TWO friends from Oxford who created a chilli and chocolate flavoured crisp are now battling it out for a £50,000 prize.

Walkers Crisps’ Do Us A Flavour finalists Catherine Veitch and Sian Smith showed off their unusual recipe at Sainsbury’s in the Westgate Centre on Saturday.

Walkers challenged crisp lovers across the country to invent a new flavour of crisps and top chef Heston Blumenthal and a judging panel picked the top six from more than a million entries.

The other five were fish and chips, onion bhaji, crispy duck and hoisin, cajun squirrel and builder’s breakfast.

Ms Veitch and Miss Smith, who work for an Oxford-based educational publisher, were given £10,000 to develop their flavour, and could win £50,000 if it wins All six flavours are now on sale, but only one will be selected in May to be mass-produced by Walkers.

Miss Smith, 31, who lives in Summertown, said: “It felt like being in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory when we were creating the flavour with Heston Blumenthal.

“I really do think the chilli and chocolate combination works — the chilli is quite subtle. If we win, it will be life-changing.

“It’s incredible really – the whole thing has been amazing. We have got to do so many incredible things. We met Gary Lineker at the celebrity launch party and visited the factory to see our crisps being made.”

Shoppers in Oxford gave their creation the thumbs-up.

Miss smith added: “People have been really friendly.

“When people hear the flavour, they are wary, but when they try one they seem to like it, which is really good. It’s nice to be able to share it with people.”

Ms Veitch added: “I think it will be a close run thing, but it’s not about sales, it’s about how people vote.”

Richard Bunce, Sainsbury’s Oxford store manager, wished the budding chefs the best of luck in the competition.

He said: “It was a pleasure to have Catherine and Sian in the store.”

The public are able to vote for their favourite crisp flavour until May 1 via a free text messaging service or at the website walkers.co.uk The winner will also receive one per cent of net revenue sales each month for the duration of the period the flavour is on sale.

affrench@oxfordmail.co.uk