Car boot sellers offering sealed snacks
If you intend to sell or hand out one bag at a time, compare the calories in the whole bag and keep its original labelling available for people to read.
Who is choosing refreshments?
Buyers comparing calorie figures
A smaller bag can contain fewer calories without having fewer calories per 100g. Check both measures to distinguish portion size from the product’s energy density.
Sellers accommodating different dietary needs
Check the ingredients, allergens and any vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free statement for each flavour you plan to offer. A statement about one product need not apply to another flavour from the same brand.
What should you check?
If each person will receive one bag, begin with its whole-pack calorie figure. Then compare products per 100g and check how the packaging will work at the event.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Calories per bag | Check the bag weight and whether the declared serving is the whole bag. Walkers UK lists its Oven Baked Sea Salt at 96 kcal per 22g pack; Seabrook Crisps lists Sea Salted at 164 kcal per 31.8g bag. | I plan to give each person one sealed bag, so the whole-bag figure is the amount I need to compare. |
| Calories per 100g | Compare this figure when bag sizes differ. The reviewed Walkers Oven Baked Sea Salt is 438 kcal per 100g, against 516 kcal per 100g for Seabrook Sea Salted, according to their manufacturers. | A smaller bag alone does not tell me whether the crisps have fewer calories for the same weight. |
| Portion format | Check whether packs are individually sealed or intended for sharing, and whether a stated serving is less than the full bag. Tyrrells lists its 40g Lightly Sea Salted pack as one 208 kcal serving, but uses a 30g serving for its larger formats. | Individual bags make it straightforward to offer a defined portion; with a sharing bag, I would need a plan for portions and food information. |
| Fat and salt | Read the exact flavour’s figures per 100g and, where given, per bag. Walkers UK lists 13g fat and 0.85g salt per 100g for Oven Baked Sea Salt; Seabrook Crisps lists 30.4g fat and 1.3g salt per 100g for Sea Salted. | Even when I choose by calories, I want to see the separate fat and salt figures rather than treating one label claim as the whole nutrition picture. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the ingredient and allergen panel on every flavour and retain the original packaging. GOV.UK guidance for community and charity events explains food-information requirements for prepacked and prepacked-for-direct-sale food. | People should be able to inspect the information for the particular bag they receive, especially when several flavours are on offer. |
| Selling arrangements | Ask the local authority whether your activity counts as a food business, and check the organiser’s conditions. GOV.UK says very limited, infrequent food activity may not need registration; food businesses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland must register at least 28 days before trading. | Before selling refreshments, I need to know which requirements apply to how often and in what capacity I sell food. |
Common buying pitfalls
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Choosing by bag size alone
A small bag can have fewer calories because it contains less food. That is different from having fewer calories per 100g.
Compare kcal per whole bag for the portion you will offer, then kcal per 100g for products sold in different bag sizes. The NHS notes that a manufacturer’s stated portion may differ from the amount eaten.
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Assuming “baked” answers every label question
The reviewed Walkers baked Sea Salt product has lower labelled calories per 100g than the conventional examples discussed here, but its figures do not describe every baked flavour or settle salt and allergen suitability.
Read the nutrition, ingredients and allergen information on the exact flavour and pack you intend to offer.
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Using sharing bags as if they were individual portions
A serving figure on a large bag may cover only part of its contents. Opening or repacking bags also changes how readily someone can inspect the original ingredient information.
If you want one defined portion per person, consider sealed individual bags. If you use sharing formats, plan how you will portion them and provide the applicable food information.
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Assuming occasional selling has no food rules
GOV.UK guidance distinguishes very limited, infrequent activity from operating a food business; the answer depends on what you do, not simply on being at a car boot sale.
Check with the relevant local authority and event organiser before selling. If you are operating a food business in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, GOV.UK says registration is required at least 28 days before trading.
Brands to compare by product
These figures describe the named products and pack formats, not every crisp or flavour made by each brand.
Walkers
Walkers UK lists Oven Baked Sea Salt at 96 kcal per 22g pack and 438 kcal per 100g, making the sealed pack a useful reference when comparing individual portions.
- Its published figure is 13g fat per 100g for this Sea Salt product.
- Use the label for the flavour you buy; these figures do not apply to all Walkers crisps.
Seabrook
Seabrook Crisps lists its crinkle-cut Sea Salted product at 164 kcal per 31.8g bag and 516 kcal per 100g.
- The reviewed Sea Salted product is labelled gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
- Check nutrition and allergen information again if selecting a different flavour or pack.
Tyrrells
Tyrrells offers Lightly Sea Salted hand-cooked crisps in individual and larger formats. It lists 519 kcal per 100g.
- Tyrrells states that its 40g pack is one serving containing 208 kcal.
- For its 150g and 600g formats, the stated 156 kcal serving is 30g, not the whole bag.
KETTLE Chips
KETTLE Chips lists its Lightly Salted product at 516 kcal, 29.5g fat and 0.7g salt per 100g.
- The reviewed product is labelled gluten-free and suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
- For a whole-bag calorie comparison, check the weight and nutrition label of the particular pack you choose.
Pipers
Pipers Crisps lists Anglesey Sea Salt at 532 kcal, 30.7g fat and 0.94g salt per 100g.
- The reviewed flavour is labelled gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
- Its per-100g calorie figure is higher than the reviewed Walkers Oven Baked Sea Salt figure; check each selected flavour separately.
REAL Hand Cooked Crisps
REAL Hand Cooked Crisps lists its Sea Salt product in a case of 24 × 35g bags, at 515 kcal per 100g.
- The case format provides separately sized bags for an event.
- The brand describes its range as vegetarian and gluten-free but directs buyers to individual flavours for allergen details; inspect the exact pack.
Joybuy options for individual portions
These selections are small multipacks of baked crisps or popped potato-based snacks that could be offered as individual refreshments. Popped snacks differ from conventional potato crisps; check each exact flavour’s label when comparing calories, ingredients and allergens.
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PopChips Barbecue 5 × 17g
This popped potato-based snack comes in five 17g bags for individual portions. Check the Barbecue pack’s nutrition, ingredients and allergen information before offering it.
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Walkers Oven Baked Variety Pack Crisps 6 × 22g
Six 22g bags provide individual baked-crisp portions with a choice of flavours. Compare the nutrition and allergen information for each included flavour rather than applying the reviewed Sea Salt figures to the whole variety pack.
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Walkers Oven Baked Cheese & Onion Crisps Flavour 6 × 22g
This six-pack of 22g baked-crisp bags offers a defined individual portion. Check the Cheese & Onion flavour’s own calorie figure and allergen panel; the reviewed Sea Salt product has a different flavour and label.
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PopChips Sour Cream & Onion 5 × 17g
Five 17g bags offer individually sized portions of a popped potato-based snack rather than conventional crisps. Check this flavour’s ingredients and allergen panel before making it available to others.
Questions about crisps at car boot sales
How should I compare crisps if everyone gets one bag?
Compare kcal per whole bag to see the labelled amount in the portion you will hand over, then compare kcal per 100g when bag sizes differ. The NHS notes that a manufacturer’s declared serving can differ from the amount someone eats, so check whether its serving figure covers the full bag.
Does “baked” mean a crisp is lower in calories or salt?
Not on its own. Walkers UK lists its reviewed Oven Baked Sea Salt product at 438 kcal per 100g, below the reviewed conventional products discussed here, but that comparison applies to those specific products. Read the exact pack’s calorie and salt figures rather than relying on “baked”.
Can I offer crisps from an opened sharing bag?
Plan how you will provide portions and ingredient information before doing so. GOV.UK guidance for community and charity events recommends keeping packaging available so people with food hypersensitivities can check ingredients; food-information requirements also depend on how food is packed and supplied. Sealed individual bags keep each product’s original label with its portion.
Do I need to register to sell packaged crisps at a car boot sale?
That depends on whether your activity amounts to running a food business; GOV.UK says very limited and infrequent activity may not require registration. Its food-business guidance says businesses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland must register with their local authority at least 28 days before trading. Ask the relevant local authority and the event organiser what applies before you sell.
Can I rely on a brand name for vegan or gluten-free suitability?
No; check the statement, ingredients and allergens on the exact flavour and pack. Seabrook Crisps labels its reviewed Sea Salted product gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans, but that product-specific statement should not be applied to every Seabrook flavour.