Snacks focus: Naughty or nice?

HAVING CUT back on the fags, should pubs really be encouraging customers to tuck into a bag of crisps?

Even with the health lobby taking a disturbingly close interest in the pub trade, Ken Brook-Chrispin, CEO of Seabrook Crisps, believes that snack suppliers have a better story to tell than might initially be thought.

"With soaring obesity levels, consumers are understandably becoming increasingly aware of what they are putting into their bodies," says Ken.

"Although low-fat versions of products continue to enter the market, growing numbers of people are choosing brands that are better for you; brands that not only use natural ingredients and are committed to transparency of nutritional value, but also work hard to maintain full and punchy flavours."

Although consumers want to eat more healthily overall, they don't necessarily want to compromise on taste.

Brands committed to clear labelling and the removal of 'nasties' such as MSG and gluten should fare OK, believes Ken, whose grandfather-in-law founded the Bradford-based snacks business back in the 1940s.

"However, the snacks sector isn't completely governed by health," he believes.

"At the other end of the spectrum are the products that focus on indulgence - 'sod it!' foods that are a backlash to the constant bombardment of healthy-eating messages.

"When consumers want to be naughty, they want to be really naughty, to thoroughly enjoy the product and not worry about the consequences," Ken points out.

"Flavour is king for indulgence and consumers are increasingly seeking out more unusual and adventurous products. So premium ingredients and decadent recipes are very much a growth area for the sector."Regional tastes

Having expanded its distribution nationally over the past 18 months, Seabrook also has some interesting regional insights.

"It's very noticeable that, although the southern market concentrates on the standard flavours, regional tastes in our northern heartland vary massively," Ken explains.

"For example, 41 per cent of our total sales of individual packs of Cheesy are sold in Cumbria, and the Scots in particular love the stronger flavours in our range.

"But it seems that range rationalisation from the market leaders has meant that pub consumers only ever expect to see the standard flavours behind the bar."

In some cases, publicans are practically being told what to stock by national brands through discounting and promotion.

"Surely it's the publican who knows their punters and understands the snacks that will best match their tastes," argues Ken.