Food & Drink
The discontinued retro crisps that need to be brought back
You don’t get crisps like these anymore…
While us Brits take our love of crisps very seriously, far too many iconic variations have been quietly disappearing from the shelves over the years.
Walkers recently sent the country into a frenzy with the relaunch of its prawn cocktail flavoured Wotsits but, sadly, other crisp variations have failed to stand the test of time.
One Reddit user recently decided to ask the British public which crisps they miss the most and, let’s just say, it was a real nostalgia hit. Here are some of the most missed crisps from over the years…
Walkers
Wotsits Wafflers
Who remembers these? Wotsits Wafflers featured the same corn puff texture as your standard Wotsits, but were instead shaped like waffles and covered in a tasty bacon dusting.
Wafflers eventually became part of the Smiths range in 2013, but were sadly discontinued just two years later in 2015.
Walkers
BBQ Rib flavoured Walkers
These came up a lot – Walkers’ BBQ Rib flavour was a massive hit across the country, mainly because they tasted uncannily alike to an actual BBQ rib, a real feat in the world of crisp flavours.
For reasons unbeknown to most of us, however, Walkers quietly discontinued the flavour a couple of years back. And, while it was recently resurrected for the Walkers Flavours of the Decades collection, it just didn’t hit the same as it did back in the day.
Amazon
KP Beef Crisps
Remarkably, KP (the brand known best for its peanuts) sold beef flavoured crisps once upon a time and, according to one Redditor, ‘no other beef crisps have ever tasted anywhere near as beefy’.
Not much is known about the KP crisps, though the company did own Brannigans crisps, whose entire production line was discontinued in 2020 as a result of declining sales.
Smiths
Ready Salted Chipsticks
Once upon a time, the iconic salt and vinegar flavoured Chipsticks we all know and love once came in a ready salted flavour, complete with a very disorientating red and white striped packet.
Countless petitions have been set up to see the return of the blander flavour since it was discontinued a couple of years back, with a spokesperson for Walkers saying: “It’s great to see so much love for one of our old school Chipsticks flavours… We can’t promise they’re coming back, I’m afraid.”
Walkers
Lamb and Mint flavoured Walkers
Much like the BBQ Rib flavour, Walkers’ roast lamb and mint flavour was elite and on a whole new crisp flavour level.
Much like it’s BBQ Rib cousin, however, the roast lamb flavour was discontinued some years ago and hasn’t seen the light of day since. It’s an unfair world.
Smiths
Cheese Flavoured Moments
Cheese Flavoured Moments were a huge hit back in the day and were definitely one of the more unique crisp options on the shelves.
While they were discontinued some years ago, however, Walkers recently revealed plans to bring them back, with a spokesperson telling Leicestershire Live: “It’s great to see so much love for our old favourites, Cheese Moments. While we can’t promise a comeback at this stage, our teams certainly share the petitioners’ enthusiasm for this classic flavour!”
Walkers
Blue Monster Munch
Yep, pickled onion flavoured Monster Munch with the ability to turn the eaters’ tongue blue. Very chaotic and wonderfully ’00s.
However, the blue Monster Munch wasn’t to be, and it was discontinued after a short period (probably because pickled onions aren’t blue). As you can imagine, there haven’t been overwhelming calls for the return of this flavour with Brits instead settling with the non-colour changing alternative.
Doritos
Doritos 3D
Okay, not everybody wants to see the return of Doritos 3D, but they’re got a fair few mentions and are definitely a cultural phenomenon in their own right.
They originally debuted in 1998 and were discontinued just a few years in the early 2000s because, as it turns out, people prefer their tortilla chips to be 2D. Though they did come with some mint flavours, including jalapeño cheddar, nacho cheese and zesty ranch.
Burton’s
Burton’s Fish n Chips
Now this is a real blast from the past – the iconic Burton’s salt and vinegar flavoured Fish n Chips crips were a snack staple throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
They were sadly discontinued over ten years ago, but rumour has it you can still get your hands on some in selected stores across the country after a vigorous rebranding campaign in 2014. Hallelujah!
Jacob’s
Branston Pickle Mini Cheddars
While Jacob’s Mini Cheddars are in a whole league of their own, the Branston Pickle flavour catapulted them to whole new levels.
For reasons unbeknown to us, Jacob’s discontinued the flavour, along with the equally as tasty ham and spring onion flavours, too. (Though if you look hard enough online, some Branston Pickle flavoured bags are still knocking about).
Food & Drink
Popular Italian launches new menu with fresh cheesy pesto pasta and king prawns
If you’re in search of an authentic Italian dining experience in Manchester, look no further than Italiana Fifty Five
A popular Italian restaurant in Manchester has launched a new A La Carte menu.
Italiana Fifty Five has added some appetising new dishes to its menu to expand its offering this spring.
Diners can sample the newly added seasonal items and its authentic classic Italian favourites at all three of its Manchester sites – at the Great Northern, Liverpool Road and Didsbury.
The new A La Carte dishes include Gamberoni Grigliata which is tiger prawns cooked in garlic, butter, lemon and fresh chilli and served with toasted altamura bread for £13.95.
Also new to the menu is the Zoupa which is a hearty seafood soup with king scallops, king prawns, and muscles for £13.95.
Brand new appetisers include the Insalata Tricolore with avocado, beef tomato and buffalo mozzarella for £9.50, and the Bruschetta Speciale made with toasted sourdough bread and buffalo mozzarella spread, roasted heritage cherry tomatoes, garlic, onion, fresh basil and pesto for £9.75.
And if that’s not enough to entice you, diners can also tuck in to the new risotto and pasta dishes, including Risotto Zafferano which is a saffron risotto with parsley, garlic, onion and pecorino cheese for £14.95.
And the Trofie ala Pesto made with trofie pasta in homemade pesto sauce, finished with buffalo mozzarella for £14.95.
Complete your visit on a sweet note and indulge in one of Italiana Fifty Five’s best-loved desserts such as the Tiramisu or panna cotta.
To find out more or book a table at Italiana Fifty Five, click HERE.
Food & Drink
Restaurant famed for ‘cheese wheel pasta’ and ‘towering lasagnas’ looking to come to Manchester
A taste of la dolce vita could be coming to Manchester
The ‘OTT’ group famous for its pasta served in a wheel of cheese and 10-level lasagnas is reportedly looking to open a new Italian restaurant in Manchester city centre.
French-based Big Mamma Group, which owns over-the-top Italian restaurants in London – Gloria, Carlotta, Jacuzzi, Ave Mario and Circolo Popolare – will open a new venue in Gary Neville’s under-construction St Michael’s development off Deansgate.
Its restaurants are known for their flamboyant, retro interiors, resembling vintage maximalism Italian eateries, as well as US-style red sauce joints.
The regularly changing menus feature a variety of Italian classics, including fettuccine alfredo al tartufo, spaghetti with meatballs, a famous ’10 level’ lasagne and carbonara served in a huge cheese wheel.
The Manchester restaurant will be the first UK venue to be located outside of London and will – sit alongside the also announced Japanese-Peruvian restaurant Chotto Matte, also to be built at St Michael’s.
The move follows a host of other operators in the capital choosing to open new sites in Manchester.
Soon to arrive in the city will be the likes of Caravan, Flat Iron, Soho House and Blacklock.
Big Mamma – which was founded in 2013 by French entrepreneurs Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux – has more than 20 restaurants across Europe including Paris, Monaco, Milan, Madrid and Berlin.
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Food & Drink
High-end Japanese restaurant MUSU offering 30% off in March
Take advantage of vibrant Japanese dining experience
High-end Japanese restaurant MUSU is offering 30% off in March for customers who sign up to its new free rewards programme.
The contemporary Japanese eatery, nestled in the heart of the city centre on Bridge Street, is launching its own membership rewards programme.
The scheme is free to join and will give members 30% off their food bill throughout March upon signing up.
Rewards customers can enjoy discounted prices on menus including the Omakase – the theatrical, educational sushi experience which is served individually to diners at the restaurant’s six–seat omakase counter.
This also includes the full Land of the Rising Sun tasting menus, which take in a range of cooking styles from all over Japan, devised by chef-patron Mike Shaw.
Then from April, members of the programme will be able to take advantage of a series of other rewards, including 30% off any food bill when dining at lunch time, 10% off when dining at dinner on any menu, and a 10% discount on private hire and private dining.
The restaurant has a closed-off area for its private dining experience for guests to enjoy, which is regularly used by celebrities and food critics alike.
On top of this, members celebrating their birthdays at MUSU will receive a complimentary drink, and every reward programme member will be entered into a monthly prize draw to win a 12-course Land of the Rising Sun experience, complete with wine pairings.
You can get early access to the restaurant’s special events, like its live tuna cutting experience, where a whole bluefin tuna is carved in front of diners, while its expert sushi chefs talk you through the provenance of the fish and the skills displayed in this ancient craft.
You can sign up to MUSU’s free rewards scheme, HERE.
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