McCoy’s or rather the REAL McCoy’s are one of the first brands which made thick, ridge cut and fully flavoured crisps for the mainstream. They are well known for their strong flavour and mega crunch. McCoy’s are made by KP snacks and are the third biggest crisp brand in the country. The advertising started off similar to Yorkie in which it was aimed at men as “man crisps” due to their strong flavour that presumably women couldn’t handle.
Although the marketing hasn’t aged well, their popularity has stood the test of time. But, how do they fare in terms of syns? Does the thick cut and strong flavour come at a price? Let’s find out.
The Real McCoy’s Syn Values
- The 25g bag of McCoy’s contains 132 calories. This means a 25g bag of McCoy’s is worth 6.6 syns.
This is a similar number to Snackrite, Sunbites and Scampi Fries.
- The 45g grab bag that you’d find with a meal contains 237 calories. This means a 45g bag of Real McCoy’s is worth 11.9 syns.
This is similar to Doritos, Walkers Max and Nik Naks.
The three core flavours of McCoy’s – cheddar and onion, salt and malt vinegar and flame grilled steak – all have the same syns as the calorie difference is single digits.
How do these compare with all other crisps? Are they worth it? Let’s find out.

Are McCoy’s worth the syns?
The real McCoy’s have a distinct flavour and unforgettable crunch making them one of the UK’s most popular crisps. For McCoy lovers there can be no substitute and of you have the syns to afford a bag then they are worth it because you’re enjoying your well earned treat.
But, if you want to look at the numbers away from the taste then they’re average to below average. The syns per gram is 0.26 which is on the low end, similar to Pringles, Walkers Classic and Seabrook. This equates to a SynScore of 74% and an overall rank of 26th out of 32 in terms of being syn/calorie dense.
There are plenty more crisps out there which haven’t got as much calories per gram of weight meaning you could actually have more and spend less syns.
But, if you love them then you love them.
McCoy’s Nutrition and Ingredients

Potatoes, Sunflower Oil, Cheddar & Onion Flavour [Dried Onion, Dried Yeast Extract, Dried Whey (Milk), Dextrose, Salt, Dried Whole Milk, Dried Cheese (Milk), Rubbed Parsley, Flavourings (contain Milk), Onion Extract, Colour: Paprika Extract]