Bepps sweet chilli black-eyed pea puffs

Nascent bagged snack brand Bepps has unveiled a range of black-eyed pea puffs in what it claims is a UK first.

Three variants of the vegan-friendly alternative to fried potato crisps are available initially through the Bepps website, although the brand said it was “in talks with stockists to secure a retail roll-out in 2018”.

Sweet Chilli, Sea Salt & Black Pepper and Cheese Flavour (rsp: £1.09/22g) contain no more than 418 calories per 100g, with a maximum 16.7g of fat and 15.1g of protein. The organic black-eyed peas are sourced directly from local farmers in South America and West Africa, while the snacks themselves are popped and bagged in the UK.

The launch came to cash in on growing demand for healthy snacks, said Bepps founder Eve Yankah. “More British consumers than ever are looking for innovative and balanced alternatives that do not compromise on taste and flavour.”

Bepps is this year supporting Great Ormond Street Hospital by handing out snacks to children and their families at the hospital, and by donating “a percentage” of its sales to the charity.