Homesick-prone Brits heading abroad this year will be packing their suitcase with items such as tea bags, mugs and salt & pepper shakers to ensure their home comforts are close to hand.
Research has revealed the top 25 unusual items packed by Brits heading on holiday.
The list, commissioned by Pot Noodle to launch their new home comfort Sausage Casserole flavour, includes items such as pictures of pets (5 per cent), an umbrella (25 per cent) and a stapler (2 per cent) for those ultra-organised holidaymakers.
Tea bags (42 per cent) were the most common 'out-of-the-box' item that Brits pack in their summer suitcase, many want the true taste of a British cuppa rather than an international replacement.
The research found that nearly 1 in 10 Brits pack simply made snacks, such as Pot Noodle, with homely flavours such as Sausage Casserole the most popular for those who soon become tired of international cuisine.
British foods were the most common 'out of the box' items that Brits pack when they're jetting to foreign shores with biscuits (25 per cent), cheese (5 per cent) and pies in a tin (3 per cent) all making it into the top 25.
Other items that may make fellow travellers raise an eyebrow if they were to be unpacked were said to be a remote control car, a kite and a picture of beloved pets back home - despite 23 per cent confessing to Skyping them while they're away.
The research also found that the ever pessimistic British trait persuades many to pack an umbrella just in case the rain follows us to another country.
To celebrate the research Pot Noodle has created a suitcase design which can house some of the most unusual items packed by Brits.
The suitcase would be the most space efficient and would also fit within weight restrictions so consumers aren't hit with extra charges from budget airlines.
Pot Noodle's newest offering brings the classic Sausage Casserole flavours to life in a tasty Sausage Casserole sauce with vegetables and a little sachet of tomato sauce.
Kelly Wright, Pot Noodle Brand Manager, said "Whilst many of us may enjoy frogs legs in France, tapas in Spain or hot quesadillas in Mexico, sometimes the taste of a home comfort can be a reassuring reminder of good old Blighty.
Our new Sausage Casserole flavour is a British classic but in true Pot Noodle fashion - can go from zero to tasty in just four minutes".
"We all love our tea and many don't trust the food in foreign countries so it's perhaps not too much of a surprise to see various food and snacks appear in the list."
"There are certain items that many of us don't want to leave behind, and while we love to get away and relax in the sun, sometimes we miss the little things that we live with every day".
"They are home comforts that many of us don't want to leave behind, while we love to get away and relax in the sun, sometimes we miss the little things that we live with every day.
"Even if it means avoiding the hotel lunch menu and sneaking your own food while sitting on the hotel balcony."
The list was created as it was revealed 58 per cent of Brits admit to packing unusual items when they go on their holidays saying of the 36 items they normally pack, nine of them aren't what you'd expect to see.
However these Brits admit they are perhaps 'over prepared' because there are some things they just can't live without, even for two weeks in the sun.
43 per cent said "A taste of home always makes me feel happier" and one in ten said they "hate foreign food" and is a reason they take snacks and tea on holiday with them.
Some individuals admit to taking more quirky items such as a cuddly toy replica of their pet cat, a mini wooden hedgehog and salad cream.
Spare teeth, a toy frog and super glue have been known to take a trip abroad in baggage as has some school books, a sewing kit and a pumice stone.
TOP 25 UNUSUAL SUITCASE ITEMS- Tea bags (42 per cent)
- Notebook (28 per cent)
- Umbrella (25 per cent)
- Biscuits (25 per cent)
- Torch (23 per cent)
- Bath sponge (15 per cent)
- Mug (12 per cent)
- Pot Noodle (9 per cent)
- Cutlery (9 per cent)
- Salt and pepper shakers (8 per cent)
- Shopping vouchers (6 per cent)
- Cheese (5 per cent)
- A kite (5 per cent)
- Picture of pets (5 per cent)
- Toilet cleaner (4 per cent)
- Pencil sharpener (4 per cent)
- Bathroom cleaner (3 per cent)
- Remote control car (3 per cent)
- Pie in tin (3 per cent)
- Moisturising socks (2 per cent)
- Toilet seat covers (2 per cent)
- Union Jack flag (2 per cent)
- Stapler (2 per cent)
- Picture frame (1 per cent)
- Microscope (1 per cent)
For more information, please visit http://www.potnoodle.com/products/sausage-casserole-flavour
For further press information, high res images, stockist information or samples please contact [email protected] on 020 3128 6600
Notes to editorsUnilever is one of the country's leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with 40 UK brands spanning 14 categories. Our products are present in 98% of homes in the UK and are used by over 2 billion people globally on a daily basis.
Our ambition is to double the size of our business, whilst reducing our overall environmental footprint (including sourcing, consumer use and disposal) and increasing our positive social impact. We are committed to helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being, sourcing all our agricultural raw materials sustainably by 2020, and decoupling our growth from our environmental impact. Supporting our three big goals are more than 50 time-based targets. See more on the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan at www.unilever.com/sustainable-living/
POT NOODLE - FINAL
