The crisps that have SHRUNK or shot up in price following the potato shortage last year
Some packets cost 25 per cent more than they used to
PACKETS of crisps have shrunk or soared in price after last year's heatwave caused a potato shortage, according to experts.
Walkers, Hula Hoops, Pom Bears and own-brand snacks from Tesco, Asda and Morrisons have all been hit with cost hikes of up to 25 per cent in the last year.
One Morrisons Variety Mix multipack of 20 25g packets shot up by 50p to £2.50, according to an investigation by .
Meanwhile, two Walkers multi-packs shrunk in size by two packets, it said.
In Morrisons, a 20x25g Walkers Variety Mix shrunk to 18 packets while remaining on offer for £3, the report found.
The smaller multi-packs lose one cheese and onion and one ready salted packet.
At Asda, a 12x25g Walkers Variety Mix priced at £2.25 shrunk to 10 packets, with the price coming down to £2, it's said.
The smaller variety mix loses the prawn cocktail flavour, with four ready salted packs, three cheese and onion and three salt and vinegar packs.
Elsewhere, pack sizes have stayed the same but prices have risen.
A 32.5g back of Walkers ready Salted is now 3p more expensive on average at 68p, while a bag of Squares is 70p now - an increase of 5p - according to The Grocer.
Wotsits have also increased in price on average by 24p up to £1.56 for a six-bag multipack, it's said.
Hula Hoops, Pom-Bears and McCoy's have also seen price rises on average at Asda and Morrisons supermarkets, according to reports.
Own-brand crisps are also said to have risen in price.
Morrisons' 20x25g Variety Mix multipack is now £2.50 - up 50p - and Asda has also increased the price of its 12-packs of ready salted crisps to 70p from 66p.
Meanwhile, Tesco has hiked the cost of its 30-pack Meaty Variety Crisps to £2.79 - an increase of 30p.
Sainsbury's is said to have increased the price of 31.8g bags of Seabrook crisps by 10p.
The worst shrinkflation offenders
HERE are some of the biggest brand names that have shrunk products in the last few years:
Andrex toilet rolls - In 2017, two-packs shrunk from 221 sheets to 200
Creme Egg Multi-Packs - In 2015, the packs shrunk from six eggs to five
Mars bars - In 2013, bars shrunk from 58g to 51g
PG Tips - In 2015, boxes of 80 teabags shrunk from 250g to 232g
Surf washing powder - In 2015, packs shrunk from 2kg to 1.61kg
Terry's Chocolate Orange - In 2016, the treat shrunk from 175g to 157g
Toblerone - In 2016, bars shrunk from 400g to 360g
Walkers crisps - In 2012, packets shrunk from 34.5g to 32.5g
The price rises and shrinking packs are thought to have been caused by poor potato crops last year after the freezing Beast from the East cold snap and the summer heatwave.
James Pearson, of Suffolk Produce, told that farms had produced 20-30 per cent fewer potatoes last year.
The Sun has contacted Walkers' manufacturers PepsiCo for comment.
A spokesman for KP Snacks - which makes McCoy's, Hula Hoops and Pom-Bear crisps - said: "Shelf prices are at the sole discretion of our retailers."
Asda declined to comment.
We've also asked Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury's for a response too.
More on Money
Crisps aren't the only treat which has shrunk recently.
We exclusively revealed in January that Mini Eggs have shrunk in size with the price staying the same.
Other Easter eggs have shrunk too, including a Twirl egg.
Meanwhile Tesco is selling an Easter egg this year with Daim bar chunks in the shell.
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