Walkers
A leading British potato-crisp and snack brand owned and operated by PepsiCo.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Walkers is a British potato-crisp and snack brand whose principal market is Great Britain and Ireland. The business originated in Leicester, where Henry Walker had taken over a butcher’s shop in the late nineteenth century. Meat rationing after the Second World War sharply reduced the viability of the original business, prompting the company to explore alternative products. In 1948, Walkers began making potato crisps by hand-slicing and frying potatoes, initially selling plain salted crisps for threepence a bag. The brand helped establish flavoured crisps as a mainstream British snack. Cheese and Onion was introduced in 1954, drawing on the flavours associated with a ploughman’s lunch, while Salt and Vinegar followed in 1967, reflecting the popularity of fish and chips. Other long-running flavours, including Prawn Cocktail and Roast Chicken, linked the product range to familiar British meals and social eating occasions. Walkers subsequently developed a broad portfolio spanning standard crisps, ridged and baked products, premium-style snacks, corn-based snacks and healthier-positioned wholegrain products. Ownership changed substantially during the twentieth century. The Walker family sold the company to Standard Brands in 1970. Standard Brands later became part of Nabisco Brands, and Nabisco acquired Associated Biscuits, bringing rival British snack interests such as Smith’s into the same wider group. Following the leveraged buyout of RJR Nabisco, Walkers and Smith’s were sold to PepsiCo in 1989. Walkers has since operated within PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay snack-food structure, while retaining a strongly local British identity. The acquisition made Walkers part of a portfolio that also includes brands such as Doritos and other snack lines sold in the British market. Walkers is particularly associated with its red-and-yellow visual identity, extensive flavour range and mass-market distribution through supermarkets, convenience stores, food-service outlets and vending channels. The Leicester manufacturing site is described as the world’s largest crisp-production plant; reference material reports output of more than 11 million bags per day and potato consumption of roughly 800 tons per day. The wider business employs more than 4,000 people across multiple UK locations, although current corporate employment figures should be treated as time-sensitive. Marketing has been central to the brand. Leicester-born former England footballer Gary Lineker has appeared in Walkers advertising since 1995 and became one of the most recognisable recurring celebrity figures in British food advertising. Public participation campaigns such as Do Us a Flavour, Flavour Cup, Bring Me Back and Spell and Go used voting, competitions and social-media engagement to renew attention around the range. Walkers has also used football, entertainment and charity-linked promotions, including activity connected with Comic Relief and UEFA competitions. The brand has faced scrutiny over packaging waste, product ingredients and promotional mechanics. In 2018, environmental campaigners targeted Walkers over non-recyclable crisp packets, while a campaign involving empty packets being mailed to the company created operational problems for Royal Mail. The company also attracted criticism in 2013 after introducing real meat ingredients into some Smoky Bacon and Roast Chicken products, making them unsuitable for vegetarians and vegans; the affected flavourings were returned to vegetarian formulations in 2016. Walkers remains an active PepsiCo brand with a wide British snack portfolio, periodic limited editions and continuing efforts to adapt packaging, recipes and product claims to changing consumer expectations.
History
Walkers traces its commercial origins to Henry James Walker’s butcher’s business in Leicester. The family’s meat operation became increasingly difficult to sustain during the post-war rationing period, and in 1948 the company began producing potato crisps as an alternative line. Early Walkers crisps were plain and salted, following the prevailing British custom of selling unflavoured crisps with salt. The company expanded as flavoured crisps became technically and commercially feasible. Cheese and Onion appeared in 1954, followed by Salt and Vinegar in 1967. During the 1970s, Prawn Cocktail and Roast Chicken extended the range by translating popular meal flavours into packaged snacks. This helped Walkers build a distinctive connection with familiar British food culture rather than relying solely on plain potato products. The Walker family sold the business to Standard Brands in 1970. Standard Brands later merged with another American food company to create Nabisco Brands. Nabisco’s acquisition of Associated Biscuits brought Smith’s and other British snack interests into the same corporate sphere. After the RJR Nabisco leveraged buyout, Walkers and Smith’s were sold to PepsiCo in 1989. Walkers consequently became part of PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay organization while remaining a locally branded British business. Under PepsiCo, Walkers broadened its brand architecture. Packaging was changed to foil in 1993 and nitrogen flushing was introduced from 1996 to support product freshness. Quavers and Monster Munch adopted Walkers branding in 1997; Max was launched in 1999; Sensations followed in 2002; and Wotsits was acquired from Golden Wonder in 2003. Sunbites was introduced in 2007 as a wholegrain, better-for-you-positioned range. Walkers also developed products under or alongside Smith’s, Doritos and other PepsiCo snack brands sold in the United Kingdom. Recipe and packaging decisions have periodically generated public discussion. In 2006, Walkers announced a major reduction in saturated fat and moved to SunSeed oil, supported by sunflower sourcing in Ukraine and Spain. In 2013, some Smoky Bacon and Roast Chicken products were reformulated with real meat ingredients, which led to opposition from vegetarians and vegans; vegetarian flavourings were restored in 2016. The company’s Red Sky range, launched in 2009 with natural-ingredient and rainforest-protection positioning, was discontinued in 2014 after weak sales. Walkers’ modern public identity has been shaped by high-profile advertising and participatory promotions. Gary Lineker has fronted the brand since 1995, while campaigns including Do Us a Flavour, Flavour Cup, Bring Me Back and Spell and Go encouraged consumers to vote, submit ideas or compete for prizes. Football-related advertising and limited editions have been recurring themes. At the same time, environmental groups have criticized the recyclability and litter impact of crisp packets. The brand has continued to update its packaging and introduce limited editions, including vegan flavours and football-themed products in 2024. Reference material also records a further logo change in January 2026, described as a modern sun-inspired design.
- 2024
Vegan and football-themed limited editions
[1]Walkers launches vegan Veganuary flavours and revives football-themed products.
- 2018
Seventieth-anniversary flavour range
[1]Walkers launches six flavours representing different decades of the brand’s history.
- 2008
Do Us a Flavour launched
[1]Consumers are invited to submit and vote on new crisp flavours.
- 2003
Wotsits acquired
[1]Walkers acquires Wotsits from Golden Wonder.
- 2002
Sensations launched
[1]Walkers introduces its more premium-positioned Sensations range.
- 1995
Gary Lineker becomes a recurring advertising face
[1]The Leicester-born former footballer begins his long-running association with Walkers advertising.
- 1989
PepsiCo acquires Walkers
[1]Walkers and Smith’s are sold to PepsiCo after the restructuring and divestment of RJR Nabisco businesses.
- 1970
Business sold to Standard Brands
[1]The Walker family sells the company to the American food producer Standard Brands.
- 1967
Salt and Vinegar introduced
[1]The flavour becomes a long-running Walkers staple.
- 1954
Cheese and Onion introduced
[1]Walkers adds one of its enduring core flavours, helping establish flavoured crisps in the British market.
Products and positioning
Mass-market British snack brand combining familiar flavours, broad retail availability, playful advertising and periodic premium, healthier-positioned or limited-edition ranges.
Potato crisps · 1948
Walkers Core Crisps
The core Walkers range includes Ready Salted, Cheese and Onion and Salt and Vinegar, alongside rotating and limited-edition flavours. These products use the familiar red-and-yellow Walkers identity and are distributed widely through British grocery, convenience and food-service channels.
Ridged potato crisps · 1999
Walkers Max
Max is a ridged crisp range developed with stronger flavour profiles and a more substantial texture than the standard core line. It has included flavours such as steak and chip-shop curry and has been extended through successive limited editions.
Premium-positioned snacks · 2002
Walkers Sensations
Sensations is Walkers’ more premium-positioned snack range, built around distinctive seasonings and flavours such as Thai Sweet Chilli, Roast Chicken and Thyme, and Balsamic Vinegar and Caramelised Onion. The portfolio includes crisps and related products such as Poppadoms.
Extruded corn snack · 1997
Quavers
Quavers are light, curled corn-based snacks sold under the Walkers portfolio. The brand received updated packaging and was brought into the Walkers brand system during PepsiCo’s expansion of its British snack range.
Cheese-flavoured corn snack · 2003
Wotsits
Wotsits are cheese-flavoured extruded corn snacks acquired by Walkers from Golden Wonder. The range has included products such as Flamin’ Hot Wotsits and Wotsits Twisted.
Wholegrain snack · 2007
Sunbites
Sunbites is a wholegrain snack range created to offer an alternative to conventional potato crisps and positioned around a different fat and grain profile. It forms part of Walkers’ broader attempt to serve better-for-you snack occasions.
Natural-ingredient snack · 2009
Red Sky
Red Sky was a premium-positioned range marketed with natural-ingredient messaging and a partnership with rainforest-protection charity Cool Earth. The products were discontinued after poor sales.
Controversies
2026
Walkers Variety Snacks Sharing Box recall
PepsiCo recalled the Walkers Variety Snacks Sharing Box after a Monster Munch Giants Roast Beef pack inside the box was found to contain wheat that was not declared on the outer packaging. The recall concerns the undeclared wheat in the inner pack relative to the outer packaging label. The event was reported in 2026.
2018
Crisp-packet packaging protest
Campaigners criticized Walkers over the litter and plastic impact of crisp packets. A campaign encouraging people to mail empty packets to the company created manual-processing difficulties for Royal Mail.
Marketing campaigns
- 2015Bring Me Back
United Kingdom
Walkers temporarily revived several discontinued flavours and asked consumers to vote for a permanent return. Beef and Onion was selected for permanent return, and Marmite flavour was also brought back.
Outcome. Beef and Onion was selected for permanent return, and Marmite flavour was also brought back.
- 2014Do Us a Flavour million-pound competition
United Kingdom
A new public flavour competition asked participants to build recipes around specified British ingredients, with six finalists sold before a public vote. The promotion used a headline prize of £1 million; detailed outcome information is not included here.
Outcome. The promotion used a headline prize of £1 million; detailed outcome information is not included here.
- 2011Comic Relief celebrity flavours
United Kingdom
Four celebrity-backed flavours were created for a Comic Relief promotion, with Jimmy Carr, Stephen Fry, Al Murray and Frank Skinner representing the products. The campaign linked flavour innovation with charitable fundraising and entertainment marketing.
Outcome. The campaign linked flavour innovation with charitable fundraising and entertainment marketing.
- 2010Flavour Cup
United Kingdom · Ireland
Walkers staged a tournament-style public vote to identify the most popular flavour, supported by social-media participation and fan competitions. English Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding won the competition.
Outcome. English Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding won the competition.
- 2008Do Us a Flavour
United Kingdom
Consumers submitted original crisp flavours and voted on shortlisted entries. Six finalists were sold as special editions before Builder’s Breakfast was selected as the winner. Builder’s Breakfast became the winning flavour but was discontinued in 2010.
Outcome. Builder’s Breakfast became the winning flavour but was discontinued in 2010.
- 1995Gary Lineker advertising partnership
United Kingdom · Ireland
Walkers began using Gary Lineker as a recurring advertising personality. His Leicester background and comic commercial persona became closely associated with the brand. The partnership became one of the longest-running celebrity associations in British food advertising.
Outcome. The partnership became one of the longest-running celebrity associations in British food advertising.
Brand decisions
2025
Upper tribunal VAT ruling on Sensations PoppadomsOtherBackground
Walkers challenged HMRC’s treatment of its Sensations Poppadom product for VAT purposes.
Action taken
The company appealed after the First-tier Tribunal upheld HMRC’s position that the product belonged to the taxable category covering potato crisps and similar potato-based products.
Aftermath
The upper tribunal upheld the original decision.
2013
Use of real meat ingredients in selected flavoursGeneration changeBackground
Walkers revised the formulation of some Smoky Bacon and Roast Chicken products.
Action taken
Real meat ingredients were introduced into the affected flavourings.
Aftermath
Vegetarian and vegan consumers objected; Walkers returned the flavourings to vegetarian formulations in 2016.
2006
Reduce saturated fat and change frying oilStrategyBackground
Walkers responded to nutrition concerns and reformulated its frying process.
Action taken
The company announced a 70% reduction in saturated fat and began using SunSeed oil, supported by dedicated sunflower sourcing.
Aftermath
The change reinforced the brand’s efforts to present its products as compatible with evolving nutritional expectations.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Walkers Variety Snacks Sharing Box recall[3]
PepsiCo is recalling the Walkers Variety Snacks Sharing Box because a Monster Munch Giants Roast Beef pack contains wheat that is not declared on the outer packaging.
- Unconfirmed
Walker introduces AviProtek bird-friendly glass patterns 226 and 227[4]
Walker introduced two new bird-friendly glass patterns, numbered 226 and 227, which are available on regular bird-friendly glass or AviProtek glass with a Vitro Architectural Glass low-e coating.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Walkers reports continuing crisp shortages[5]
Walkers reported continuing shortages of its crisps, saying an IT system upgrade problem had affected products and that production was operating at a reduced scale.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
PepsiCo completes UK distribution centre investment[6]
PepsiCo completed an investment in a new distribution-centre building in Leicester. The building increases on-site storage capacity and is expected to reduce road transportation for Walkers crisps.
Reported
Walkers releases Fish and Chips crisps inspired by The Wetherby Whaler[7]
Walkers released Fish and Chips flavour crisps inspired by The Wetherby Whaler as part of its Local Taste Icons range; the crisps were on the market at the time of the report.
Reported
Walkers announces two KFC-inspired crisp flavours[8]
Walkers announced two new crisp flavours developed with KFC, scheduled to roll out into mults from 13 January.
Reported
Walkers and KFC partner on crisp flavours[8]
Walkers and KFC partnered to create two crisp flavours: Walkers Max KFC and Walkers Max Double Crunch Zinger.
Sources8 sources
- 1Walkers (snack foods)en.wikipedia.org
- 2Walkers official websitewalkers.co.uk
- 3Walkers Variety Snacks Sharing Box recallaol.co.uk
- 4Walker推出AviProtek 226和227号鸟类友好型玻璃图案glassonweb.com
- 5Walkers薯片持续缺货bbc.co.uk
- 6百事完成英国配送中心投资foodmanufacture.co.uk
- 7Walkers 推出灵感源自 The Wetherby Whaler 的炸鱼薯条味薯片yorkshirepost.co.uk
- 8Walkers宣布推出两款KFC风味薯片thegrocer.co.uk
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