Quick facts
| Founded | Black Country heritage brand |
|---|---|
| Country | UK (Tamworth, Black Country) |
| Made by | Coan |
| Dietary status | Gluten-free, high protein, contains pork |
About Coan
Coan is a traditional British pork scratching brand made in Tamworth, in the West Midlands' Black Country, the historic home of UK pork scratchings. The product is double-cooked for extra crunch, gluten-free, and high in protein, making it one of the more credible savoury snack options for low-carb and high-protein shoppers. Coan has a loyal pub-snack following and works equally well as a home-bar staple or a road-trip snack.
The Coan product we stock
| Product | Profile |
|---|---|
| Pork Scratchings 40g | The brand's flagship product. Double-cooked pork rind in a single 40g bag, seasoned with a traditional rice-flour-and-spice blend. 17g protein, 0.8g carbs per bag |
What makes Coan different
Three things distinguish Coan from the wider pork scratchings category.
- Double-cooked: most traditional pork scratchings are single-cooked from pork shank rind, which leaves a soft fatty layer beneath the crisp surface. Coan's double-cook method uses pork rind without the heavy fat layer and cooks it twice, giving a crisper, less greasy bite all the way through.
- High protein, low carb, low calorie: 17g of protein per 40g bag with only 0.8g of carbs and 262 calories. This protein density is genuinely competitive with beef jerky and works well for keto, low-carb and high-protein diet plans.
- Black Country provenance: made in Tamworth, the historic UK pork-scratching heartland. The brand's positioning leans on this heritage and the double-cook recipe is a Black Country technique.
For UK shoppers building a savoury pub-snack basket, Coan pairs naturally with our Munchkings pretzels (also British-made, also targeting the home-bar market) and Jack Link's beef jerky (similar high-protein savoury format from a different angle).
Ingredients and allergens
Standard ingredient list for Coan Pork Scratchings:
Pork Rind, Seasoning (Rice Flour, Salt, Dextrose, Yeast Powder, Colours: Annatto Bixin, Curcumin, Paprika Extract; Flavourings, Citric Acid).
Allergen profile: the recipe is gluten-free (rice flour rather than wheat) and contains no obvious major allergens as direct ingredients. Not vegetarian or vegan (pork is the primary ingredient). Not halal (pork is haram). Free from the UK hyperactivity warning colours because the seasoning uses natural plant extracts (annatto, curcumin, paprika) rather than synthetic dyes. Always check the back of the bag for the most current allergen and dietary information. Coeliacs should verify the gluten-free claim on the individual pack since cross-contamination caveats can vary by batch.
Who Coan is for
British pub-snack fans: pork scratchings are a UK pub tradition, and Coan is one of the most respected brands in the Black Country pork-scratching scene. If you order them at the pub, this is the home-stocking version.
Low-carb and keto dieters: 17g protein with 0.8g carbs in 40g is genuinely keto-compliant and a useful snack within macros. Compares favourably to crisps and similar carb-heavy savoury snacks.
Gluten-free shoppers wanting savoury snacks: the recipe is wheat-free and gluten-free as standard, which is unusual for seasoned savoury snacks (most have wheat-based flavourings).
Real ale and craft beer pairings: the traditional pork-scratching-with-pint pairing works at home as well as at the pub. Pairs particularly well with bitters, stouts and porters.
Buy Coan online in the UK
The Coan Pork Scratchings 40g bag stocked here. UK supermarket distribution is limited; Coan operates primarily through pub-trade wholesale, convenience stores (Nisa, Londis), specialist pub-snack retailers and online channels. Build the basket past £20 to qualify for free UK delivery. Multiple bags plus a few additional savoury snacks takes you over the threshold. Orders placed before our daily cut-off are dispatched the same working day.
Coan pork scratchings UK: frequently asked questions
Where are Coan pork scratchings made?
Coan pork scratchings are made in Tamworth in the Black Country, West Midlands. The Black Country is historically considered the home of UK pork scratchings, with the oldest production tradition in the country going back to local butchers rendering and crisping pork rind as a by-product of pig farming. Coan continues that tradition with a double-cooked recipe that's part of the Black Country pork-scratching technique.
What's the difference between pork scratchings and pork crackling?
Two different products despite the similar name. Traditional pork scratchings are made from pork shank rind with a thick fat layer attached, cooked once, giving a soft fatty layer beneath a hard crisp surface. Pork crackling is typically made from pork shoulder rind and is usually double-cooked, giving a uniformly crisp texture without the soft fat layer. Coan's pork scratchings are double-cooked from rind without the heavy fat layer, which puts them closer to a crackling profile than a traditional fat-layer scratching, while still using the pork scratchings name.
Are pork scratchings keto-friendly?
Yes, pork scratchings are typically keto-compliant. A 40g bag of Coan Pork Scratchings delivers 17g of protein and only 0.8g of carbohydrates, which sits well within ketogenic diet macros. The seasoning uses rice flour and natural plant-based flavourings rather than wheat-based or sugar-heavy seasonings that would push the carb count up. Worth verifying the individual bag's nutrition label, since exact macros can vary slightly by batch.
Are Coan pork scratchings gluten-free?
Yes. The Coan recipe uses rice flour rather than wheat flour in the seasoning blend, so the product is gluten-free as standard. Coeliacs should verify the gluten-free claim on the individual pack since cross-contamination caveats can vary by batch and shared facility production. The recipe is also free from the UK hyperactivity warning colours because the seasoning uses natural plant extracts (annatto, curcumin, paprika) rather than synthetic dyes.