Paprika, Porcini, and Garlic Butter Kettle Chips for the winter
Contributed by Anna Von Bertele
A staple in my house, when the wine comes out the fridge, is a packet of Kettle Chips. Crisps and dip and a glass of wine can seem like the most delicious thing. So when the Wine Sleuth – asked if I wanted to cover the Kettle Chip launch of it’s new Winter flavour, I was very excited! Last Wednesday – to the jealousy of my friends – I headed to the Soho Hotel in London to try the new flavour: Paprika, Porcini, and Garlic Butter. This was matched with dips and different wines – a delicious Californian Chardonnay was my favourite.
It was great to meet Chris Barnard, who has been the chef at Kettle Chips since 1989 when the company moved from America to settle in Norwich. Leaving his own restaurant, he was excited at the prospect of experimenting with innovative crisp flavours, and accessing a much wider audience than just those that might have visited his restaurant. He explained the thinking behind this new, seasonal taste – porcini mushrooms add a rich earthy flavour and the garlic butter adds a savouriness, with the paprika adding sweet and smokey notes – together it makes a warming crisp that will brighten any evening.
It was interesting to learn the history of Kettle Chips and the overall philosophy behind them. Though I knew Kettle Chips were the classic crisps, the ones that I indulge in with my family back home, I didn’t know how natural they were, with no artificial flavours. In my mind this makes them basically good for you, though Chris didn’t quite agree with this! Throughout the evening there were canapés as well, though with the bowls full of crisps, these were slightly overshadowed (okay maybe not the mini churros). The whole evening finished with a screening of Bridget Jones – as if Kettle Chips weren’t perfect enough on their own, this completed the package!
Please tell me you know where to find these when I visit…
Pretty sure they are in all the shops here!