It was spot-the-difference time as identical twins Mairi and Amy Johnson (aged 33) helped launch Taylors Snacks, the new brand that is replacing Mackie’s of Scotland crisps and popcorn.  

At the Taylors family farm in Errol, Perthshire, the twin sisters from Currie on the outskirts of Edinburgh helped share the message that while the Taylors branding and packaging is new, the award-winning crisps inside the bags remain exactly the same. 

MACKIES CRISPS RE-BRANDED AS TAYLORS CRISPS

Meanwhile, the Mackie’s of Scotland family business and brand will continue to produce its much-loved ice cream and chocolate.

Twins Mairi and Amy Johnson were thrilled to participate in the launch campaign for Taylors.  The identical working mothers who now live in Livingston were once internationally known for being part of the siblings folk group, GiveWay, along with their two older sisters, and toured as a support band for Runrig.

Mairi Johnson explained: “Having seen the love of Scotland around the world during our music career, it’s brilliant to be part of this campaign for a vibrant new brand, born here.  As a twin, some of our friends still can’t tell us apart and we soon understood that we couldn’t tell the difference between Mackie’s and Taylors crisps.  The texture and flavours are brilliant and make great crisps for dipping.

“Our brother-in-law lives in Kent and returns home with a car full of Mackie’s crisps after every visit … so he’ll now be travelling home with a car full of Taylors.”

The Taylors product range is now widely available in Sainsbury’s stores across Scotland and will hit other supermarket shelves across the country throughout this month (May).  Taylors products will also be available south of the border later in the year.

James Taylor, managing director at Taylors Snacks, is excited to see the branding hit the shelves. He said: “We are beyond delighted with our fresh and exciting new look launching just in time for summer. The modern design is inspired by our family roots and family culture is hugely important in what we do at Taylors. 

“Our new chapter is a really exciting time for the Taylors business as a whole. We want the country to see that Taylors Snacks are the same great products as before, just in a fresh, shiny new packet. I am so proud of our whole team for working so hard to get us here, we believe our journey has just begun. 

“Summer is the perfect time to launch Taylors Snacks. With our brand new colourful crisp packets hitting the shelves this month, we’re very confident we will be turning heads in the aisles of Scottish supermarkets, as well as during this year’s Royal Highland Show.”

Familiar flavours such as Sea Salt, Sea Salt & Vinegar, Mature Cheddar & Onion, Pickled Onion and Flame Grilled Aberdeen Angus will be available in the traditional and uniquely crunchy straight cut range, while Chilli Kick is the new name for what was known as Scotch Bonnet Chilli Pepper.

In the Ridge Cut range, Taylors is introducing two new flavours - Hot Buffalo Wings and Jalapeño & Mature Cheddar - in addition to the established flavours of Lightly Sea Salted, Sea Salt & Vinegar and Cheddar & Onion. Thai Sweet Chilli is the new name for what was known as simply Sweet Chilli.

Taylors will also offer a range of lighter snacks such as Lentil Waves and popcorn. The Lentil Waves flavours are Sea Salt & Vinegar, Barbecue and new flavour Red Curry, while the popcorn remains the same as before with Sweet & Salted, Lightly Sea Salted and Toffee coated.

Perthshire-based Taylors Snacks was previously Mackie’s at Taypack, a joint venture founded in 2009 between the Taylor family and Mackie’s of Scotland, the Aberdeenshire-based family business known for its leading ice cream and chocolate ranges.

The Taylor family purchased the remaining shares of the snacking business in 2022, with all crisps, popcorn and lentil waves produce to move over to the new Taylor Snacks branding this month.

Mac Mackie, Executive Chairman at Mackie’s of Scotland said: “We have enjoyed a great few years with the Taylors founding and building up a Scottish range of crisps and popcorn. We wish the Taylors team all the best and look forward to seeing more developments and new products as they continue to grow. In the meantime, we’re excited to keep making and developing Scotland’s favourite ice cream and our farm-made chocolate on the renewably powered family farm.”

The Taylors Snacks new look is bright, modern and eye-catching - inspired by the family’s roots, a Scottish thistle heads up the logo. The tagline ‘A thick-cut crunch like no other’ is visible across the packet, with trademark flavours and seasonal specials still widely available.