Uncovered: Brits reveal their weirdest food combinations

Brits and food - it’s a tale as old as time. 

While fish and chips might be our favourite dish (with 87% voting it for popularity) - closely followed by a simple portion of plain chips (with a score of 85%) - you might be surprised at some of the other dishes and food combinations we are enjoying. For example, a slice of tomato and chocolate. Or a bowl of tuna and ice cream… 

To celebrate the weirdest and most wonderful food combinations as seen on TikTok (with the #weirdfoodcombo boasting over 228 million video views), we’ve conducted two surveys on 1,000 Brits each, about the strangest food combinations they would happily try, and crown the weirdest food pairing while we are at it.

This is Britain’s WEIRDEST food combination

We conducted two surveys of 1,000 on 13 of the strangest food combinations discovered on TikTok under the #weirdfoodcombos and asked the British public which one they loved the most. And the results might just surprise you. Although, we might be partial to a few…

30% of the British public dip their chips in their McDonald’s milkshake

This strange food hack has divided the public for years, with McDonald’s even suggesting that you dip your fries in your milkshake. And, for 30%, it’s their most popular food combination. 

Almost a third of those surveyed said they would do this, meaning it is the weirdest food combination the public are willing to try.

But did you know that combining your fries and milkshake can actually improve brain function and lower stress levels? According to experts, combining the two different flavours is ‘blissful’ to the brain, and provides the human body with what it needs to survive. So, next time you order fries, think carefully about what drink to order… 

15% of Brits would pair their pasta with gravy

Rate My Plate sparked chaos when a member posted their classic ‘pasta and gravy’ dish. With 40,000 comments and 12,500 shares, it’s clear that not everyone is on board with mixing their pasta and gravy.

1 in 7 (15%) of the people surveyed stated this is the strangest food combination, but one that they are happy to eat. 

That’s almost double the number of people surveyed who said they would eat uncooked pasta. Surprisingly, though, 8% of Brits would eat uncooked pasta as their strange food hack, after a video boasting 4.8 million likes went viral on TikTok of the creator trying the food.

1 in 8 surveyed (12%) would eat mushrooms with peanut butter and jam

One of the more surprising food combinations to come out of TikTok is mushrooms with peanut butter and jam, described as ‘tasting of earth’ on the platform.

A video on TikTok boasting 10.4 million likes shows the creator trying mushrooms with peanut butter and jam and rating it 3/10 when it comes to taste. And 12% of those surveyed by tombola are willing to give the food combination a try, but they also think it’s the weirdest combination of foods. 

That’s more than people were willing to try pickles and honey (11%) and mixing popular fruit, strawberries, with salt (10%). 

To dig even further into just what kind of food combinations Britons would eat, we conducted a second survey on even more unusual foods boasting over 5 million likes on TikTok. 

24% of Brits would sprinkle sugar on cucumber

In a video on TikTok that has over 50,000 views, slices of cucumber and sugar have been paired together. And it turns out that over a quarter (24%) surveyed agree and would sprinkle sugar on their cucumber. 

Other unusual food combinations that Brits surveyed will happily try include a slice of tomato and a block of chocolate (with 18% of the votes), and pickles and peanut butter (boasting 17% of votes).

Almost a fifth of those surveyed (16%) would eat ice cream with tuna

One of the more surprising food combinations to come out of TikTok, and this survey, is tuna and ice cream. 

A video on TikTok boasting 4.8 million likes shows the creator trying tuna with vanilla ice cream and rating it 10/10 when it comes to taste. And 16% of those surveyed by tombola are willing to give the food combination a try, but they also think it’s the weirdest combination of foods. 

That’s more than people were willing to try pickles and honey (11%) and mixing popular spreads and sauces, Nutella and mayonnaise (13%). 

While the Brits surveyed might be willing to try certain foods, did you know that research reveals that British food, and our eclectic combinations are NOT  a driver for tourists? So, to see what people really think of British foods, we’ve scraped Reddit for the most popular, and weirdest, dishes.

Brits and food: Are our dishes really that weird?

To analyse which food pairings people think are the weirdest, and best, UK-based dishes, we’ve taken to Reddit. We’ve analysed three questions in the r/AskUK and r/cooking threads, to look at what people are stating are the best, and worst foods from Britain.

Cornish pasties are the most popular British food in the threads analysed  

According to our research, Cornish pasties received the highest number of upvotes (signs of approval) of the 47 popular UK dishes mentioned within the threads. 

Surprisingly, they were more popular than the likes of fish and chips (which has recently been voted the most popular meal by the British public). 

Coming a close second, however, was the humble Yorkshire pudding, with 41 upvotes within the threads reviewed. 

You’ll not be surprised that fish and chips did place within the top three of best British food pairings, taking the third spot, in fact. 

1. Cornish pasties
2. Yorkshire pudding
3. Fish and chips
4. Steak and ale pie
5. Shepherd’s pie
6. Scones
7. Sausage roll
8. Toad in the hole
9. Roast dinner
10. Steak and kidney pie

This is how you ‘SHOULD’ be eating the British classic, scones

Interestingly, scones placed sixth place in the most popular British foods. But there is debate on how you should eat them. Well, we also researched this and can reveal that, according to Reddit analysis, more people voted for cream first, followed by jam. 

The results were close but cream first pipped jam to the post with 55 upvotes, compared to 44 for jam. So, officially, this is how you should be eating your scones. 

Did you also know that it is a big faux pas to eat your scone as a sandwich, and it should ALWAYS be cut in half? 

With that in mind, have you ever considered some of the strangest British dishes and food pairings, as voted by others? Luckily, we’ve got the answer for you.

Jellied eels take the top spot for the strangest British food in threads reviewed

Of the threads analysed, jellied eels are the ‘strangest’ British food, boasting 213 upvotes (signs of approval or support on the comment). 

This traditional English meal has been around since the 18th century, but its popularity is definitely waning. 

1. Jellied eels
2. Stargazy pie
3. Tripe
4. Black pudding
5. Haggis
6. Jelly
7. Trifle
8. Whelks
9. Sussex pond pudding
10. Pickled eggs

 Stargazy pie takes second place in the threads analysed, with 62 upvotes stating it is some of the weirdest food in the UK. Other notable mentions include, surprisingly, the popular British desserts, trifle and jelly. 

If you are feeling peckish after reading that, and tend to snack in front of the TV, check out what your favourite show could mean about your personality…