Nearly three in 10 holidaymakers believe crisps taste better overseas, according to a new survey. The poll of 2,000 UK adults commissioned by loveholidays found that 39% enjoy trying crisp flavours not available in Britain, and 27% say sampling exotic snack flavours is one of their favourite parts of travelling abroad.
Holiday Crisp Preferences
The research revealed that six in 10 people are more likely to try new crisp flavours when abroad than at home. More than a quarter (26%) say trying unusual or unexpected flavours is a fun part of travelling, while 29% even enjoy sampling crisps with names they cannot translate or understand. Almost a third (30%) admitted they get 'weirdly excited' when visiting supermarkets in other countries, and 12% claim their favourite part of going abroad is discovering crisp flavours.
Popular holiday crisp flavours worth tracking down include paprika, pesto, and ham — often labelled as jamón on packets. Many sun-seekers also cannot resist bags of cheese and chilli, teriyaki, or spicy lobster crisps while lounging on the beach.
Top European Destinations for Crisps
The study identified Spain, Italy, and France as the countries widely regarded as home to Europe's finest crisp flavours. To celebrate, loveholidays launched a 'Crisps From Abroad' pop-up shop on Peter Street in Soho, London, featuring more than 4,600 bags and 68 flavours from 19 countries. The pop-up challenges passers-by to identify popular foreign crisp flavours through a mystery taste test.
Expert and Superfan Insights
Al Murray, chief marketing officer at loveholidays, said: "Everyone has that one crisp flavour they can't stop talking about after a holiday. We've created Crisps From Abroad to bring some of those iconic flavours together under one roof and invite people to put their tastebuds to the test. From familiar favourites to flavours people may never have seen before, this pop-up is all about reliving your favourite holiday memories and discovering new tastes. We think it's going to spark plenty of debate about which destination does crisps best."
One eager participant was Joe Manning, a 27-year-old sports shop manager from Littleport, Cambridgeshire, who is known online as the Crisp Connoisseur. Manning took part in the mystery taste test to see how many flavours he could confidently recognise. He recalls early memories of having Jambon Lays crisps on family holidays and often bringing them back in his suitcase. "Whenever I'm on holiday, my first port of call is always to find a local supermarket and buy a load of crisps," Manning said. "Lays are always a winner, even the salted variety beats salted crisps at home and herb flavoured crisps such as oregano are also a top hit." His favourites include bacon flavoured Ruffles and rib Doritos.
Holiday Crisp Consumption Habits
The research, carried out via OnePoll.com, also found that 22% of travellers have their first bag of crisps on day one of their holiday, and 29% typically eat more crisps when away than they do at home. More than two thirds (70%) have been known to bring food back from a holiday abroad, including crisps (25%), making the Crisps From Abroad pop-up an ideal chance to rediscover holiday favourites without the flight.
Top 30 Crisp Flavours to Try Abroad
According to holidaymakers, the top 30 crisp flavours to try abroad are: Garlic and herbs, Sour cream and onion, Barbeque, Grilled bacon, Paprika, Cheese and chilli, Original/salted, Mac and cheese, Thai red curry, Jamón, Honey butter, Tomato, Chilli Lemon, Cheese fondue, Teriyaki, Mushroom, Green onion, Spicy lobster, Pesto, Jalapeno, Shrimp, Oregano, Ketchup, Seaweed, Fromage, Truffle, Wasabi, Fried egg, Kimchi, and Chilli squid.
