After two months of voting, there's a winner in the annual Herr's Flavored by Philly potato chip contest: Long Hots & Sharp Provolone.
This year's competition was a match between the three previous champions — Long Hots & Sharp Provolone (2022), Corropolese tomato pie (2023) and Romano's Special Hot Stromboli (2024) — with the winning flavor becoming the first to join the permanent lineup from the Chester County snack-maker.
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The champion of champions, which was the frontrunner in PhillyVoice's initial assessment, will be available on the shelves of grocery stores, bodegas and convenience stores starting in January 2026.
Voting opened June 9 and closed Aug. 4. In that time, Herr's said it received 199,008 total votes — a 654% increase over last year's contest — and it was a "clear victory" for long hots.
“We’re always looking for ways to celebrate the incredible flavors of our region, and long hots and sharp provolone potato chips truly captures the bold, unique spirit of Philadelphia,” Ed Herr, executive chair of Herr Foods, said in a statement. “The outpouring of support from our fans this year was unparalleled, and we’re proud to make this winning flavor part of our everyday lineup.”
All three flavors were available in stores over the summer for snackers to taste test and then vote for their favorite online.
Long Hots & Sharp Provolone was created during the inaugural competition and was submitted by Philadelphia resident Ryan Reigel in honor of the roast pork hoagie, which are often topped with roasted peppers and provolone. He took home $10,000 for the 2022 contest.
Tomato Pie was inspired by Corropolese Bakery, an Italian deli with locations in Norristown, Audubon and Royersford. Special Hot Stromboli was born from Romano's Stromboli's in Tinicum, Delaware County — a family-owned business that was the "birthplace of the stromboli sandwich" in 1950.