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The aim is to investigate the choice and experience attributes of core – sweet (cookie) and savoury (cracker) – biscuits of a high premium, luxury or indulgent nature to investigate the possible opportunity for organic or other more healthily perceived product option developments.

The approach taken is a qualitative focus group study involving a series of core user adult consumer groups, aged between 25 and the late 1960s, in a southern county of the UK.

The adult consumption of biscuits involves a process that aspires towards an overall “better‐life”, sensual experience by momentarily escaping the everyday realm and aiming to emulate either a perceived “real” or a mythical, largely past‐related style of existence. This is often associated with meanings inherent in the terms “natural”, “rural”, “home‐baked” and “traditional” as well as “elegant” associations and production and selling agency values around small or local, pre‐modern source structures. Organic labelling is found to have a negative “horn” effect to buyers by countering other desired associations.

The study used a small sample in the county of Dorset in the south of England, but these are implications for new product development and marketing of luxury snacks.

Alternative areas of marketing focus to rational appeal are suggested that could help promote healthier biscuit choice options.

Irrational ideal and unreal aspects of consumer appeal are found to feature the creation of imagined or re‐created “moments of perfection” in a process of cognitive suspension.

The aim of this article is to examine the perception of various snack alternatives and the relevant negative and positive associations they may have with key adult groups, including any potential barriers and drivers relating to the uptake of healthier snack options.

The approach takes the form of a qualitative focus group study involving a series of key adult consumer groups, including those deemed more likely and those less likely to take up healthy snack options.

Despite increased health factor awareness across key adult snacking groups, there remains a perception of food “snacks” as a worthwhile, if basically unhealthy, “treat” within their overall food consumption. Many adults did show some concerns about specific diet and health‐related aspects of many snack products and would like to be tempted by healthier versions. Amongst the drivers for healthy snack uptake, local source attributes were generally rated highly by all; these and other “natural” and “healthy” snack claims, including fairtrade and organic labels, were positively received provided that the key, hedonic “treat” experience attributes could still be delivered. When considering the provision of snacks for children, the customers' choice processes appeared to be much more health‐based, showing apparent “nest” snack choice behaviours – or stronger “nesting” behaviours in mothers of young children.

The study was restricted to a relatively small sample in an area limited to the county of Dorset in the South of England, potentially more focused on countryside local foods.

Areas of marketing focus are suggested that could promote healthy snack choices in adult consumers.

The paper examines snacks within the desired snack experience dimensions of key consumer groups and suggests key attributes, associations and thinking‐processes behind healthy snack choice behaviours.