Brits love to indulge in weird and wonderful food combinations including dunking pizza crusts in ice cream and mixing peanut butter with noodles – here are the top 20.
New research has revealed Brits love experimenting with their food pairings, blending sweet and savoury alongside some more unconventional choices. The survey of 2,000 adults discovered 27% relish apple slices paired with cheddar cheese, while 18% are devoted to chips and milkshakes. A surprising 8% even eat eggs with jam.
Other unusual combinations to make the top 20 included cheese and chocolate spread, hot sauce on chocolate desserts and banana with mayonnaise. But mixing things up is not for everyone. More than half (56%) prefer to stick to traditional flavours and steer clear of quirky culinary mashups altogether.
The research was commissioned by Costa Coffee, which has partnered with McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes to create a ready-to-drink frappe combining the brand’s signature coffee with the iconic chocolate orange taste.
A spokesperson said: “Some pairings strike the perfect balance between familiarity and discovery. Coffee and chocolate orange is a great example – bringing together two flavours people already know and love in a way that feels both comforting and exciting.”
The study revealed 66% of 18-24-year-olds enjoy combining sweet and savoury tastes compared to just 15% of those aged 65 and over. Meanwhile, 78% of over-65s favour maintaining traditional flavours, contrasted with just a third of Gen Z.
When confronted with unusual menu options, 29% of all adults would only sample them if offered a complimentary taste and 26% confessed they would contemplate it but eventually stick with their regular choice.
Nevertheless, that doesn’t suggest they aren’t prepared to experiment. Three quarters have indicated they are willing to sample new food combinations, and 43% of all adults reckoned the finest food pairings are those you’d least anticipate working, based on the OnePoll.com findings.
A spokesperson for Costa Coffee stated: “We’re delighted to see coffee and chocolate orange recognised as one of the nation’s favourite flavour combinations.
“While some of the pairings in the research might divide opinion, it is a pairing that feels instantly familiar and enjoyable.
“As consumers continue to seek out flavours that offer both comfort and a sense of discovery, we’re excited to bring together two iconic brands in a drink that celebrates exactly that.”
TOP 20 WEIRD AND WONDERFUL FOOD COMBINATIONS:
- Apple slices with cheddar cheese
- Fries and milkshake
- Drizzling honey over fried chicken
- Coffee with chocolate orange
- Garlic bread with ketchup
- Watermelon and feta cheese
- Strawberries and black pepper
- Noodles and peanut butter
- Eggs and jam
- Mango and chilli powder
- Cheese and chocolate spread
- Crisps with jam
- Hot sauce with chocolate desserts
- Popcorn and hot sauce
- Avocado and chocolate
- Salt on watermelon
- Peanut butter with pickles
- Banana with mayonnaise
- Dunking pizza crusts into soft serve ice cream
- Ice cream with olive oil and sea salt