Britain has undergone a quiet revolution in eating habits, with snacking now dominating the nation's diet. According to The Grocer magazine, 30% of adults in the UK skip at least one meal a day in favour of snacks. This shift has led to a surge in the snacking market, with cheese now outselling crisps in many supermarkets.
Elaine Malone, a 28-year-old graphic designer in London, typifies the trend. She rarely eats breakfast, instead relying on a stash of Graze boxes at her desk. Graze, a subscription service delivering snack selections, was sold to Unilever for an estimated £150m this year, highlighting the scale of the snacking boom.
Praveen Vijh, co-founder of Eat Natural, describes it as 'the snackification of Britain'. His company produces 2m cereal bars a week in a low-tech factory in Essex. Sales have grown 15% annually since 1996, though last year growth slowed to 5% as competition intensifies. 'Everyone wants to get into snacking,' Vijh says.
Official figures confirm the trend. In 1977, the average adult consumed 29g of savoury snacks per week; by 2015, that had tripled to 89g. The figures exclude newer products such as quinoa bars and seaweed thins, which have further expanded the category.
Market researcher Kantar notes that snacking is 'unlimited' compared with meals. 'You have one breakfast, one lunch and one dinner in a day. Maximum. But you could have as many snacks as you like,' says Katie Shade, consumer insight director.
