53% of road users grab goodies for the trip when they head out on a staycation – with sweets and sandwiches named the most popular foods
Wine Gums and Werther’s Originals are officially the best snacks to take on a road trip, according to new research.
The classic sweet treats emerged as favourites in a recent survey, with vehicle dealership Macklin Motors inviting Brits to score snacks based on four key criteria: price, messiness, storage, and journey suitably (i.e. travelling well).
53 per cent of all Brits grab some grub specially for road trips – and most drivers prioritise convenience over taste.
Wine Gums, for example, were ranked ‘best for storage’, whilst Werther’s were considered the ‘least messy’ of all road snacks.
| Snack | Snack score |
| Wine Gums | 105 |
| Werther’s Originals | 103 |
| Sandwiches | 95 |
| Fruit | 90 |
| Haribo Tangfastics | 90 |
| Pringles | 89 |
| Starburst | 89 |
| Walkers crisps | 89 |
| Breakfast bars | 86 |
| KitKat | 81 |
| Jaffa Cakes | 76 |
| Carrot sticks | 75 |
| Skittles | 69 |
| Custard creams | 60 |
| KP nuts | 59 |
| Maltesers | 59 |
| Flapjacks | 52 |
| Doritos | 51 |
| Twix | 48 |
| Popcorn | 42 |
| McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives | 40 |
| Dairy Milk | 36 |
| Cadbury Buttons | 32 |
| Oreo cookies | 32 |
| Doughnuts | 26 |
| Pitta breads and hummus | 26 |
| Pastries | 25 |
| Flake | 11 |
| Ice Cream | 4 |
| Reason for choice | % |
| Not messy | 52 per cent |
| Travel well | 46 per cent |
| Easy to store | 43 per cent |
| Easy to prepare in advance | 33 per cent |
| Fill you up/are satiating | 32 per cent |
As for savoury snacks, UK drivers preferred sandwiches, Pringles, and Walkers crisps.
When just price was analysed, sandwiches came out on top (27 per cent), followed by healthy treats like fruit (20 per cent) and carrot sticks (18 per cent).
More than half of respondents (52 per cent) said they would choose a road trip snack that would cause the least mess. Two other important qualities were a snack’s ability to travel well (46 per cent) and simplicity to store (43 per cent)
| Most popular road snacks when considering price | |
| Road trip snack | % |
| Sandwiches | 27 per cent |
| Fruit | 20 per cent |
| Carrot sticks | 18 per cent |
| Wine Gums | 15 per cent |
| Walkers crisps | 14 per cent |
KitKats ranked highest of all the chocolate bars – 10th in the table overall.
But as a rule, Brits were less likely to take choccy on the road – with the Cadbury Flake considered the worst of all.
A recent post on Instagram revealed that Flakes are tough to melt – suggesting they’d survive long, hot car journeys. But their texture was still too much of a problem for drivers – with the chocolate bar finishing second-bottom of the snacking pile.
Ice cream was considered the least suitable snack of all.
More than half of Brits are still hoping for a staycation at some point in 2021, and a Macklin Motors spokesperson said that having top treats for the journey is a priority for most drivers.
They commented: “Just like choosing what to pack in your suitcase, the same level of detail goes into selecting the best snacks for the long journey ahead.
“Finding a practical snack that won’t create a need for a valet after the trip is done is evidently top priority. But it is heart-warming to see that long-serving British favourites Wine Gums and Werther’s Original continue to dominate staycations.
“It seems the need for nostalgia is very much alive and kicking in 2021, especially after the year we have all had.”
Visit the Macklin Motors blog for more insights about driving habits and data.
