Downloads Brits have bought a veritable mountain of bagged snacks during the pandemic. They’ve tucked into almost 60,000 tonnes more than in 2019. As such, the value of crisps, popcorn, nuts and other savoury snacks has climbed by 13.1% to the dizzy height of £3.8bn [Kantar 52 w/e 27 December 2020]. That’s an extra £441.8m. And there’s good reason for this massive pile, suggests Cofresh brand manager Jon Roberts. “With cutbacks and restrictions on daily life, snacking has become the affordable treat,” he says. “At-home snacking is one area that has experienced continued growth.” That’s putting it lightly. Lockdown sparked an avalanche of sales in crisps. The sector’s volumes are up 15.1%, while popcorn has risen 14.8% and nuts are up 12.2%.