M&S: Reduced Fat Full On Flavour Ready Salted Crisps

Visually, they look like their full-fat cousins—slightly paler, with that familiar M&S clean-cut finish. You can tell they’re part of the “Reduced Fat” brigade, though: the sheen is more modest, the oil less assertive. It’s a crisp trying to look confident in a linen shirt rather than leather jacket.

Flavour & Aroma

For something called “Full On Flavour,” they play it remarkably safe. The potato notes are clean, the salt present but not showy. There’s a whisper of oil, a touch of sweetness from the spud itself, but the promised “full-on” is more polite handshake than bear hug. Still, it’s honest and balanced — just a little too careful to ever feel indulgent.

Texture & Crunch

The reduced fat recipe means a slightly drier crunch — think more crack than crunch, and a finish that disappears rather than lingers. There’s satisfaction in that first bite, but it’s not the kind you remember. Clean, tidy, low-guilt eating — and that’s fine, if that’s what you’re after.

Salt & Balance

The salt here plays supporting actor rather than lead. Evenly spread but lacking punch, it does its job quietly. You’ll find yourself reaching for another handful, not out of craving, but mild curiosity — chasing a flavour that never quite shows up to the party.

Value for Money

Given their “Reduced Fat” badge, the value lies in self-justification: crisps you can eat without regret. They’re a decent pick for the calorie-conscious or office snackers avoiding guilt. Price-wise, M&S keeps them competitive enough that you won’t feel short-changed — though the flavour might disagree.

Verdict

These are crisps with restraint — the kind of thing you’d serve when you want to appear virtuous but still secretly like crisps. Not a bad snack by any stretch, but they taste like compromise. Full-on flavour? Perhaps in marketing copy more than in mouthfeel. Still, for a reduced-fat number, they keep dignity intact.