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With crisp behemoth Walkers slowly buying up every other major crisp manufacturer they can lay their hands on, it was inevitable there would be some casualties. To be fair to Walkers, now they own Smith’s Crisps they have at least kept the Smith’s name running as a brand (Walker’s Salt ‘n’ Shake would be sacrilege).
Whilst the Smith’s name lives on, we have unfortunately had to say goodbye to the Smith’s Crispy Tube, the tube shaped crisp. These crisps were long, thin tubes of potato, and I’m still not sure how they managed to make them in the first place. There may be other tube like crisps available, such as the ever popular Hula Hoops or Wheat Crunchies, but the Crispy Tube had a very light, delicate texture these other crisps lack.
Crispy Tubes always reminded me of those other Smith’s favourite, the Square Crisp. In fact, perhaps that was how they made them, by taking Square Crisps and rolling them up somehow before cooking them?
Originally only available in ready salted flavour (and they were pretty salty too, as I remember), they were eventually joined by a salt and vinegar variety (which were similarly intense in their vinegariness). As with all crisps back then you got a good helping of crisps in the packet for a reasonable price, not like today where crisps seem to be overpriced for bags of air with a couple of mouthfuls of crisps.
I’ll leave you with the original TV advert for Crispy Tubes, which had a Wimbledon theme, with an umpire and a nasally voiced John McEnroe style tennis player discussing the snacks merits.
I think this site is the best thing i have come across in ages…
I have been asking everyone about these crisps and no one can remember them. I used to love these and spicy tomato wotsits. They should bring both back..
Glad you like the site Jules!
I liked these too. To be honest I still really expected them to be around now, but alas it seems they are no more…
I wish I knew *why* Smiths (now *Walkers*) had to stop *doing* these (and the variation of these ‘Tuba Loops’).
I’m sure crispy tubes were also available in a ‘mexican spice’ flavour, I used to get them from my local shop after school. Best flavour ever imo.
That seems to ring a bell now you say it.
I loved this crisps to the point of obsession.
P.s. I don’t like the way they brought back ‘old’ beef monster munch, but the texture is different & they are missing one of the shapes (a bit like a malformed capital letter ‘Q’.
@guku, I remember Nibbits Mexican Spice flavour Wheelz, they were incredible.
Can I buy crispy tube crisps ??????
I was marketing manager on the crisp brands at Smiths between 1979 -83 and developed and launched Crispy Tubes which were based on the Square Crisp technology using potato granules which gave them the extra crunchiness compared with a crisp. Square crisps adverts featured Lenny Henry (no relation) and had the catch-phrase “it’s weird”
Walkers are owned by Pepsico who bought Smiths in1983 and basically consigned this famous brand to the scrap heap although not completely discarding salt ‘n’ shake.