San Nicasio


San Nicasio is a Spanish brand of gourmet potato chips, established in 1999. The slow cooked chips have won a number of food industry awards for quality and have received a level of notoriety due to the high price tag of the product.

History

San Nicasio was established in 1999 in Priego de Córdoba, in the Andalusian mountains of Spain, by Rafael del Rosal Lopez and his wife Carmen Osuna. They are being distributed by Fayrefield Foods in the UK, who are targeting distributors such as Harvey Nichols and Harrods.

Product

San Nicasio are handmade small-batch potato chips, made with Catalan potatoes, extra virgin olive oil and Himalayan pink salt. The olive oil used has the "Priego de Córdoba" denomination of origin., they are only available in salted flavour and two sizes, and.

Cooking

The chips are slow cooked, unlike most other brand-name chips. According to owner Lopez this is "to prevent the formation of undesirable substances".

Pricing

The product received significant press coverage on release in the United Kingdom due to the financial market at the time and the pricing for the larger packet, almost double the market standard. Grocery magazine The Grocer asked "will British crisp-lovers fork out almost four quid for a new super-premium snack?", although it did not speculate on the answer to this question. The Rich Times stated that analysts "are as yet divided" as to whether or not a product at this price point "makes any sense".

Awards

The brand has won a number of food industry awards and certifications.