Sales of instant noodles up as former bad-boy snack turns classy

TikTok users have topped their noodles with spring onions, chilli oil and sesame seeds. Photograph: Tatiana/Getty Images/iStockphoto

With their bad-taste adverts and laddish branding, instant noodles were once a mainstay for lazy bachelors who needed a quick post-pub fix.

Now they are back in the limelight – but with a gourmet makeover spurred by a social media trend. Supermarket sales and search data show instant noodles are once again becoming a cupboard staple, this time with a few “fancy” additions.