More than half of road users pack snacks when they hit the road – with Wine Gums and Werther’s Originals among the most popular
There are a few things most Brits simply have to do before they head out on a road trip. Examples include finishing one last cup of tea, triple-checking the suitcase, and making sure there’s some snacks for the journey.
According to a new survey created by vehicle dealership Macklin Motors, as many as 53 per cent of all Brits pack some grub alongside their bags when they head out on a holiday. And it turns out some types of nibbles are far better suited to road trips than others.
To determine the ‘ultimate car snack’, Macklin Motors’ invited road users to score food against four criteria: length of journey, price, messiness, and storage.
Two age-old classics came out on top.
In first place, with a score of 105, were Wine Gums – easy to eat, affordable and simple to store.
Close behind, scoring 103, were Werther’s Originals – which were considered the ‘least messy’ snack overall.
Both of these snacks have fed Britain for over 112 years, and their popularity today reveals that drivers favour traditional sweet treats over newer snacks when it comes to finding good-quality road trip grub.
| Snack | Snack score |
| Wine Gums | 105 |
| Werther’s Originals | 103 |
| Sandwiches | 95 |
| Fruit | 90 |
| Haribo Tangfastics | 90 |
| Pringles | 89 |
| Starburst | 89 |
| Walkers crisps | 89 |
| Breakfast bars | 86 |
| KitKat | 81 |
| Jaffa Cakes | 76 |
| Carrot sticks | 75 |
| Skittles | 69 |
| Custard creams | 60 |
| KP nuts | 59 |
| Maltesers | 59 |
| Flapjacks | 52 |
| Doritos | 51 |
| Twix | 48 |
| Popcorn | 42 |
| McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives | 40 |
| Dairy Milk | 36 |
| Cadbury Buttons | 32 |
| Oreo cookies | 32 |
| Doughnuts | 26 |
| Pitta breads and hummus | 26 |
| Pastries | 25 |
| Flake | 11 |
| Ice Cream | 4 |
It was perhaps unsurprising to see another British staple – sandwiches – score highly, with fruit and Haribo Tangfastics also making the top five road snacks.
Pringles, Starburst, Walkers crisps and breakfast bars ranked among some of the other favourites.
More than half of respondents (52 per cent) said they would prioritise road snacks that would cause the least amount of mess, whereas 46 per cent wanted food that would travel well when they were in the car, and 43 per cent favoured snacks that were easy to store.
The survey showed that taste/satisfaction was less important to road users than having something practical and convenient to munch on.
| Reason for choice | % |
| Not messy | 52 per cent |
| Travel well | 46 per cent |
| Easy to store | 43 per cent |
| Easy to prepare in advance | 33 per cent |
| Fill you up/are satiating | 32 per cent |
Ice cream, pastries and doughnuts ranked low due to their messiness, with the Cadbury Flake also considered too crumbly for a car trip (despite recent findings by an Instagram user that suggests these chocolate bars won’t melt).
When analysing the most popular road snacks considering price, sandwiches and fruit scored well, with these items ranking higher than guilty pleasures like sweets and crisps. These results suggest Brits often weigh up ‘value for money’ by thinking about which snacks are the most nutritious and filling.
| Most popular road snacks when considering price | |
| Road trip snack | % |
| Sandwiches | 27 per cent |
| Fruit | 20 per cent |
| Carrot sticks | 18 per cent |
| Wine Gums | 15 per cent |
| Walkers crisps | 14 per cent |
Over half of Brits are planning a long UK road trip or staycation this year, so having a snack guide to hand could prove very handy for many.
A Macklin Motors spokesperson commented: “Just like choosing what to pack in your suitcase, the same level of detail goes into selecting the best snacks for the long journey ahead.
“Finding a practical snack that won’t create a need for a valet after the trip is done is evidently top priority. But it is heart-warming to see that long-serving British favourites Wine Gums and Werther’s Original continue to dominate staycations.
“It seems the need for nostalgia is very much alive and kicking in 2021, especially after the year we have all had.”
For further insights about Macklin Motors data, visit the Macklin Motors blog.
