From humble potatoes to gourmet crisps, SAVOURSMITHS is transforming snacking with bold flavours and a rich family heritage, turning a classic treat into a decadent experience. Co-Founder Colette Russell Smith discusses culinary quality, sustainability, and future plans.
SAVOURING THE FLAVOUR OF THE CRISP PARADIGM SHIFT
In the UK, the love for crisps runs deep; fried thin potatoes have become a beloved snack staple.
Over the last 15 years, these once-simple snacks have undergone a remarkable transformation into gourmet treats. Now, they are often artfully crafted with a variety of flavours and textures, offering a delightful experience for the taste buds and elevating classic comfort food into a sophisticated indulgence.
Whether enjoyed as a casual snack or paired with fine cheeses and charcuterie, luxury crisps truly reflect the nation’s evolving palate and appreciation for culinary artistry.
To enhance the sophisticated snack sector, some crisp brands utilise home-grown potatoes sourced from their own farms. An example of this is SAVOURSMITHS, which hand-selects its potatoes and cooks them in small batches.
Indeed, the brand’s East Anglian location benefits from the region’s rich agricultural and rural landscape. The company’s creative journey was inspired by the husband-and-wife duo’s desire to launch a refined crisp brand that differentiates itself as ‘a better breed of crisp’.
Today, SAVOURSMITHS products are sold across the UK and exported to nearly 40 countries, appearing in premium retailers, luxury hotels, airlines, and hospitality venues worldwide.
“SAVOURSMITHS came from a very real and personal place. Mike and I are a farming family – Russell Smith Farms has been growing potatoes in Duxford, Cambridgeshire, since 1938,” emphatically introduces co-Founder Colette Russell Smith.
“We had this extraordinary raw material on our doorstep, and we wanted to do something with it that truly honoured that heritage. The luxury end of the crisp market felt wide open as there was no brand genuinely rooted in British farming with real provenance and the culinary ambition to match. Consequently, we built one.”
What sets SAVOURSMITHS apart is its control over the entire process – from the soil where its potatoes are grown to the hand-cooking on the farm and the packaging. Additionally, its flavour range is unique.
“Our flavours are genuinely considered, bold, and designed to complement a drink or a table setting. When SAVOURSMITHS are served at premium hotels, the crisps need to hold their own in that environment – and they do,” she continues.
Moreover, SAVOURSMITHS’ family heritage plays a pivotal role in shaping the brand’s future and storytelling. The company emphasises its core values and strives to connect with customers through a message that resonates deeply with quality, tradition, and a passion for exceptional taste.
“Heritage is at the heart of everything. The farm has been in Mike’s family since 1938 – that’s three generations of stewardship of this land, and when people understand that, it changes how they relate to the brand.
“It’s not a corporate crisp; it’s a family endeavour. Our storytelling will always come back to that: the farm, the soil, the seasons, and the people behind it. Authenticity is the hardest thing to manufacture and the most valuable thing you can have, and we genuinely have it,” Russell Smith highlights.
“Our flavours are deliberately theatrical – we wanted them to feel like an experience, not an afterthought”
Colette Russell Smith, co-Founder, SAVOURSMITHS
PACKING A PUNCH ON THE PALATE
Renowned for flamboyant flavours, SAVOURSMITHS thrives on innovation and creativity to develop unique taste experiences.
“Our flavours are deliberately theatrical – we wanted them to feel like an experience, not an afterthought. We have things like Bubbly and Serrano Chilli, Truffle and Rosemary, and Virgin Bloody Mary – flavours that make people do a double-take and then immediately want to try them,” impassions Russell Smith.
“Furthermore, the development process is genuinely collaborative and a bit hedonistic – it involves a lot of tasting, travelling, and eating at brilliant restaurants. I find inspiration everywhere: in a dish I’ve had at a great restaurant, in a combination I’ve read about, and in the seasons. The brief is always: Does this taste extraordinary?”
SAVOURSMITHS’ flavours are a delightful tapestry woven from a variety of unique cultural and culinary influences, emerging from harmonious blends of dazzlingly festive and zesty notes that keep people reaching for more.
“We draw from a very broad culinary canvas – British classics reimagined, bold international influences, unexpected pairings that somehow just work,” articulates Russell Smith.
In the journey of uncovering these distinctive culinary offerings, each flavour combination is steeped in rich storytelling and thoughtful inspiration.
“For example, the Wagyu Beef with Honey and English Mustard is deeply British in its bones but elevated in a way that feels special. The Truffle and Rosemary came from a love of Italian cooking and that irresistible combination of earthiness and herb,” she details.
“The Bubbly and Serrano Chilli was born from that joy of contrast – something celebratory and indulgent with a heat that keeps you coming back. There are always personal stories behind these decisions, and that’s what makes them feel real rather than manufactured.”
Ultimately, each flavour is imbued with personal stories drawn from the couple’s adventures, meals they’ve savoured, and experiences that have deeply resonated. This connection is what lends authenticity to the flavours, making them feel genuine.
FROM FIELD TO FACTORY
Ensuring that its ingredients meet quality standards and ethical practices, SAVOURSMITHS holds a Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards (BRCGS) Grade AA Issue 9 certification, recognised as the gold standard in food safety and quality.
“A top BRCGS grade is not something you achieve without rigour. Beyond certification, we source our main ingredients as locally as possible, and we’re personally invested in knowing the origin of everything.
“When your name is on the brand, and you live on the farm, there’s no hiding from quality – it’s personal,” Russell Smith asserts.
As a family-operated farm, SAVOURSMITHS strongly focuses on the farm-to-table concept and emphasises traceability in product sourcing.
“For us, farm-to-table isn’t a marketing phrase; it’s literally our reality. The potatoes are grown, processed, and cooked here on Russell Smith Farms,” she declares.
“You can stand in our fields and hold the finished bag within a few hundred metres of where it started. That level of traceability is almost impossible to replicate if you’re buying ingredients from multiple suppliers. It gives us absolute confidence in what we’re putting out, and it gives our customers – whether that’s a Harrods buyer or a home consumer – the same confidence.”
Additionally, the company’s commitment to sustainability is reflected in its packaging and production processes.
“We’ve put real thought and investment into making every part of the business sustainable. Our tins are 100 percent plastic-free, and we do not use single-use plastics anywhere in our operations. That was a deliberate decision and one we’re proud of.”
In line with SAVOURSMITHS’ commitment to the environment, the company prioritises eco-friendly practices at every stage of our operations.
“On the production side, we recycle throughout, and our used cooking oil and food waste go into biofuel and animal feed rather than landfill, which feels like the right thing to do when you’re a farming business and you understand that waste has value,” Russell Smith explains.
Furthermore, SAVOURSMITHS’ is midway through installing solar panels on the farm, which will make a meaningful difference to its energy footprint.
“We’re not a corporation with a sustainability department – we’re a family farm, and we just quietly get on with doing our part where we can. Every decision we make, we ask whether we can do it better, and that’s not going to change,” Russell Smith resolutely points out.
“When people buy SAVOURSMITHS, they’re supporting British farming. In this regard, every bag sold is directly connected to our farm, family, and the people who work there”
Colette Russell Smith, co-Founder, SAVOURSMITHS
A SMARTER SNACK
The SAVOURSMITHS’ brand is continually evolving, particularly in its product offerings and sustainability efforts.
“We’re in an exciting period of expansion. The Little SAVOURSMITHS x Peter Rabbit range is a significant step, as it brings our quality standard to the children’s snack market. This category desperately needs it,” Russell Smith expresses.
“Meanwhile, we’re growing our retail presence. Our products are on Ocado, in COOK stores nationwide, select Co-op stores, delis up and down the country, as well as Young’s Pubs and sports clubs, and at some of the finest hotels in the country, including The Ritz, The Lanesborough, and The Berkeley.”
Whilst enhancing its presence with premium hospitality clients, the company is also investing in its sustainability commitments and effectively communicating its story through content and media. As such, the brand is a creative family business that is never short on ideas.
“When people buy SAVOURSMITHS, they’re supporting British farming. In this regard, every bag sold is directly connected to our farm, family, and the people who work there.
“In a world where food provenance matters more than ever, we’re one of the very few premium snack brands where you can trace your product all the way back to the field. That matters to us enormously, and I hope it matters to the people who choose us,” she proudly finishes.
This article was produced by the editorial team at Food & Beverage Outlook and published as part of the Outlook Publishing global network of B2B industry magazines.
Outlook Publishing delivers industry insights, company stories, and sector coverage across food production, manufacturing, supply chains, construction, healthcare, mining, and sustainability.
Food & Beverage Outlook provides ongoing coverage of organisations and developments shaping the global food and beverage sector.
