Proper Crisps - Organic Potatoes with Marlborough Sea Salt product reviews

As I am a Marlborough resident, I really felt it was my duty to taste test and review these, as the salt is from my region. Not to mention I love purchasing New Zealand made products and these crisps
from Proper Crisps now have a compostable bag which is absolutely top thinking from them, and I hope many more companies will do this, as consumers are concerned about the environment we are leaving for our children.

Proper Crisps for me are a more premium potato chip, and being that they are gluten-free, vegan-friendly, has no GMOs, no added MSG, and also now using organic potatoes and compostable bag, they are a really sustainable and thought out treat choice. I am interested to see and know how long it will take for the bag to compost, in the mean time I put the cold ash from our fire place into to to take out to the compost also!

Flavour, crispness and price are all important factors for me and I like to have some special treats for just hubby and I to have, so hoped these would live up to my expectations and hopes. (Spoiler alert - they do !) I also like to know what is in my food and its nutritional details. It was at this point that I noticed that the nutritional information seemed to be similar to the purple and gold variety - in fact - it is exactly the same. Whilst this is possible - is it correct? To be honest it does not really affect my good opinion of them!

These crisps are seasoned with coarse Marlborough sea salt, so have a bit of a bite to them, as opposed to standard salted crisps. I really like the gritty-ness of the crisps and the salty flavour but if you are not a salt liker (or licker!) then this is something to consider. They are also amazing in dip, salsa, avocado and other things as they are a hard and crunchy crisp, that can withstand dipping and scooping which is vitally important!

I do not have many bad things to say about these - I really enjoyed them and would absolutely get them again, and will be hanging out to see other flavours. My hubby suggested something with a bit of kick or spice to it - chipotle, or harissa maybe?

If crisps are your go-to snack, then you can't have failed to have heard about Proper Crisps. They are known for producing some of the highest quality and most delicious snacks around. These crisps are an organic version of one of their most well known, and well-loved, varieties, and we were really keen to give them a try to see if they were just as good as the originals.

On first glance, the packaging looked exactly the same as normal. Well designed, sturdy and full of little details to give the extra edge and a personal touch (I mean, how many other companies tell you who fried the batch of chips you are eating?). It took me a while to realise that this was a home compostable packet as, to be honest, it really does appear to be the same as the normal plastic packets. Certainly, nothing has been lost in terms of how robust the packet is which is really reassuring to see. The pack is a generous sharing size. We love these bags as they are much better value, and allow us to take out exactly the amount we would like each time. We found the serving to be akin to most of the other main brands of chips out there, certainly not skimping at all.

The crisps themselves are a lovely colour- a really rich yellow and with a very generous helping of seasoning evident across the top. The first thing that you notice when you eat them is the crunch - it is amazing, and certainly much more than a standard chip you would get. We also really loved the flavour. The amount of salt was perfect, not too overpowering, but enough to really enhance the already great flavour of the agria potatoes. These tasted the same as their original crisps, but with the added bonus of being produced from organic ingredients, so you know that there are literally no nasties in there.

Overall, another great product from Proper Crisps. Fantastic flavour, great portion size and fantastic environmental credentials combine to make the ultimate crisp to enjoy. They are basically guilt-free right... so go on and enjoy a pack or two, you will not be disappointed!

I don't think you can beat a good packet of salted crisps and I think I have found the ultimate packet with Proper's Organic Crisps with Marlborough Sea Salt. I love that the bag is compostable, which means it will naturally decompose, as opposed to other packs that claim to be biodegradable and still take years and years to disappear! The packaging is stylish and they look expensive so I would definitely take these with me if I was visiting friends as I know they would make a good impression! I do like the attention to detail on the packaging and there is a nice story about where the potatoes come from and how they are cooked. I also discovered that my crisps were hand-cooked to perfection by Daryl. Because there are no artificial colours or additives, these crisps probably have a shorter 'shelf-life' than others (these had to be eaten by Dec 2019) but once you open a packet, there is no doubt any will get left.

These crisps are probably the nicest, crispiest crisps I've ever had the pleasure of eating, and I've tried a lot of crisps in my time. There was no greasiness that you get with some crisps and they were seasoned to perfection. They weren't too thick and not too thin and there were some large crisps in the packet which my daughters were very happy to get!

The packet claims to serve 3.7 which is about right as once open, the whole family demolished the pack and everyone commented on how tasty they were. They are ideal for people with gluten intolerance and are also vegan friendly. Definitely a crisp you have to try!

I definitely have a savory tooth as opposed to a sweet tooth. I am always steered towards the chippies rather than the chocolate or the sweets. And I am a lover of kettle style chips rather than the plain ripple cut ones. I had seen the Proper Hand Cooked Crisps many times on the shelves but the flavours never really jumped out at me as I'm a pretty normal flavoured girl. But when the new organic range came out with the compostable bag, they were definitely something I wanted to try!!

While the price tag has put me off many times ($5 at our locall supermarket), when they came up for review I knew I had to get my hands on a packet to try and see if the price tag matched all the hype I've been seeing! My parcel arrives and I rip it open immediately and see that shiny, crinkly packet that is Marlborough Sea Salt crisps. It doesn't last too long in the box before I've made some old fashioned kiwi-style dip to accompany it (because I always keep a can of reduced cream in the fridge for emergency chip days!) and settle down to try these crispy, delicious looking chips.

They did not fail to please! While I love potato chips, I don't like an overpowering flavour, and these did not. A subtle hint of sea salt which matched perfectly with the potato. Which wasn't in any way greasy or oily like some kettle style chips I've found can be, especially the ready salted type.

So while I did love the chips, as did the rest of the family when I finally let them try some also, they will definitely be put on a 'special treat only' list, purely for the price! We are currently watching the bag break down in the (small) home compost and Miss 7 and Miss 4 are excitedly waiting to learn more about compost and how things break down. It's a great study guide as well as a yummy treat!

It is great to see companies moving towards the sustainable, eco-friendly, green way of living and even more so with products such as snack food. Way to go Proper Crisps.

Looking at the packet of the Proper Crisps Organic Marlborough Sea Salt chips I see a well thought out packaging. I love that the pack is clean and clear, you know what you are getting. I love that it is on the front and very clear that the bag is compostable. All important information is right there in front of you, organic, gluten-free and vegan. On further reading of the Bach of the bag, it's great to read the Proper Crisps story and to see everything so clearly played out and readable. I particularly like the 'Proper Chef' details.

The bag feels firmer and thicker to other crisp packaging we have previously purchased. Even though we found the bag really easy to open, miss 5 actually opened it no problem. The inside is like a foil which I'm surprised is compostable but things are changing daily in this field so definitely interested to see how well it breaks down.

As for the chip, yum. On opening the packet the chips were quickly passed around for trying. The reaction from all was that they were delicious. The chips were crisp and of a good size. No huge chips or green chips. The flavour was good, just a hint of the sea salt and I didn't find them too oily like some other crisps.

The package states that there are 3.7 serves in the pack. The three of us had a decent amount of chips each and there was still about half the packet left. So I think the amount of chips in the pack is really good. The price of $4.20 is a little steep for chips with many other brands a lot cheaper. I think for these chips being organic will probably appeal to people who want a decent chip, not the 'cheap' ones. I would have thought about the $4 mark was about right for this product. I could definitely see myself purchasing these especially if on sale.

As with most children these days environmental issues are of great concern, so when my daughter picked ip the bag she said 'mum the bag is compostable which is great for the environment so from now on you only can buy these chips or companies who have bags like these.' I pointed out that she had yet to try the chips and she came back with 'I am sure they are fantastic as they care about mother earth and anyone who cares will have great food.' Which was quickly followed by 'can we open them and try?'

Picking up the bag myself I was impressed with the packaging and looked very high class indeed from the picture of the chips with a blue container of sea salt to the information it contained on the back My first thought being organic was that this is going to be expensive so I was very pleasantly surprised when I found out the price is basically the same as every other variety.

Since girls have a late class of martial arts on a Monday night we have a very early tea so come around 9pm my husband usually starts to get rather peckish and last night was no different - I suggested opening the chips to which he eagerly agreed. Opening them was very simple you just rip downwards. I grabbed a handful out and passed the packet to him. As I was not really hungry I figured the handful would be enough but after putting one in my mouth I found I was wanting more. It ended up a fight over the bag and we crunched away on the chips. They taste very much like kettle chips but the Marlborough Sea Salts added another dimension to them - luckily the tv was rather loud as so were the chips.

I am sure between the both of us we could of finished the packet but we stopped about half way thru to let the girls experience. They both had a couple this morning before breakfast and both agreed they were yum and wanted more. Afternoon tea sussed. Although he saying that I had stopped after about 6 handfuls were as hubby could of kept going.

I think the weird shape chips actually satisfy the hunger more than straight laced chips and the flavour went a long way. It is definitely something I will be purchasing again and I think people need to support companies who are thinking outside of the box in helping with packaging/rubbish. A nice flavour and even better that it is made in New Zealand.

I'm impressed with how quickly companies have gotten on board with reducing their use of plastics. These packs by Proper Crisps are probably the first I've seen with the claim of "compostable". compostable is definitely I much better term than "biodegradable" as most biodegradable stuff does not actually do so properly if they end up in the landfill, so I like the terminology they have used. As with most Proper Crisp varieties, this product is gluten-free, vegan-friendly, has no GMOs, no added MSG, and now this latest variety also use organic potatoes.

For me, there were three aspects that were important to me; price, nutritional information, and flavour. Organic usually means expensive, usually uses a lot of substitutions affecting the nutritional composition, and those substitutes can often change the flavour. Straight off the bat, these are the same price as the other varieties, which is surprising. What was even more surprising, however, was that the nutritional information was also identical to the purple and gold variety. It does make me question whether each variety is actually tested individually, or whether this is general information for the entire range.

The final aspect that is of real importance is the flavour. These are seasoned with Marlborough Sea Salt, and as such, the coarse size of the salt particles provides a very intense flavour. It works well with the thick crunch that the crisps have, but it does get a bit over-the-top after a while. On the upside, this means I struggle to eat an entire packet by myself in one sitting, so it is good for portion control, but it also means I would be less likely to purchase it next time. Personally, salted crisps are not my favourite anyway, I find them too plain. So these organic crisps hold their own compared to the non-organic varieties, but I need more flavours, bring in some pepper, or garlic and chipotle, any additional flavours will do.

We all enjoy Proper Crisps in my family, but it was intriguing to find that the company has been quick to respond to the plastics crisis by repackaging in compostable bags. I have already tried one variety and buried the empty bag in my compost bin; this one is destined to join it once it is empty. It will be interesting to track how long they take to degrade,

What I like about these crisps, apart from the freshness and good size that I have come to expect from this brand, is that they are not over salted. You would think, from the name, that they are going to be salty, but this is not the case. The salt has been added with care so that you taste the potato itself rather than the seasoning. I have eaten "plain salted" crisps in the past and have not been able to taste anything other than the salt, so it is great to find a potato product where the flavour of the vegetable is the dominant one.

Having tasted some of the crisps on their own, we then tried them in different combinations. As expected, they were perfect with dips of all kinds; because they did not have any strong added flavours, they worked well with most dips. We tried home-made guacamole, and two ready-prepared dips (seafood and hummus) - they were great with all of them. Next, we put a few on a plate of hors d'oeuvres (radishes, Roma tomatoes, smoked cheese, sliced avocado, and parsley) and offered them around. There did not seem to be anything that was not enhanced by the addition of a few crisps.

I kept some back to have for dinner next night - I would be eating alone, and as a friend had given me some freshly caught fish and home-grown broccoli, I decided to have them with some potato crisps on the side. I enjoy eating crisps this way; they are a lighter alternative to chips or rice, while tasting just as good. I crumbled a few and mixed them with grated cheese, then spread the mix on top of the fish and broccoli before browning it under the grill. The remaining crisps were served on the plate beside it.

I had roughly a cupful left, so took them with me in the car two days later so I would have a snack available. I was delighted to find that they had retained their crispness in the ziplock bag I had stored them in: nearly three days after opening, they were just as fresh as ever. I hope that the manufacturers of these little bags will take the hint from Proper and make a compostable version too!