Nutrition on the road - What, How and Why?

Wat? None of these things are appropriate. I think you're reading advice for racing and applying it to a completely different ride.

Gels exist as a fast to eat form of carbs. For racing. Their only relevance to the DD is you can stash one for emergency boost or the last push home.

Kendal mint cake is just refined sugar and mint flavour. Are you going to ride for 8 hours on that? Hells no. Eat some food.

Well that's what I'm trying to work out. The current stuff in bags and pockets is looking like this.

Pump + Tubes + multitool + spanner
Mini D Lock
Phone + Keys + Wallet
Chorizo
Bagel full of whatever I feel like when getting it maybe 2
Bag of Crisps
Random stuff in supermarket sausage rolls?
Flapjacks
Drink tablet things to add to water bottles
10ish assorted cereal bars(I posted them above)
A powerbar or two
Kendal mint cake
Gel if one tastes ok

Can't see any huge danger of having more than I need. If I end up riding with some people and it's time to break open the sauasge rolls or break out the bars then feel like a right nob not being able to share, is like having a chewing gum infront of someone when it's a full pack.