Walkers’ iconic ‘Do Us A Flavour’ competition has reached its final stage as the last two crisp flavours hit shelves nationwide. Lydia Houghton’s Salt & Pepper Chicken will now go head-to-head with Becky Dibble’s Grilled Cheese & Chilli Jam in an ultimate sales battle to decide which flavour earns a permanent spot in the Walkers family.
Eight months in the making, this is arguably the most validated crisp launch in Walkers’ history. Thousands of public TikTok submissions were refined to a top 100 based on organic engagement, then evaluated by Walkers experts and ‘Potato Queen’ Chef Poppy O’Toole. From there, a shortlisted six battled head-to-head in a TikTok-first game series complete with blind taste tests, cooking challenges, and live pitches.
Now, with Salt & Pepper Chicken and Grilled Cheese & Chilli Jam emerging victorious, the battle shifts from screen to shelf – where every pack bought by the public acts as a vote.
In the red corner: 54 year old Lydia Houghton, a supply teacher from Malmesbury, Wiltshire, whose love of rich, spicy flavours was forged on her travels around Asia. Her Salt & Pepper Chicken creation is lifted straight from her Friday night ritual – the same order, every week, from her local takeaway – capturing everything she loves about it: crispy chicken with the unmistakable punch of salty, peppery spice.
In the blue corner: Becky Dibble, a 26-year-old mum from Oswestry, Shropshire, who works in a local café and never says no to trying something new. Her flavour, Grilled Cheese & Chilli Jam, is inspired by Becky’s favourite side dish, which she shares with her son – golden halloumi bites dipped in sticky chilli jam for the perfect balance of savoury and sweet, with a little bit of heat.
The flavour that sells the most by Friday, November 30th wins a permanent place in the Walkers family – standing shoulder to shoulder with icons like Cheese and Onion and Prawn Cocktail – after which, its creator, either Lydia or Becky, will be able to win up to £500,000 as a share of sales of their flavour*.
Lydia Houghton, creator of Salt & Pepper Chicken said: “Walking into a shop and seeing a flavour I created sitting right there on the shelf is going to be an absolute mind-blower. Walkers has brought one of my all-time favourite tastes to life, so now I just want everyone to grab a bag and experience it for themselves! It’s a total once-in-a-lifetime shot, so I’ve got everything crossed.”.
Becky Dibble, creator of Grilled Cheese & Chilli Jam said: “Stepping out of my comfort zone for this competition was a massive leap, so reaching the final stages feels completely unbelievable. Handing control over to the public is equal parts terrifying and thrilling – I just hope people give it a chance and fall in love with it. Winning this would be life-changing for my son and me; I can’t even put the feeling into words.”
Wayne Newton, senior marketing director of Walkers Snacks at PepsiCo, said: “Unbeatable flavour is at the heart of Walkers, and we love bringing the nation’s favourite tastes and iconic dishes to life. We’ve taken Lydia and Becky’s mouth-watering flavour ideas and turned them from a dream into reality. Now we can’t wait to see which one the nation chooses to join the Walkers family alongside staples like Salt & Vinegar, Prawn Cocktail and Cheese & Onion.”
Salt & Pepper Chicken and Grilled Cheese & Chilli Jam are starting to hit shelves now, available at all key retailers nationwide in grab bag, 6-pack and price marked pack formats.
