A whopping six in 10 Britons admit to turning their noses up at foods they’ve never even tried, a surprising study has found. The research found that the typical Brit refuses to eat eight different foods, with five of those being things they’ve never even tasted. Boursin Plant-based spearheaded the survey and have joined forces with telly food aficionado Fred Sirieix to host blind taste tests at food festivals this summer, encouraging hesitant Brits to try something new.
According to the survey, Sushi, black pudding, and kimchi are at the forefront of the list of foods Brits snub without sampling, with plant-based cheese and anchovies not far behind. The top 10 also includes tofu, liver, and alternatives to dairy milk. Notably, 65 per cent of those surveyed see themselves as adventurous when it comes to eating, and 74 per cent are open to trying new dishes.
Fred Sirieix said: “Brits claim to eagerly embrace culinary trends and global flavours, but they can be particularly prejudiced when it comes to certain foods, and this is one of the biggest barriers to discovery.
“Many ingredients including plant-based alternatives to cheese have huge negative preconceptions. But despite many claiming they’d be able to differentiate plant-based from dairy, even the most discerning foodies were fooled by this plant-based alternative to cheese when we let taste do the talking.”
Yet, only a mere 17 per cent actually fessed up to being fussy eaters.
Six in ten said they would speak up if they were presented with something they considered unappetising at the dinner table, whilst 28 per cent would be prepared to have a tentative taste.
However, the survey shows taking culinary risks seems to pay off as 53 per cent have had a change of heart after trying something new.
The primary drivers for exploring unfamiliar tastes included blind tasting sessions or discovering a dish’s nutritional advantages.
Seven in ten said they would be able to distinguish between dairy products and plant-based cheese alternatives – with nearly half (46 per cent) prepared to sample them if they matched the flavour of the ‘genuine article’.
Fred Sirieix, speaking for Boursin, said: “People are very clearly confident in their ability to tell dairy from plant-based alternatives but as we saw from experience, this was not actually the case.
“In reality, less than 10 per cent of people at the Foodies festival were able to differentiate between Boursin plant-based and dairy.]
“It just goes to show – there’s a whole world of flavours out there waiting to be explored if you’re brave enough.
“Even ingredients you might dismiss because of previous experiences, judgements, or assumptions can still surprise you if prepared in the right way. So, embrace the challenge and let the taste do the talking.”