McCoy’s are thick, ridged crisps made by KP Snacks, known for bold flavours and more crunch than a standard flat crisp. The current UK range includes Flame Grilled Steak, Salt & Malt Vinegar, Cheddar & Onion, Thai Sweet Chilli and more. You can buy McCoy’s Flame Grilled Steak and McCoy’s Salt & Malt Vinegar in cases of 20 at One Pound Sweets, or browse the full McCoy’s range.
Some crisps just taste better because of how they are made, and McCoy’s is probably the clearest example of that in the UK market. The ridged format is not just a gimmick. It genuinely changes the eating experience, and once you understand why, it is hard to go back to a flat crisp for anything other than a dip.
What are McCoy’s crisps?
McCoy’s are a brand of ridged potato crisps made by KP Snacks. They launched in the UK in 1985 and were named after the fictional character on the packaging rather than any real person. The crisps are thicker than standard flat crisps and have a corrugated ridge pattern pressed into each one during manufacturing.
They are sold in most UK supermarkets and convenience stores and have consistently ranked among the top-selling crisp brands in the country. The bold, unapologetic flavouring is a big part of why. McCoy’s does not do subtle. Every flavour is turned up.
Why ridged crisps taste different
The ridge is not cosmetic. A ridged crisp has more surface area than a flat crisp of the same weight, which means more flavouring powder makes contact with your tongue in a single bite. The corrugated shape also creates a more pronounced crunch because there is more structure to the crisp before it breaks.
The result is a crisp that delivers more flavour and more texture than you would get from the equivalent flat version. It is why McCoy’s fans tend to be quite emphatic about them. The eating experience is genuinely different.
The full McCoy’s flavour range in the UK
The current UK range covers several flavours, each with that same thick ridged base and heavy seasoning.
Flame Grilled Steak is the flavour most associated with the brand. A deep, smoky, meaty seasoning that delivers something genuinely different to the cheese and onion options that dominate most crisp ranges. It is bold, savoury and one of the more distinctive flavours in the UK snack market. You can buy a case of 20 x 65g bags of McCoy’s Flame Grilled Steak at One Pound Sweets, which is the most cost-effective way to stock up.
Salt & Malt Vinegar is the sharper option in the range. The vinegar hit is more aggressive than you get from most salt and vinegar crisps, which is partly because of the ridged format amplifying the flavour and partly because McCoy’s does not hold back with the seasoning. If you like a proper vinegar tang this is one of the best versions of the flavour available. A case of 20 x 65g bags is available at One Pound Sweets.
Cheddar & Onion is the approachable middle ground in the range, a cheese and onion flavour done with the same bold seasoning as the other varieties. It is a good starting point for anyone new to McCoy’s who wants something familiar to compare against their usual crisp.
Thai Sweet Chilli is one of the more modern additions to the range and sits at the lighter end of the McCoy’s flavour spectrum. The sweetness of the chilli flavouring balances the heat, making it more snackable than the steak or vinegar options if you want something you can eat by the handful without the seasoning building up.
Strong Smoky BBQ pushes the smoky profile even further than Flame Grilled Steak. It is a heavier flavour, less savoury and more sweet-smoky, which gives it a slightly different eating experience to the steak despite the surface-level similarity.
McCoy’s vs other ridged crisps
The main competitor in the ridged crisp category is Walkers Ridges, which launched significantly later than McCoy’s. The two are regularly compared and the key difference is seasoning intensity. Walkers Ridges tends to be lighter and less aggressive with the flavouring. McCoy’s leans into bold, which is why the brand has the loyal following it does.
Pringles occupy a different part of the ridged crisp market entirely. They are formed rather than sliced and have a very different texture and flavour profile. McCoy’s and Pringles are not really competing for the same occasion.
Buying McCoy’s in bulk
For offices, events or anyone who goes through crisps at a reasonable rate, buying by the case makes much more sense than picking up individual bags. A case of 20 bags works out significantly better value per bag than supermarket prices, and with free delivery available on qualifying orders at One Pound Sweets there is no real reason to buy any other way.
Browse the full McCoy’s range at One Pound Sweets for everything currently in stock. If you want to explore other crisps alongside McCoy’s, the crisps and snacks category has a full range including Space Raiders, Wheat Crunchies and more.
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about McCoy’s crisps