Wine Gums and Werther’s Originals rank as the best car snacks

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.

  • bitcoinBitcoin (BTC) $ 68,326.00 1.08%
  • ethereumEthereum (ETH) $ 2,441.35 0.78%
  • tetherTether (USDT) $ 0.999255 0.04%
  • bnbBNB (BNB) $ 557.28 1.45%
  • solanaSolana (SOL) $ 162.29 2.42%
  • usd-coinUSDC (USDC) $ 0.999804 0.03%
  • xrpXRP (XRP) $ 0.510153 3.26%
  • staked-etherLido Staked Ether (STETH) $ 2,440.78 0.86%
  • tronTRON (TRX) $ 0.164164 0.55%
  • the-open-networkToncoin (TON) $ 4.80 2.38%
  • cardanoCardano (ADA) $ 0.325953 1.53%
  • avalanche-2Avalanche (AVAX) $ 23.28 1.96%