The moment we’ve all been waiting for is here.
Chester County chip company Herr’s has announced the winner of its “Flavored by Philly” competition, which sourced ideas for local-themed flavors from regular folks.
In mid-June, Herr’s picked three finalists out of the 6,200 entries “made by the people, for the people,” as the company’s CEO put it. Shannon A.’s “Wiz Wit,” Ryan R.’s “Long Hots and Sharp Provolone,” and Gregory D.’s “(215) Special Sauce” concepts were turned into actual, tastable chips for sale to Philadelphians brave enough to try them.
And try them they did, from a Philadelphian at food website The Takeout, to local Instagram foodies, to Billy Penn. The snack company encouraged samplers to vote online for their favorite variety.
So, following the months-long process and 11,000+ votes, the chosen chip of brotherly love is…
Long Hots and Sharp Provolone.
It turns out the masses agreed with our newsroom on the spicy but “inoffensive” chip’s superiority. The snack’s strong scent, “well-balanced” flavor, and “Primos-eseque” vibe won over the good people of Philadelphia.
Chip innovator Ryan R.’s rationale behind his winning flavor was a pretty simple one, per a Herr’s press release: “When people think of Philly, they think of hoagies.”
“No hoagie in Philly, especially our beloved roast pork, is complete without sharp provolone and Italian long hots on top,” he explained in the release. “It is a staple in the South Philly community and Italian markets throughout the city. Visitors would be wise to follow along.”
The creator took home a chunk of change and a cache of chips as a reward: $10,000, plus a year’s supply of Herr’s products. Ryan also got to pick a local charity to receive $10,000. He chose Philabundance, the region’s largest food bank.
“Wiz Wit” creator Shannon A. and “(215) Special Sauce” mastermind Gregory D. aren’t walking away empty handed, either. They’re each getting $1,000 and that year’s supply of Herr’s.
All good things must come to an end, though — the long hots chip and the other two contenders were just limited-run flavors, not permanent parts of the Herr’s lineup.
So if you absolutely fell in love with any of the Flavored by Philly varieties, now’s the time to claim any lingering bags left on the shelf at your neighborhood’s supermarket or convenience store. (Looks like the Herr’s online store has a bit of stock remaining, too.)
