what happened to smiths crisps

Smiths Crisps as a brand never totally “disappeared”, but it has changed a lot over the years and many of the classic products have been discontinued or absorbed into bigger snack brands.

Quick Scoop: What happened to Smiths Crisps?

• Smiths began as a pioneering UK crisp maker in the early 20th century and became one of the dominant crisp brands in Britain.

• Over time, it was taken over by larger companies and is now part of PepsiCo, with its UK crisps made under the Walkers umbrella.

• The Smiths name survives mainly on certain snacks like Frazzles and Chipsticks rather than as a flagship plain crisp brand.

• In recent years, specific Smiths-branded products such as Smith’s Tomato Snaps have been officially discontinued in the UK, fuelling the feeling that “Smiths Crisps have gone”.

“Smith’s Tomato Snaps have enjoyed a remarkable run and will always be cherished in our history, but refreshing our product lineup enables us to concentrate on delivering more of the brands and flavors that consumers adore.”

A short history: rise and fade of a crisp giant

• Smiths started in the UK and became one of the first big crisp companies, selling huge volumes of potato crisps nationwide.

• By the post‑war period, Smiths supplied almost every pub and hotel in Britain and was a household name.

• In the 1960s it was taken over by larger American owners, and later the business ended up under PepsiCo, alongside Walkers.

• As Walkers grew into the dominant crisp brand, Smiths’ presence on shelves slowly shrank, especially for standard potato crisps (ready salted, salt & vinegar, etc.).

An example of how deeply embedded Smiths once was in British life is the nostalgia people share today about old adverts and promotions, such as musical mugs and “We want to be jackets” ads for Smiths Jackets crisps.

So why do people think Smiths “disappeared”?

There are a few overlapping reasons:

1. Brand absorbed into Walkers
   • In the UK, Smiths is now effectively a sub‑brand inside Walkers rather than a standalone crisp company.

 * Walkers branding dominates multipacks and supermarket shelves, so many people simply don’t _see_ “Smiths Crisps” as they once did.

2. Classic lines discontinued or hard to find
   • Fans have complained for years that they couldn’t find Smiths multipacks (ready salted, salt & vinegar, cheese & onion) and even contacted Walkers to ask what happened.

 * More recently, Walkers/PepsiCo confirmed that **Smith’s Tomato Snaps** are being discontinued, with only the final batches available for a short time through wholesalers and shops.

 * When a beloved line like Tomato Snaps goes, people often generalise that “Smiths Crisps are gone”, even though the brand name still appears on a few products.

3. Nostalgia vs. modern shelves
   • For older UK snack‑lovers, memories include things like Smiths Jackets, salt sachets in plain crisps and retro promotions.

 * Today, the aisle is dominated by Walkers, Doritos and other modern brands, so the absence of those distinctively “Smiths” lines stands out even more in hindsight.

What’s still around under the Smiths name?

While many classic crisps have gone or been rebranded, the Smiths logo hasn’t completely vanished:

• In the UK, Smiths is still used mainly on certain snack lines such as Frazzles and Chipsticks, though they are part of the wider Walkers/PepsiCo portfolio rather than a separate company.

• The Smith’s Snackfood Company remains an active PepsiCo subsidiary in Australia , where the Smith’s brand is still used on mainstream crisps.

So, depending on where you live and which era you remember, “what happened to Smiths Crisps” can feel quite different: in Britain, they’ve largely been folded into Walkers and reduced to a few legacy snack lines; in Australia, the Smith’s name is still prominent on shelves.

Recent news: the Tomato Snaps decision

The most recent flashpoint for the “what happened to Smiths Crisps” discussion is the decision to axe Smith’s Tomato Snaps in the UK:

• Walkers/PepsiCo confirmed that Tomato Snaps are being discontinued to “evolve” the product portfolio and focus on stronger‑selling brands and flavours.

• The last batches are being sold through wholesalers, retailers and online, but once they’re gone, they’re not planned to return.

• Fans reacted with disappointment and frustration on social media and forums, saying things like these were the only crisps they really enjoyed and that the decision had “ruined” their day.

This kind of move reinforces the broader trend: the Smiths name is more associated with nostalgia and a handful of niche products than with a big family of crisps in modern UK supermarkets.

Forum and nostalgia angle

Online discussions about “what happened to Smiths Crisps” tend to centre on:

• Personal memories of adverts, school snacks and promotional items like musical mugs from the 1980s.

• Frustration at availability , with posters saying they can’t find multipacks or certain flavours and sometimes phoning Walkers to ask what’s going on.

• Comparisons to other brands , with some users noting that they preferred Smiths to Golden Wonder back in the 1960s and 70s, or that modern crisps don’t feel as “substantial”.

“Always preferred Smith’s to Golden Wonder in the 60s. They were more substantial, like Tyrell’s are today.”

These conversations keep the question “what happened to Smiths Crisps” trending from time to time, especially whenever another Smiths‑branded item quietly disappears.

SEO-focused meta description

Smiths Crisps hasn’t vanished entirely, but in the UK the famous crisp brand has been absorbed into Walkers, many classic lines have been discontinued and only a few Smiths‑branded snacks like Frazzles and Chipsticks remain, while recent moves such as axing Smith’s Tomato Snaps have reignited forum discussion and nostalgia about what happened to Smiths Crisps.

TL;DR: Smiths Crisps was once a giant UK crisp brand but is now mostly a sub‑brand under Walkers/PepsiCo; the logo survives on a few snacks, yet many classic Smiths products (most recently Tomato Snaps) have been discontinued, which is why so many people online are asking what happened to Smiths Crisps today.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.