**Fred Sirieix Urges Britain to Face Food Fears After Survey Uncovers Startling Aversion**
Fred Sirieix, well-known television host and food expert, has issued a culinary challenge to the nation, after fresh research revealed that the British public remain wary of trying certain foods—despite never having taken a single bite. According to a recent survey involving 1,500 adults, a striking 60 percent of UK respondents confessed to disliking foods they had never tasted, with the average adult maintaining a personal ‘no-go’ list comprising eight separate dishes.
This intriguing survey was commissioned by Boursin Plant-based, who have teamed up with Sirieix to spearhead a summer campaign encouraging Britons to broaden their culinary horizons. As part of these efforts, blind taste tests featuring plant-based cheese substitutes were organised at several food festivals across the UK, with surprising results.
Among the foods provoking the most suspicion among those polled were sushi, black pudding and the Korean staple kimchi. Plant-based alternatives—especially cheese and milk substitutes—anchovies, tofu and liver were also high on the list of foods people avoid, alongside more traditional ingredients like blue cheese and duck. Such findings indicate a notable resistance to a range of both traditional and contemporary ingredients, especially those unfamiliar to the average British palate.
Despite nearly two-thirds of participants describing themselves as “adventurous eaters”, and a further 74 percent indicating a willingness to try something new, there remains a pronounced reluctance to step out of one’s culinary comfort zone. In many cases, negative perceptions about foods such as dairy alternatives appear to be a substantial barrier—one that the taste test sought to confront.
In comments accompanying the survey launch, Sirieix reflected on the irony of British eating habits: “Brits claim to eagerly embrace culinary trends and global flavours, but remain surprisingly prejudiced against certain foods, often without reason. This scepticism, especially about plant-based alternatives, is one of the largest obstacles to genuine food discovery.”
Notably, even those who professed confidence in their ability to spot plant-based substitutes in the tests were often mistaken. The blind taste challenges revealed that fewer than ten percent of foodies managed to distinguish between Boursin’s dairy and plant-based cheese, calling into question assumptions about taste and authenticity.
Interestingly, only 17 percent of Britons openly described themselves as ‘fussy eaters’. However, 60 percent admitted they would declare their dislike for a food simply if it looked or sounded unappealing—regardless of any actual experience of tasting it. On the brighter side, around 28 percent said they were open to trying unfamiliar foods, and over half of those surveyed admitted they had once changed their minds and grown to enjoy something they initially thought they disliked.
The most common motivators for Britons to try something outside their comfort zone included taking part in blind tastings or discovering new health benefits. Sirieix stressed the importance of challenging assumptions with direct experience: “In reality, very few could tell the difference between plant-based and traditional dairy in our tests. This suggests there’s a world of undiscovered flavours awaiting anyone who is willing to take the first bite.”
Plant-based cheese, tofu, and black pudding topped the list of 20 foods most commonly rejected without trial, closely followed by foods like kimchi, blue cheese, duck, and even vegetables such as kale and asparagus. This persistent aversion raises questions about the factors—be they cultural, culinary or psychological—that continue to shape Britain’s food preferences.
As Sirieix concludes, the nation would do well to “embrace the challenge and let taste do the talking”, reminding hesitant eaters that preconceptions can often be misleading. In a food landscape more diverse than ever, sampling the unfamiliar might just reveal some unexpected pleasures.
This survey underscores how overcoming food fears could be the nation’s next big taste adventure—one that encourages everyone to explore beyond the boundaries of their usual dinner plate.