A smoky, cheesy chip inspired by a father's grilled cheese recipe has won Lay's biggest flavor competition.
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This week, Lay's named Bacon Grilled Cheese the winner of its annual "Do Us A Flavor" contest. It beat out Valentina & Lime and Wavy Korean-Style Fried Chicken. After months of fan voting and in-store taste-testing, the winning entry earned Oklahoma resident Paula George a $1 million grand prize.
George created the flavor to honor her late father and his go-to sandwich. "Seeing Lay's Bacon Grilled Cheese flavored potato chips brought to life was a dream come true," she said, via DailyMail.com. "Knowing that thousands of Lay's fans across the country tried and loved it, just as much as I did, fills me with immense joy and gratitude."
Flavor Vault Welcomes New Entry
As the winner, Bacon Grilled Cheese will join past fan-favorite flavors in Lay's official Flavor Vault, which includes previous champions like Crispy Taco, Cheesy Garlic Bread, and Southern Biscuits & Gravy. Meanwhile, PepsiCo executive Denise Truelove praised this year's creative flavor submissions.
"As a leader in flavor innovation, we're thrilled to bring this flavor to life and celebrate the inspiring ideas of our fans through this contest," said Truelove, senior vice president of marketing for PepsiCo Foods.
Runners-up Araceli Huerta and Neleia Lynn will each receive $50,000 for their respective flavor entries. Although the runner-up flavors will remain on shelves for now, Lay's confirmed both will enter the Flavor Vault. That means they could return in the future.
Fan Reactions Stir Debate
Soon after the announcement, fans reacted on social media with both excitement and frustration. Some fans praised the bacon-based flavor and urged others to "bow to the baconator."
Others were less impressed.
"Wow, I'm shook," one Instagram user wrote. "Original, unique flavors lose to a basic cheese flavor. This will be lost in the sea of cheese chips."
Another added, "RIP Korean Fried Chicken and Valentina & Lime. You were too good for this world."
Still, all three flavors leave a mark. And with their new spots in the Flavor Vault, the chips that didn't win big may yet find their way back into stores.
