Spotlight On: Snacks

Crisps are undoubtably the king of snacks, but now people are becoming more conscious of what they put in to their bodies, your average potato chip just isn’t going to cut it any more. We saw popcorn rise in popularity a couple of years ago thanks to its low calories and being able to lend itself to sweet or savoury flavours, and crisp alternatives are still proving popular. Vegetable crisps have been around for a while, but now we are seeing innovation; Wholesums are ‘popped’ vegetable crisps which are packed full of fibre but with fewer calories are a great option.

Salt may be the most common flavour for our savoury snacks, but we live in a global society which means trying interesting new flavours and textures is still important to us. Expanding flavour ranges or bringing something that’s not be done before is a great way of standing out on the shelf. Sankofa do plantain chips, Lotus Bites use popped lotus seeds and Shore are bringing seaweed to the masses. Innovative flavours and ingredients are key for a fresh offering.

With our lifestyles getting busier than ever, more and more people are looking for a snack that can keep them going all afternoon between meals, a quick fix meal on the go, or a pre/post workout hit, which has seen the rise of protein bars and balls. Kate Percy’s Go Bites take this to the next step by being totally vegan, gluten free and sugar free too. The Protein Ball Co also uses a mixture of vegan and high impact protein for their products. ‘Clean’ ingredients are high on the agenda for consumers in 2020.

Whilst there has been a huge rise in the popularity of vegetarian and vegan snacks, meat-based snacks such as pork crackling and jerky are still a good reliable source of protein. Wholesome Wolf have brought us delicious flavours of jerky as well as including alternative meats just as pheasant and venison and use no artificial ingredients, making it a great option for those still looking for a ‘clean eat’.

For 2020, people are looking for a snack that really packs a punch, hits a multitude of criteria, and still feels just that little bit indulgent.

Top 10 Snack lines September2019-March2020: