Lay's Canada Chip Challenge 2014

Last year Lay’s Canada started an annual competition called “Do Us A Flavour”. Jenny Fines and I were pretty pumped up and tried the four chip flavours competing for the first championship title. Our (and our entire office’s) least favourite chip “Maple Moose” ended up winning the contest, before flopping in the real world potato chip market. You can check out the 2013 edition of the competition here.

“Do Us A Flavour” is back again this year as I am sure you have noticed if you frequent gas stations, pharmacies, grocery stores or well pretty much any place that sells food in Canada. This year at my Grandmother’s 72nd birthday party I thought it would be fun to throw the chips on the table and see what everyone thought of the four new flavours.

This year there is a new twist to the competition; two of the proposed new flavours are featured in different Lay’s textures (wavy and kettle cooked). Over a million flavours were suggested; here are the four that made it into production:

-Lay’s Wavy Jalapeno Mac’N’Cheese created by Randall Litman from Calgary, AB.

-Lay’s Kettle Cooked Tzatziki created by Denise Vella from Cambridge, ON

-Lay’s Cinnamon Bun created by Gloria Melanson from London, ON.

-Lay’s Bacon Poutine created by Guillaume Lorrain from Trois-Rivières, QC.

Last year everyone agreed that Maple Moose was the WORST. Maple Moose chips actually made it into the office garbage can. Clearly we were all surprised when it ended up winning the contest.

This year there is no clear worst chip. Honestly we all thought the Lay’s Cinnamon Bun bag of chips would be gross, but they actually were not that bad. They were more sweet than cinnamony and the balance between sweet and salty was not that bad. People had warned us against them, but they were not even close to being as gross as “Maple Moose”.

My favourite (because I cannot choose just one) are the “Lay’s Wavy Jalapeno Mac’N’Cheese” and the “Lay’s Kettle Cooked Tzatziki”. This may just be because I like the different textures. Honestly, I don’t think I would choose any of these chips over my go-to favourite simple ketchup chips. I think they could have done better with the flavouring for them all.

If the house votes say mean anything it will be a battle between “Lay’s Bacon Poutine” or “Lay’s Wavy Jalapeno Mac’N’Cheese”.

You can vote for your favourite in the 2014 “Do Us A Flavour” contest by clicking here. The winner will receive $50,000 and 1% of their chips sales.

Lay’s is all over Twitter and Instagram and you are able to use the following hashtags: #VoteBaconPoutine, #VoteCinnamonBun, #VoteJalapenoMacNCheese and #VoteTzatziki.

Or you can text your vote to 101010.

Voting closes October 12, 2014.

In case you are wondering, here are the finalists for the 2014 American version of the contest “Do Us A Flavor”:

Lay’s Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese

Lay’s Cappuccino

Lay’s Wavy Mango Salsa

Lay’s Kettle Cooked Wasabi Ginger

UPDATED: Bruce & Fines Lay's Canada Chip Challenge

UPDATE: Maple Moose has won the contest, all of Canada should be angry about this... I am so grossed out!

Mountain FM Drive Host, Jenny Fines and I did a little disservice to our bodies last night, we took part in a tasting of the gas station food variety. We did the Lay's Canada Chip Challenge, "Lay's Do us a Flavour". We taste tested the four chip varieties chosen from submissions from across the country, below is the audio testing. Here is a little background on the contest.


There are four flavours in the running (chosen from over 600,000 submissions) for "Lay's new great flavour" they are:

1. Grilled Cheese & Ketchup (submitted by Angela Batley in Ottawa, Ontario)
2. Perogy Platter (submitted by Lucas Crawford in Edmonton, Alberta)
3. Maple Moose (submitted by Tyler LeFrense in Isle aux Morts,  Newfoundland )
4. Creamy Garlic Caesar (submitted by Jill Munro in Vancouver, British Columbia)

For our flavour rankings and how we used our vote listen to the clip below:
Some background information: 
The winner will receive $50,000 and 1 per cent of future sales, pretty easy money for a pipe dream flavoured chip!

By the way, my flavour idea was 'Maple Bacon Poutine'. 

Who are you gunning to win the challenge. You have got to give the chips are try before you vote, the tastes are a little different than I thought they would be.... 

For a little background our cousins to the South at Lay's ran the same contest, picking the top three flavour choices: Chicken and Waffles, Sriracha and Cheesy Garlic Bread. Representative of America.... I would say about 33% right on that one. Americans chose Cheesy Garlic Bread as their winner, Karen Weber-Mendham will receive either a million dollars or 1% of her chips total sales, whichever is higher. 

Let me know what you think! Comment below or email me, kate@mountainfm.net! 

Cast your votes here: https://apps.facebook.com/dousaflavourcanada/en/

***Mountain FM update:

The first bag to be completed in the office was the Creamy Garlic Caesar, then went the Grilled Cheese & Ketchup, next was the Perogy Platter... Maple Moose was tossed rather than finished!