Walkers is on the hunt for its next big flavour – with the creator in with the chance of winning a prize of up to £500k.
The crisp brand is turning to TikTok to find inspiration for its next combination, with the nationwide search running from 23rd January until 15th February, calling on the public to get creative and submit their dream crisp ideas.
Two flavours will be turned into limited edition products and the winning flavour will be added as a permanent addition to the line-up and sold nationwide.
The creator behind the new winning flavour will not only get a share of sales up to the value of £500,000 but also be invited behind the scenes at Walkers HQ to help bring their flavour to life and watch the very first packets roll off the production line.
To help find its next flavour, the crispmaker has teamed up with TikTok food sensation and ‘Queen of Potatoes’ Poppy O’Toole.
Previous guest judge on Celebrity MasterChef, with 4.8 million followers on TikTok, Poppy is encouraging the nation to get their thinking caps on by revealing the biggest food and flavour trends she’s currently seeing on TikTok.
Some viral food and flavour combinations she highlighted include chamoy pickles – which represent the ‘peak’ of sweet, sour and spicy tastes.
As well as sushi bake, which combines eastern and western flavour profiles to create something truly memorable.
She said: “The food trends I’m seeing right now are all about bold contrasts, big flavours and dishes that spark conversation.
“Sweet-and-sour Chamoy Pickles bring that punchy hit, Ramen Carbonara is rich and indulgent, and Sushi Bake shows how unexpected flavour combinations can really work.
“Comfort classics like Charcuterie Boards are instantly recognisable, while playful trends like Lasagne Soup and Seafood Boil prove people love food that feels fun.
“All of these have strong flavour profiles that could translate brilliantly into a crisp.”
The competition follows the launch of Walkers’ brand-new Hot Honey flavour, a sweet and salty release inspired by booming consumer demand – the latest in its long line of innovative flavours.
With the brand’s research showing online searches for hot honey surged by 174 per cent in the past three years.
Entries can be submitted by posting a TikTok video sharing a flavour idea and tagging @walkers_crisps with the hashtag #DoUsAFlavour.
Wayne Newton from the company said: “Walkers has a rich heritage of flavour innovation, something we’ve always been immensely proud of.
“While we’ve had previous iterations of ‘Do Us A Flavour’, we’re taking this year’s search to the next level through TikTok – a space that perfectly reflects how our flavour-obsessed nation shares their love for crisps today.
“There’s nothing more exciting for us than hearing directly from the public, and we can’t wait to see how this new generation of crisp lovers helps us write the next chapter of our flavour story.”
THE VIRAL FOOD AND FLAVOUR MOVEMENTS SPOTTED BY POPPY:
Seafood Boil – This dish is HUGE at the moment and I’ve seen so many restaurants popping up across the UK only doing seafood boils. I’m so happy the dish has made its way over here and I think the cajun-inspired spicy seafood broth would taste incredible as a crisp. Basically an elevated prawn-cocktail!
Chamoy Pickles – These represent a bit of a movement in the sweet and savoury space. Last year we saw the rise of sweet and spicy with Hot Honey blowing up, and now, chamoy pickles take that one step further combining sweet and spicy AND sour! The sour addition I’m less convinced would work on a crisp… but I’m hoping to see people experiment with different flavour profiles because it could lead to something unexpected and delicious.
Ramen Carbonara – This is the ultimate comfort mashup. It trades traditional elegance for a glossy, creamy indulgence that embraces being “rich and messy”. I’ve seen so many people getting creative with their favourite instant noodles flavours, building on the classic and turning it into elevated dishes inspired by cuisines across the world. This is one I think would be great as a crisp flavour, it’s got a meaty element with the pancetta, balanced with some nice creaminess and then a hint of spice, too.
Sushi Bake – A graphic, layered masterpiece. It’s the perfect “unexpected clash” of two global giants – Japanese and Western comfort – proving that fusion food is really about finding combos that might seem ‘strange’ but actually really work. This is something I’m on the hunt for when judging the submissions for Do Us a Flavour- I’d love to see how fish and seaweed would work on a crisp (might not be one to try in a busy lift!!)
Crisp Charcuterie Board – Another massive trend last year – I obviously got involved myself – was creating crisp charcuterie boards. I loved getting creative with textures, layering the cured meats with different cheeses and balsamic glaze on top of crisps, and the whole time I remember thinking to myself: ‘Wow charcuterie board would be a GREAT crisp flavour’.
Lasagne Soup – By turning a structured, formal dish into something chaotic and spoon-able, this trend makes food feel more playful and social. It’s gone viral because it breaks the rules of how a classic should be, and then people are surprised when they realise it still tastes absolutely amazing! The surprise and delight element is definitely a criteria I’ll be judging on, and something like this could be a winner in my eyes.
