In the past seven years, the snack menu at Sheffield micropub the Beer House has undergone a remarkable transformation. Owner John Harrison started with pickled onion Monster Munch, KP nuts and Walkers crisps. Now, salted almonds are his biggest seller, and his selection includes Snyder's jalapeño pretzel pieces, pork pies, olives and sausage rolls sourced from local independent businesses. 'It's rare to see people eating crisps now,' says Harrison, who also stocks upmarket Pipers crisps in flavours like Karnataka black pepper and sea salt.
Harrison attributes the change to customer suggestions and a belief that offering distinctive snacks helps build a loyal following in a turbulent pub market. 'You don't go to a pub because they've got great snacks. But decent snacks ensure people have a better time,' he explains. Data from the app ServedUp, analysing 1.5 million orders, confirms a shift: hand-cooked and healthier baked crisps, olives and cashews are soaring in popularity, while pickled onions and salt-and-vinegar crisps decline.
Nick Attfield, director of properties at Suffolk brewery Adnams, admits he is baffled by biltong but expects his pubs will soon stock it alongside rice crackers, cheese straws and homemade pork scratchings, served in Kilner jars rather than under-bar boxes. 'Customer expectation has gone through the roof,' he says. At Butcombe Brewery's 119 pubs, executive chef Alice Bowyer oversees snacks that include kale crisps in Bristol's vegan heartlands and spicy cider chorizo pokers from Somerset Charcuterie. 'If you had the best scotch egg in our pubs, I'd be delighted,' she says, though she insists they still sell pickled eggs and Monster Munch in some venues to avoid pretension.
Despite the rise of gourmet options, traditional snacks remain popular. A Perspectus Global survey of 2,000 pub-goers found pork scratchings are still Britain's favourite, followed by dry-roasted peanuts, salted peanuts, salt-and-vinegar crisps and ready-salted crisps. Olives ranked 13th and wasabi peas 20th. David Massey, a director at CG Supplies which supplies 2,000 British pubs, notes that all snacks are selling well, but tastes have become pickier. Brands like Tyrrells, Real and Pipers now dominate, especially in real ale pubs, where hand-cooked crisps are the norm.
