A bag can set you back as little as $1.85 and flavours span everything from basic (ready salted) to bougie (katsu chicken). From the business of making chips to best-selling flavours and the ubiquity of Kiwi onion dip, Nikki Birrell unpacks our national obsession with this supermarket staple.
There are few things as quintessentially Kiwi as a bowl of chips at a barbecue, a packet tucked into a picnic basket, or the sound of a fresh bag opening at a family gathering. Chips are more than just a snack in New Zealand; they’re a staple of social occasions, a nostalgic treat, and, for some, even a point of pride. But what is it about chips that makes them so beloved in Aotearoa? And how have our tastes evolved? The Kiwi love affair with chips isn’t new.
For decades, they have been a go-to snack for every occasion, a reflection of our informal, easy-going culture. Bluebird, one of New Zealand’s biggest snack food manufacturers, for instance, has been in the business of satisfying our potato chip fixation for more than 70 years..