The spread of snacks on to the chilled fixture has brought a proliferation of meat snacks, with Peperami supplier Jack Link’s among the most active in the segment.

Marketing manager Pavan Chandra says: "Protein is widely seen as healthy and its role has evolved from niche muscle-building to having a broader everyday appeal, with millennials in particular most likely to have healthy dietary intentions."

The supplier broadened its offer with the launch of Peperami Beef last year, which Chandra claims "indexes highly with young males". He also says Jack Link’s Jerky is one of the fastest-growing meat snacks in the category.

"Products such as jerky and biltong, initially favoured by the health-conscious, are now becoming much more mainstream, driven by their protein content, taste and portability," says Chandra.

Peperami is being backed by an on-pack promotion offering two-for-one tickets to Thorpe Park and Alton Towers on its single, mini, snack pack and multipack formats.

Meat snacks are also becoming a bigger presence on the ambient snacks aisle, with classics like pork scratchings being given a makeover by an increasing numbers of premium producers.

Hand-cooked crisp producer Salty Dog’s stable of brands includes flavoured pork crackling with an English Mustard variety. Owner Judy Willis says: "Crisps remain very popular but there is big growth in meat snacks, like pork crackling and similar products."