Off-all topics
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I heard a BBC radio item about old favourites from the 70s making a comeback.
It was mainly about ‘snacks’ but also mentioned things like vinyl.
It was a very upbeat item, considering it didn’t seem to be based on any actual news.
Snacks are good. Walkers cheese and onion crisps, said the BBC. Nigella Lawson was mentioned saying something positive - also quoted in the big link underneath.
The message was more and more people are eating older snacks.
One word that was not mentioned was ‘health’.
On these Walkers crisps…Gary Lineker will tell you they aren’t full of saturated fat any more, and this is true, they’re just as full of unsaturated fat. But an increasing number of researchers are putting the problem with fat down to seed oils, mainly linoleic acid. These are PUFA and likely to be harmful in large amounts. Cremola points out it’s almost impossible to avoid lionleic acid as it’s in so many processed foods.
Never mind sugar…
I suspect the US has even worse process foods than the UK - despite the fact the UK media seem to be promoting it.
The BBC was not alone; they may have picked up on this Mail story.
I took out most of the ads but left a few in so you could see the splendour of it.
Again, I couldn’t see the reason for this ‘report’ - other than to tantalise people with thoughts and pictures of snacks.
It’s pretty astonishing given that in a recent p(l)(non-)(-maybe-)andemic, it was generally found, that whatever it was would be far more likely to kill people with certain health conditions. Among them obesity and diabetes**. Hello crisps and snacks!
(**Also Vitamin D deficiency as well)
What flavour of crisps is healthiest with glass of wine, Nigella?
A lot of this in the Heil disease and death advert.
Poor BBC - had to be a bit restrained! Couldn’t even find it in them to say something about health.
It’s possible to find a place for these snacky things in moderation; but that clearly isn’t what these adverts cum news items have in mind.
I expect the Mail is paid for its services to industry - but what does the BBC get out of it?
ED
9/9/24 Labour, Oasis and now classic crisps - the 90s really are back! Old-school snacks last popular three decades ago enjoy return to fashion on social media…so what’s YOUR favourite?
First Labour won the election, then Oasis announced their reunion - and now some of the UK’s best classic crisps are back in fashion.
Even if it is Sir Keir Starmer at the helm and not Tony Blair, the 90s are making a storming return with Gen Zers embracing their elders’ retro tastes.
And with the help of social media influencers and Britain’s most loved chefs - such as Nigella Lawson - classic crisps are returning to the table at home, school and work either as simple snacks or in brand new recipes.
One of the major winners of the trend is manufacturer Smiths, whose famous bacon flavoured Frazzles are now 48 percent more popular compared to last year, while their salty Chipsticks are 42 percent more in demand, the Times reports.
Prawn cocktail flavoured Skips are 42 percent more popular, with Discos and NikNaks seeing a 15 and six percent rise respectively. Gen Zers and Millennials are taking to social media to ‘taste test’ retro flavours of crisps
A new trend amongst young people is pairing crisps with different wines or other drinks
Social media influencers are partly behind the rise in demand, with many posting ‘FoodToks’ online - TikTok videos in which they typically try new foods and describe their reactions.
Poll
Top of Form
What is YOUR favourite classic crisp?
Frazzles
Monster Munch
NikNaks
Discos
Skips
Chipsticks
Bottom of Form
Other users share recipe ideas and pairing tips, or lengthier reviews of different brands.
Recently popular TikTok accounts have been encouraging their followers to add crisps such as Frazzles to their food to provide extra flavour and crunch.
The crisp market is an increasingly crowded one, but with buyers often overwhelmed by choice it seems they are returning to the cheap classics they know.
Torres Selecta is one of the break-through brands for a certain market, with Selfridges selling 125g bags for £4.99.
Flavours include olive oil, black truffle, pickle, fried egg, caviar and Iberian ham.
By contrast Britain’s old favourites are much better value, with Skips topping the charts at a cost of 1.03p per crisp, data at the end of 2023 showed.
Wotsits came in second and Niknaks third, followed by several flavours of Walkers.
Online reviewers compare different flavours and different brands of the same flavour of crisps
Discos have seen a 15 percent rise in demand in 2024 compared to in 2023
Frazzles saw a huge 48 percent rise in popularity with influencers encouraging their followers to use them in cooking recipes
Crisp aficionados are increasingly being catered for in trending events too - dozens of wine and crisp tasting evenings are advertised online, giving younger people a chance to try different flavours they may not have seen before.
Chef Nigella Lawson told the Times she is thrilled about the return to retro.
She said: 'I for one am not surprised by the trend toward classic crisps in their many forms.
‘As my crisp cauldron will testify, I have in store many of the flavours mentioned. They are the perfect accompaniment to an evening aperitivo or to snack on during essential TV viewing.’
The data from Ocado showed that Walkers and Monster Munch remain at the top of the crisp table, but that Millennials are helping to drive the return to retro.
‘With many millennials now shopping for their own families, it looks like they are rediscovering their old lunchbox loves, while the wave of 90s nostalgia on social media is also helping to make old-school crisps cool,’ Nathan Hawker, a buyer at Ocado Retail said.
LabourKeir StarmerOasisTikTokTony Blair
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