Loaded crisps: four finger-food recipes ranked

Ready salted, prawn cocktail, pickled onion and smoky bacon have long dominated the UK’s snack shelves. A report put crisps at the nation’s snack of choice on 94% of “all consumption occasions”, often enjoyed with a dip or a packet torn open on a pub table. Now the humble bag is being reinvented as the loaded crisp — a bit like loaded fries or nachos, with toppings dolloped into an opened packet at places such as Pablos in Nottingham.

Sometimes called basque nachos, soggy crisps or crisp charcuterie, the trend — apparently inspired by a dish served at the Basque‑inspired restaurant Ernesto’s in New York City — has spread on TikTok. The format is simple and customisable: drop desired ingredients into an opened bag, no cooking required.

Four popular combinations were prepared and ranked from best to worst. Top pick: Cheddar and onion Pipers topped with fennel salami, gherkin, feta and dill. It’s cheese on cheese plus cured meat and crunchy pickles — a deconstructed sandwich in a thin foil bag.

United Kingdom, Nottingham

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