Own-brand salty snacks are seen as just as flavoursome as branded ones by nearly two thirds of users. This view is particularly challenging as pressure on household budgets continues to…
UK
Snacks
simple
UK Flavour Trends in Salty Snacks: 2026
"Emotional connection, nostalgia and standout flavours offer routes for brands to defend market share. Novelty remains a key means to engage shoppers and add value."
Own-brand salty snacks are seen as just as flavoursome as branded ones by nearly two thirds of users. This view is particularly challenging as pressure on household budgets continues to drive a focus on price, favouring own-label. Emotional connection offers a much-needed means for brands to set themselves apart, including nostalgia.
Household finances remaining stretched means consumers remain cautious in their spending into 2026. This lends support to food/drink spend through retail, salty snacks benefiting from evenings in.
Innovation remains central to keeping users engaged. Continuous NPD has made new flavours an expectation, with many shoppers swayed by these. Improvements to household finances, though expected to be slow, will further dial up the need for NPD and for spotlighting it.
This Report Looks at the Following Areas:
Key trends in recent launch activity and flavour development opportunities
Usage of salty snacks and core users
The opportunity for brands to defend against own-label through emotional connection and nostalgia
The push and pull between naturalness and processing in salty snacks and the opportunities to hero naturalness on the one hand and to focus on nutrition on the other
The need for salty snacks to offer newness given its sway among buyers and the potential for it to unlock high spend occasions
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
What you need to know
Opportunities
Build emotional connections to justify brands’ price premium
Desire for naturalness competes with that for flavour and health
Use novelty to drive engagement
THE MARKET
Weak consumer confidence keeps salty snacks spend under scrutiny
Graph 1: financial wellbeing and confidence indices, 2019-26
Restrictions on HFSS food and drink limit visibility for salty snacks
Young adults’ growth supports salty snacks, falling birth rates pose a challenge
Graph 2: population trends by age group, 2020-30
THE CONSUMER
Salty snacks enjoy near-universal usage
Nine in 10 eat salty snacks, but they remain an occasional choice for many
Graph 3: frequency of eating salty snacks, 2025
Under-45s are core users
Graph 4: eating of salty snacks, by frequency and age, 2025
Leverage nostalgia and emotional connection
Own-label challenges brands on taste
Leveraging emotion can help brands defend against own-label
Remind consumers of the emotional connections of tastes that have always been there
Retro revival and partnering with nostalgic brands can reinforce nostalgia
International launches offer inspiration on mining emotional connections
Push and pull between natural and artificial continues
Naturalness competes with taste and health
No silver bullet to role of naturalness
Go beyond implicit natural positioning
Put ingredient lists front and centre
Newness remains a rich connection point
New flavours can unlock high spend occasions
Flavour innovation is a powerful means to add value
Make flavour a talking point
Leverage in-store visibility
PRODUCT, INNOVATION AND MARKETING
Longstanding flavours continue to lead in salty snacks launches
Graph 5: salty snacks launches by top flavour components, 2020-25
Cheese remains a stalwart flavour
Spice intensity rises, use heat scales to communicate spiciness
Sweet flavours gain share, new hot pairings for honey hold potential
NPD explores meal-inspired, sauce-forward and tangy/zesty flavours
Brands use flavours to prompt interaction
APPENDIX
Report scope
The market
Population estimates
The consumer
Consumer research questions
Consumer research methodology – EMEA
UK generation groups
Abbreviations
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