The Popular Chip Brand That's Owned By PepsiCo

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As one of the most classic savory snacks, potato chips are a tasty staple at parties, when you're watching the game, or just for a crunchy treat. Chips can also be a salty secret ingredient in anything from salad to soup. You can find a wide variety on store shelves, from big household names to smaller premium brands. One brand that bridges those two descriptions is Miss Vickie's Kettle Cooked Potato Chips, which started in its namesake's Canadian kitchen in the 1980s, but is now owned by the convenient food and beverage giant PepsiCo.

Vickie Kerr and her husband Bill owned an Ontario potato farm when she came up with the idea of making better quality chips for their children using just spuds, oil, and sea salt, without any artificial flavors or colors. Kerr told "Time of Your Life" (via YouTube) that they were fried in non-hydrogenated peanut oil, which has lower saturated fat, and the skin was kept on for more nutrition. She first tried selling the chips at a potato festival in 1987 and continued at other festivals and markets in the area to an enthusiastic response.

Kerr opened two new production facilities within five years as the business grew quickly. When she spoke with Frito-Lay about possibly handling distribution, the PepsiCo division told her they'd like to buy it instead (per Phoenix magazine). The Kerrs sold it to the company in 1993, just six years after its farmhouse beginnings.

Unlike in Canada, where Miss Vickie's potato chips could be widely found in stores, in the U.S., Miss Vickie's was only available at sandwich shops like Jersey Mike's and Subway. That changed in 2024, when PepsiCo's Frito-Lay began selling it at supermarkets and retailers such as Walmart, Target, and Kroger, and online. Frito-Lay also introduced a bigger 22-ounce bag for warehouse membership clubs like Costco, Sam's Club, and BJ's Wholesale Club.

Miss Vickie's chips are still made without artificial flavors or colors; however, they're no longer fried in peanut oil. Instead, the U.S. version uses corn, and/or canola or sunflower oil (the latter two are what the Canadian versions use) with a couple of varieties touting avocado oil. Both countries carry certain flavors, such as Sour Cream Herb & Onion, Spicy Dill Pickle, and Jalapeño, but others are only available in one or the other. Aged Cheddar & Black Pepper and Smokehouse BBQ are flavors specific to the U.S., while Sweet & Spicy Ketchup, Lime & Black Pepper, and All Dressed Up are only available to the neighbor to the north. If none of those flavors appeal to you, consider creating your own taste profile using the store-bought potato chip hack Bobby Flay swears by.

In July 2026, the brand brought back three limited-time flavors in Canada based on dishes from popular Italian restaurants, after they were a hit the year before. The Ristorante Series options are Cacio e Pepe from Vancouver's Ask for Luigi, Vodka Sauce Pizza from Toronto's Pizzeria Badiali, and Spicy Pepperoncini & Focaccia from Montreal's Nora Gray.