Prawn cocktail crisps occupy strange territory in the M&S range. They’re inherently nostalgic, inherently artificial, inherently the opposite of everything M&S food positioning claims to represent. And yet here they are, in the green packaging, legitimised by the brand.
M&S handles the contradiction by making genuinely good prawn cocktail crisps.
The tang is right. The sweetness is right. The particular artificial prawn-adjacent flavour is calibrated correctly. All the elements that make prawn cocktail crisps what they are, present and proper.
But there’s a quality difference from budget versions. The base crisp is better. The seasoning is more refined, less harsh. It’s prawn cocktail crisps for people who want to eat prawn cocktail crisps but don’t want to eat cheap prawn cocktail crisps.
Whether this distinction matters depends on your relationship with the flavour. For nostalgia purposes, cheaper versions might actually work better, triggering childhood memories more accurately. For eating quality, M&S wins.
Elevated nostalgia. Odd concept, decent execution.
