Some things are just too good to share. In fact, Walkers has revealed that as many as one in two (56%) British adults who share their home hide their favourite snacks so that they can enjoy them all to themselves.
Over half (51%) believe that their most irresistible snacks, such as Wotsits, Quavers and Monster Munch, would be at risk of being stolen if left in a communal area, with 15% refusing to keep them in a cupboard as a result. Instead, 56% have a secret hiding place that keeps them out of reach of others.
With the help of Harry Clark, winner of popular BBC TV show and a master of mischief, the snack brand has delved into the extreme lengths taken to keep snacks across the UK safe.
The underwear drawer, inside a cereal box and in the pocket of a coat were amongst the most popular hiding spots. However, with a mega 77% having been ‘found out’ for hiding snacks in the past, the nation has started to up the ante, hiding snacks in the attic and even in plant pots.
To cheekily discover more weird and wonderful hiding spots, Harry took to the streets of London asking passersby ‘Where do you hide yours?’. One mischievous Monster Munch lover confessed that he hides them in his sock drawer, whilst another snack fiend confirmed they keep their Wotsits on top of the fridge – ingenious! The debate even spread to social this week with one social user declaring they hide theirs “in the spare wheel in the boot of [the] car” and another stating “in the washing machine! No one ever puts anything in there in my house!”.
Harry joined the conversation, admitting that he ductapes his Wotsits to the bottom of the sofa, so that he can enjoy them all without his partner knowing. And he’s not alone – as many as one in three (32%) UK adults who share their home try to devour their favourite snacks without the people they live with spotting so that they don’t have to share.
When it comes to adults who cohabit, partners or spouses were crowned the biggest culprits of tucking into someone else’s snacks when the coast is clear (53%). In fact, 65% of those who hide their snacks have had their secret spot raided by someone they live with – so it’s time to get creative.
Walkers is encouraging the nation to embrace their more mischievous side when it comes to their favourite snacks. To do this, it has playfully brought to life several hiding places for Wotsits, Quavers and Monster Munch in its ‘Where do you hide yours?’ ad, which reminds fans that its snacks are too irresistible to share and inspires the nation to get thinking about where they hide theirs.
The research also shines a spotlight on snack-hiding habits across generations, with millennials being the most likely to go looking for other people’s hidden snacks around the home (42%). Those 65 and over are least up for sharing – as a third (32%) prefer to tuck into their snacks solo. Gen Z were most opposed to keeping their favourite snacks in the kitchen cupboard with over a third (36%) fearing that someone else might eat them…better safe than sorry.
Each region also had its own snack hiding tactics. Those sharing a home in London were the least successful in their snack hiding with 88% having been discovered at some point. On the flip side, the East Midlands are the most confident that their housemates are not wise to their snack hiding (41%). People from Northern Ireland were the most notorious snack thieves with 43% admitting they have found and eaten someone else’s snacks in the past.
“We are a nation of snack lovers, but there are some snacks too delicious to share. At Walkers, we have loved exploring the extreme measures people take to enjoy a packet of Wotsits, Quavers, or Monster Munch all to themselves Our campaign brings these mischievous habits to life, encouraging adults to get creative with their hiding spots. So… where do you hide yours?”
Phoebe Chapman from Walkers
