Epicurium's Guide to Pub Snacks: From The Classics to New and Exciting.

Crisps, nuts, and pork scratchings are the classic snacks of any pub. If you're serving
top-notch pints, cocktails, and wines, your snacks should be complimenting those drinks. Offering some of our suggested pub snacks can generate new upsell opportunities as well as enhance the overall experience of your guests.

Let's take a look at some of the best pub snacks and what wholesale pub snacks we can offer to keep your bar stocked and profitable.

Differentiating Pub Snacks: Upgrading Classics

The classic pub snacks aren’t going anywhere, and neither should they, but they don’t need to be the same old, same old.

Crisps

A must-have offering in the world of pub snacks. Crisps adorn shelves behind the pumps up and down the country, but a snack so widespread and so readily available doesn’t need to be boring. You don’t need to stock the same as everyone else, let’s talk about crisps with a differentiating factor.

Proper – Chickpea chips for their shape and texture

Savoursmiths – For a premium version of a classic, both packaging and taste

Nuts

Whether it’s the salted or sweet variety your guests are after, you can even banish bland nuts and make the upsell opportunities easier. We’ve got two suggestions to make that happen, Cambrook and Snaffling Pig.

Cambrook – Premium feel packaging with a range of flavours to match

Snaffling Pig – Standout packaging designed to draw the eyes of your guests.

If it’s premium nuts you are after then you don’t have to look further than Cambrook. Available in 16 different flavours and having won 24 great taste awards, these nuts are designed for the bar at high class hotels and you would probably see them sitting as a compliment at the likes of the Ritz. 

Pork Scratchings

The final in our list of classic pub snacks, is pork scratchings. We’ve got two brands we’d suggest looking at, one for their big flavour profiles, the other for their more unique take on the pork scratching.

Snaffling Pig offer Pork Crackling in 4 different flavours, Chilli Pork, Low & Slow BBQ, best-selling flavour Perfectly Salted and finally Salt & Vinegar

The Curators pork puffs take inspiration from chicharrónes a Latin street food snack, meeting the trend for world flavours, offering their pork in a slightly different format if your customers are seeking a lighter more crisp-like product.

Raising The Bar: Cheese Snacks, Meat Snacks, Popcorn and more!

We’ve differentiated the classic pub snacks , now let’s take a look at some new snack types altogether.

Cheese snacks:

When you think of pub cheese snacks, your first thought is probably blocks of cheese, with a side of pickled onion, in a dish on the bar. This format is almost a pub classic, but it comes with its drawbacks, it takes time to prep, is often just a complimentary item on the bar and some hygiene concerns due to sharing food with strangers.

This is where Cheese O's can fill the gap…

Cheese O's are made from 100% cheese, think of them like an impulse cheeseboard ready to go, their flavoured baked cheese snacks deliver that satisfying crunch that pairs wonderfully with a cold pint or a glass of wine.

Available in Cheddar, Cheese & Onion, Pickled Onion, Salt & Vinegar, Sour Cream and Sweet Chilli. These delicious cheese snacks come in an impulse bag with a loud package design that wouldn’t look out of place alongside your modern well-designed session IPA’s.

Meat Snacks

Meat and pints often go hand in hand, and biltong is as easy as it gets when looking at meat pub snacks. No prep, no fuss – just portion it out or serve it in its original packaging.

We know running a pub means juggling lots of things, and spoilage is a headache you don’t need. With the great shelf-life of Biltong you don’t have to worry about wastage and so can buy it wholesale.

Ember Snacks offers no-nonsense, sustainable high-quality biltong, farmed, and produced in the UK. Its rich, savoury flavour is just begging to be washed down with a nice cold lager.

Popcorn

Popcorn might seem like a simple snack, but it's got a lot going for it. Popcorn is one of those snacks that pretty much everyone likes, but maybe don’t have that often. Flavours have also come a long way within popcorn too, of course there are the classics such as sweet and salty, but we also have flavours such as cheese and cinnamon.

From a business perspective, stocking popcorn makes a lot of sense. It's inexpensive to buy in bulk, has a long shelf life, and can be sold at a decent markup.

Proper – Big brand, classic and differentiating flavours

Popcorn Shed – Standout packaging and interesting sweeter flavours

Olives

Olives are a sophisticated addition to the pub snack lineup, adding a touch of Mediterranean flair and a burst of flavour that pairs wonderfully with a variety of drinks, perhaps as a savoury side to a sweet cocktail. They offer a healthier option compared to some of the more traditional pub snacks and can be served in a way that’s both convenient and appealing.

Olly’s Olives – These come in vibrant, eye-catching packaging that makes them a perfect fit for modern pubs. Available in the flavours; Basil & Garlic, Lemon & Thyme, and Chilli & Rosemary, they are pitted and ready to eat, ensuring convenience for both you and your customers.

Food for thought

When choosing your snacks, think about how they pair with your drinks and what will keep your customers coming back for more. After all, the right snack can turn a good night at the pub into a great one.

Are you ready to upgrade your pub snacks?

All these pub snacks are available in bulk here at Epicurium, request an account with us and get in touch. We can help you with expert advice, making your snack range make sense for you and your customers.