Two thirds of Brits keep away from Stilton with out ever having tried it
Nine in ten Brits love cheese but most won’t venture beyond mild cheddar – and two thirds claim to dislike blue cheese without ever having tasted it
Two thirds of Brits ‘hate’ blue cheese – despite having never tried it. Nine in ten Brits admit they adore cheese but 39% refuse to stray beyond a mild cheddar, rising to 60% of Gen Zs. Half believe they are daring with food, yet frequently just stick to familiar options.
Gen Z declared themselves the most adventurous of all generations but were the least inclined to sample a morsel of Stilton – with 43% having never tasted it. For those who have never tried blue cheese, 41% blamed it on its smell. And 40% said it looks too unappealing, 32% don’t like the mould element and 31% say it seems too strong.
The research of 2,000 adults was commissioned by Clawson Farms, producers of the 1912 Artisan Stilton, as part of a campaign inviting tennis fans at Wimbledon to try stilton before deciding whether they love it or loathe it.
Bill Mathieson, managing director of the cheese brand, said: “People are incredibly adventurous with food today – they’re trying flavours from every corner of the world and actively seeking out bold taste experiences.
“Yet when it comes to the original British bold flavour of Stilton, many people have already decided they don’t like it before they’ve even tasted it.
“That’s what our campaign, Will You Brave The Blue?, is all about – challenging assumptions, encouraging curiosity and getting people to make up their own minds.”
Britain’s most regularly eaten cheeses are mature cheddar, mozzarella and Red Leicester being the most popular. Stilton was the most eaten blue cheese, followed by Danish blue and Shropshire blue.
While 51% said they’d be willing to try bolder foods such as cheese with fruit (51%), sweet and salty combinations (34%) and spicy sauces (33%) – only 35% are willing to try Stilton.
However, three quarters of respondents agreed people should try a food at least once before deciding they don’t like it.
Fans were challenged to swap strawberries and cream for strawberries and blue cheese as part of the Clawson Farms campaign at Wimbledon.
Bill Mathieson added: “With our strawberry and Stilton combination, we wanted to challenge perceptions and get people tasting before judging. And it’s fair to say many were pleasantly surprised by this food combination.
“It was great to see many fall in love with a classic – and we hope people try a strawberries and blue cheese combination at home.”
TOP 10 OF BRITAIN’S MOST EATEN CHEESES:
- Mature cheddar
- Mozzarella
- Mild cheddar
- Red Leicester
- Cream cheese (e.g. Philadelphia)
- Parmesan
- Brie
- Feta
- Halloumi
- Stilton
