Kellogg’s has moved its Special K brand into the UK crisps market for the first time with a range of popped savoury snacks.

Special K Cracker Crisps are rolling out now in sea salt & balsamic vinegar, sweet chilli, and sour cream & chive, and are made from potato, tapioca and wheat. They are available in a single-serve pack (rsp: 60p/23g) containing about 95 calories as well as a larger bag-in-box format (rsp: £1.99/100g).

The cereal giant said the “game-changing” range did not compromise on taste, and followed successes overseas with the launch of Special K Cracker Chips into the US last year and Canada early this year. Kellogg’s claimed the products delivered 18% growth to Special K’s savoury snacks portfolio in both markets.

The cracker crisps were popped rather than deep-fried and would target women who liked crisps but saw them as a guilty pleasure to be avoided, said Kellogg’s snacks marketing controller Ian MacKenzie.

“If we could get women to eat the same amount of crisps as men or children, that would be worth an extra £180m of value sales for the crisps category,” he claimed.

The crisps will muscle in on US popped snacks brand Popchips, which launched into the UK in March this year, as well as own-label popped snack products.

Sales of Kellogg’s Special K snacks portfolio has increased by 6.4% over the past year to £32.9m [SymphonyIRI 52 w/e 11 August] following the launch of Special K Chewy Delight in March and Special K Biscuit Moments in June.

Kellogg’s hopes the latest launch would at least double this figure in the next few years. Its cereals portfolio, meanwhile, is worth £103m. The launch will be backed by promotional and PR support this year, followed by a £3m marketing push including TV from January.