For a picnic lunch where everyone needs a sealed portion, choose a multipack with at least one inner bag per person: six bags may be enough for a small group, while a 20-pack suits a larger one. Choose a sharing bag when communal serving works for your picnic, and check the exact pack’s ingredients if guests have dietary requirements.
If each person needs their own lunch portion, count the people before choosing a multipack. The Walkers Classic Variety pack listed by Tesco contains 20 sealed 25g bags; a sharing bag does not provide the same individual portions.
When around six portions will do, a six-bag pack can match the group without leaving as many spare bags as a 20-pack. Tesco’s listed Seabrook and McCoy’s variety packs each contain six 25g bags.
Check the exact flavour and pack rather than relying on a brand name or a single dietary label. Tesco describes its Seabrook variety pack as gluten free, but its allergen information also says it contains milk.
Start with the number of portions the picnic needs, then decide whether people will take sealed bags or share from an opened pack.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Usable portions | Count the inner bags and check their weight. Compare that count with the number of people who need a portion. | For a small group, I would rather choose enough bags than have many left over; for a larger group, everyone needs one. |
| Serving format | Check whether the pack has sealed inner bags or is one sharing bag. For a sharing bag, plan how it will be served. | If people are taking individual packed lunches, sealed bags make distribution straightforward. A bowl works for a communal spread. |
| Flavour mix | Read which flavours and how many of each are in a variety pack; do not assume every bag has the same ingredients. | I want guests to have a choice of flavours without assuming that every option suits everyone’s dietary requirements. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients, allergen information and precautionary statements on the exact pack and flavours being served. | Where a guest has an allergy or intolerance, I need to check their portion specifically, even if another variety in the pack is suitable. |
One opened bag needs serving and does not give each person a sealed portion.
Count the people who need their own bag before choosing a multipack; keep sharing bags for picnics where communal serving is planned.
Tesco labels its Seabrook variety pack gluten free, but also states that it contains milk. Its McCoy’s variety listing declares barley and milk.
Check the ingredients and allergen information for the exact pack and flavour intended for each guest.
Tesco marked the Kettle Chips 5 x 30g variety pack and REAL Crisps 150g Sea Salt bag out of stock on 1 October 2026.
Confirm the required size and flavour before finalising the picnic food, and compare any substitute by its portion format.
These examples describe specific packs or ranges, not every product made by each brand.
Tesco’s Walkers Classic Variety 20 x 25g pack illustrates a larger individually portioned option.
Tesco’s Seabrook variety six-pack is a smaller individually portioned option.
Tesco’s McCoy’s Classic Variety 6 x 25g pack offers another six-portion format.
The Tyrrells Lightly Sea Salted 150g bag listed by Tesco represents communal serving.
Tesco lists a Kettle Chips variety pack containing five 30g bags.
REAL Crisps has sharing-bag and case formats that call for different serving plans.
These Joybuy options are multipacks for picnics where individual bags are useful. Compare each exact variety and bag count: the Walkers Meaty Variety pack here is not the Walkers Classic Variety pack described above.
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The 20-bag format suits a picnic where a larger group needs individual portions. Check the exact flavours and allergen information before distributing the bags.
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Twelve individual bags may fit a group that needs more than a six-pack but fewer than 20 portions. Check the flavours and ingredients of the bags you plan to serve.
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Six individual bags suit a smaller picnic where each person needs one portion. Read the exact variety pack’s ingredients and allergen information before serving.
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This six-pack is an option when the picnic calls for six separately packed portions. Check the bag weights, flavour mix and ingredients on the exact pack.
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The 12-bag format works for a group needing individual portions without opening a sharing bag. Check the exact flavours and their ingredients for guests with dietary requirements.
Count the individual bags and check their gram weight, then match the count to people who need a portion. Tesco lists its Walkers Classic Variety pack as 20 x 25g and its Seabrook variety pack as six 25g bags; the more practical size depends on your group.
Choose a multipack if each person needs a sealed bag, or a sharing bag if people will serve crisps communally. A sharing bag needs a serving plan and does not create individual packed-lunch portions.
No. Tesco labels its Seabrook variety pack gluten free but also states that it contains milk. Check the exact product and flavour for every allergen relevant to your guest.
Read the ingredients, allergen information and any precautionary statements on the exact pack and flavour. Different varieties in a multipack can have different ingredients, so do not rely on the brand name alone.
The Food Standards Agency advises keeping foods that you would normally refrigerate at home cool on a picnic, using a cool box or cool bag with ice or frozen gel packs. Keep crisp packets dry and check the storage instructions for the other foods you are packing.