Healthy options fight for attention

Obesity might be at the top of the Government's agenda but consumers are far less worried about healthy eating when they're in the pub.

Pub-goers behave differently when they are out socialising than they do at home, where they tend to eat healthier snacks. Paul Saxby, managing director at Jonathan Crisp, says: "Consumers have a much stronger awareness [of health], but the pattern is to be healthy where appropriate. The pub is a social occasion where people don't worry about health. They might go to the pub and have a good night out, but compensate for this the next day with a visit to the gym and a salad."

Some buyers are sceptical about diet products, questioning how healthy any salted snack can be. Christian Rose, director of food at the Spirit Group, says: "It's a very difficult topic in terms of how healthy a light crisp is compared to a standard crisp. We would only put the light version behind the bar if there was a huge demand for it."

Instead, the trend is to offer different types of products entirely, as a healthier alterative to crisps and nuts. Olives, for instance, are being marketed as a healthier bar snack, with the Spirit Group offering a range throughout its Chef & Brewer estate. Buyers believe there is room for more innovation to expand this sector. The Spirit Group's Rose says: "There is an opportunity for a zero-fat, crispy-vegetable type of offering. If there was such a product and if it wasn't laden with fat and was different to the standard salt and vinegar crisp, then we would stock it."

PepsiCo UK aims to fill this gap with its Quaker's Snack-a-Jacks and with the launch of a crispbread range. Quaker's Seasons are described by the company as an oven-baked crispbread snack, with a fat content of only 10%. For suppliers, the niche market for crispbreads, crackers and all things wholesome has the potential to develop even further. As SFI's purchasing director Jason Danciger says: "It's waiting for the right person to come along with the right formula for a healthy snack and, if it has the right taste, it will fly."

One product that is experiencing a renaissance thanks to dieting habits is pork scratchings. Christine Cross, marketing manager at JDW, says: "Because of the Atkins diet, pork scratchings have become more popular. We are reviewing our portfolio of salty snacks at the moment to ensure we have a broad enough spectrum to suit all different customers."