PRODUCTS made by Bolton bakers Warburtons are the most purchased items across the UK, according to new research.

It is the fourth year in a row that Warburtons has topped the list of the nation's top 10 most chosen fast-moving consumer goods brands, in a study conducted by consumer research firm Kantar Worldpanel.

The brands featured offer products that are sold quickly and at relatively low cost, with Warburtons beating Heinz into second place, and McVitie's into third.

The rest of the top 10 is completed by Hovis, Kingsmill, Birds Eye, Walkers, Muller, Cadbury Dairy Milk and Coca Cola.

Sally Stanton, head of marketing communications at Warburtons, which has recently featured advertising campaigns with celebrities such as Sylvester Stallone and The Muppets, said the brand was "proud" to hold on to the top spot for UK shoppers.

She said: "The last twelve months have been some of the most action-packed in Warburtons’ 140-year history with our mission to bring more excitement to the bakery aisle taking us from our heartland in Bolton to the bright lights of Beverly Hills."

The rankings measure which brands are being bought by the most consumers, the most often.

The research found that Warburtons' products have been chosen by 85.4 per cent of the population, on average 26.7 times a year, meaning it was picked from supermarket shelves 611 million times during the course of the year.

In addition to its selling its famous loaves, the firm has sought to diversify its products including with its new thin bagels range, which the research said had increased the company's appeal.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar Worldpanel, said: "British brands remain an important part of our shopper repertoire and it’s encouraging to see so many continue to succeed in a world of multinational conglomerates.

"This doesn’t just extend to the overall top ten — looking at sector specific rankings we see familiar names including Robinsons, PG Tips, Radox and Andrex coming in ahead of their global competitors.

"With many brands capitalising on the Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations and underlining their British heritage we’re likely to see this trend continue."

Top 10

1. Warburtons

2. Heinz

3. McVitie's

4. Hovis

5. Kingsmill

6. Birds Eye

7. Walkers

8. Muller

9. Cadbury Dairy Milk

10. Coca-Cola