VAT man can't take a pop at Pringles

IT'S official. Pringles, the popular snack food in a tube, are not potato crisps, a High Court judge has ruled. This means they are not subject to VAT because they are now deemed legally to be in the category of traditional baked food, like bread. This will come as news to the three men who were responsible for creating Pringles.

During the Cold War in the Fifties, the US Army was anxious to maintain fighting morale by shipping crisps to the troops on the front line. But crisps are greasy things that can't be packed flat to fit in combat rations. The last thing you want when ...