version (£3.75 for 125g) to its own label collection. Kettle's latest range includes a sriracha mayo version and dill pickle and jalapeño (£2.40 for 125g). At Tyrells, you can pick from Wensleydale and cranberry to roasted chicken and sage (from £2.75 for 150g). There are also specialist snack sites that stock smaller British brands, such as Taste of Game, which does a smoked pheasant and wild mushroom crisp. Natalie Whittle, the author of Crunch: An Ode to Crisps, said the trend reflected a wider cost of living challenge: 'Crisps have always had a kind of chameleon ability to be high or low in the supermarket food aisles.' For those dining out less, Whittle said crisps offered an opportunity to enjoy 'something a bit more cheffy' at home. The writer sometimes invited a friend over for just a bag of posh crisps and a glass of wine. 'It is fun to break the monotony and rigid doctrine of making meals all the time,' she said. However, for some, tradition would always trump the novel. While Shaw said he enjoyed 'the strange sulphur' flavour from Torres fried-egg crisps, his favourite was still 'an acidic numbing' packet of pickled onion Monster Munch.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Yahoo
'Deeply shocked' boss of shooting victim Barry Dawson pays tribute to grandad
The boss of shooting victim Barry Dawson has paid tribute to the Stanley grandad - saying staff are 'deeply shocked and saddened' by his death. 'Much loved' Barry was gunned down in his own home on Elm Street in South Moor earlier this month after a shot was fired through the downstairs window. The 60-year-old's death left his family 'truly devastated' - and a large-scale probe was launched by Durham Constabulary leading to five people being charged with murder. Barry worked for the Stanley plant of KP Snacks, which is known for popular crisp brands such as Skips, Space Raiders, Hula Hoops, and Pom-Bears. Barry Dawson (Image: Durham Police) And now, plant manager Mick Phillips has issued a tribute to his former colleague, saying staff will be able to attend the funeral to pay their respects. He said: 'We are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic death of our colleague, Barry Dawson. 'Barry was a highly valued member of the team at our Stanley site and our thoughts are with his family, friends, and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time. 'We've taken immediate steps to support our colleagues as they come to terms with this devastating news, including on-site presence from the leadership team and mental health first aiders, as well as ongoing access to our employee health and wellbeing team. KP Snacks in Stanley (Image: GOOGLE) 'We'll continue to offer support and will ensure colleagues are able to attend the funeral to pay their respects.' As previously reported, officers were called to the Elm Street home on April 5 at around 5.20pm following reports of a disturbance. Mr Dawson was found to have been shot and despite the best efforts of paramedics, he was sadly declared dead at the scene. Six people have since appeared in court following the incident. Most recently, Keith Edward Dorward and Sean Reay appeared via a video link at Teesside Crown Court on Tuesday accused of murder. Dorward, also known as Keith Edward Lax, was arrested on suspicion of murder on Thursday. The 47-year-old, of South View Gardens, Stanley, was charged on Saturday. Police at the scene of the incident (Image: Sarah Caldecott) 29-year-old Reay, of Sabin Terrace, Stanley, was apprehended in Northern Ireland and transported back to Durham on Saturday. Four others have been remanded in custody, including Kevin Dorward, 38, of South View Gardens, Annfield Plain, who is also charged with murder. His partner, Michaela Hetherington, faces a single charge of perverting the course of justice, relating to an allegation that she falsely reported a car had been stolen. Thomas Lee Sterling, 21, of The Avenue, Stanley, was remanded into custody yesterday, Monday, April 14, charged with murder. Read More on the Stanley shooting: Two more in court accused of murdering Stanley's Barry Dawson Everything we know as five charged in fatal Stanley shooting Stanley shooting: Home boarded up as couple appear in court Get more from The Northern Echo with a digital subscription. . And the final accused, Kelvin Lawson, 37, of Frosterley Gardens, Stanley, appeared at the same time at Teesside Crown Court. All six defendants are expected to appear at the same court on May 9. Judge Francis Laird, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, has set a provisional date for the five-week trial which is listed to start on September 22.
