Skipping Back to my Childhood (KP Skips)

Name: colin.lawson

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Product:	KP Skips
Date:	04/10/04 (142 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Kids love them, They are softer than normal crisps

Disadvantages: Smelly

INTRO
I haven’t tasted KP Skips since I was about 12 or 13 (many moons ago) and on a recent trip to the supermarket I decided to pick up a multi-pack of Skips so my kids could try them and I could take a trip down memory lane. As I recall Skips where mighty tasty and I used to eat them with great gusto before my hormones kicked in and I preferred to spend my money on records, presents for girls and acne cream.

The multipack cost 60p for six so that works out at only 10p per bag so on the value for money front they were a bargain. But how would they perform with my kids?

I handed the crisps to the kids and they were ripping into them like hyenas around a zebra carcass. Much frenetic munching and crunching ensued and it has to be said that it kept them quiet for quite a while so they scored highly on my ‘shut the kids up’ scale and also there wasn’t much of the usual irritating crunching sounds coming from inside the kids’ skulls as happens with other crisps, they appeared to be enjoying them immensely.

THE PACKET
I decided it was time for me to try them and take that step back in time to my own childhood. The packet seemed a lot smaller than I remembered it also feels almost weightless. The packet is Bright yellow with the words Tongue Tastic SKIPS in pink lettering and the words Prawn Cocktail below this. There is a psychedelic swirl pattern on the front obviously designed by a 1960’s ex-hippy or someone who has eaten one too many e-numbers.

The back of the packet is silver with blue and white writing which requires the aid of a magnifying glass (or the eyes of a small child) to be able to read what it says. After reading the bag it is clear that Skips are firmly aimed at kids.

On the left hand side of the pack it offers a ‘Tongue Tastic Fact!’ which reads, ‘Your tongue is the only muscle in your body that is attached at only one end’ hey, who said snacks couldn’t be educational? My kids are in primary school and already they are on their way to a degree in Biology. Below this in tiny print it informs us that Skips are Gluten free and contain no MSG. Great, I feel less like a bad dad for feeding my kids these crisps.

On the right hand side of the packet there is a ton of info so here we go;

There is a freephone number to the customer care line, which is open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm. The number is 0800 0150561 (in Republic of Ireland call 1800 553079).

Below this an ink-blot shaped panel states, ‘Skips are made in Ashby-de-la-Zouch and sometimes they can get damaged on their travels to your house. If your pack has reached you in anything less than totally top condition, then please send the pack back to us. Your statutory rights are not affected.’

There address is then quoted (and I know any adult will just love writing this on an envelope!);
Tongue Tastic Towers
(Where Skips Come From)
KP Snacks
Freepost (LE6531)
P.O. Box No.4
Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Leics
LE65 1NZ

There is then a panel containing the nutritional information and list of ingredients. This panel has the words, ‘Our mum made us write this bit’ above it and the word ‘Boring!’ below it.

The inclusion of Fish Oil in the ingredients means that this snack is not suitable for most vegetarians.

The Bottom of the packet shows a picture of a shopping trolley with the words, ‘Burp! I love Skips Bags! Mmm!’

I’m sure this means something to kids but it left me mystified.

THE TASTE EXPERENCE
Now onto my own tasting. I have the pack in front of me and here we go. I open the bag and there isn’t a lot of smell at all. I take a sniff inside the bag and suddenly my mind is filled with the sights and sounds of Space Invaders Machines, Roller Boots, School Ties and cross country runs in the middle of winter (urgh! I was back at school for a second there). The smell is not unpleasant and does invoke memories of lunchtimes at school when I used to eat my Skips as part of my lunch.

Looking into the bag there seems to be a heck of a lot of product in there for the weight of the pack, do Skips defy the laws of gravity?

Picking up one of the weightless seashell shaped snacks I pop one in my mouth. Now I remember how you are supposed to eat Skips. You place them in your mouth and roll them around pressing them against your tongue, avoid biting if at all possible because the pack will be gone in a flash if you do that.

Hmmmm, this doesn’t taste exactly as I remember. There is a wave of tasty prawn Cocktail flavour but not as intense as I recall. And once that is gone you are left with a taste and texture in your mouth reminiscent of soggy Weetabix. Oh what a disappointment. They taste okay but not as good as I recall with a rather nasty after taste.

So I decide to grab a handful and put them in my mouth together and start munching. The taste is much the same as with one but the horrid aftertaste is increased somewhat. The pack is now empty, my fingers smell disgusting and I have a thick layer of gloop around my teeth. Time to brush and floss my teeth I think, I must remember to get the kids to do the same.

CONCLUSION
This little journey down the lane of memories was a bit of a disaster. The smell of the product took me back there for a while and was quite pleasant but once I started eating them the taste was ok followed by a rather unpleasant aftertaste – not at all what I remembered from my spotty youth.

So would I recommend them to you? Yeah give them a try. The sensation in your mouth of the crisps melting is quite pleasant and you might like the taste but I’m not sure about it at all.

Did they live up to the memory of my youth? NO! Like watching re-ruins of the Man from Atlantis and the Six Million Dollar man, these things don’t seem to live up to the heady excitement I remember from when I was a kid.

Sadly it looks like if I am going to relive memories of my youth a trip to the loft is called for to see if my rollerboots still fit me. See you in Casualty!

Thanks for reading. :O)

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