The 50 Things That Divide Opinion The Most in Britain

NEWS COPY

Russell Brand, beards and blue cheese have been named among the 50 things that divide opinion the most for the British public.

The study into British tastes compiled a list of the people, foods and flavours that have the nation divided in opinion - with the inimitable Russell Brand and Jeremy Clarkson topping the list.

Crocs shoes, the Kardashians and Lord of the Rings films all provide strong reactions either way, and it’s also hard to stay neutral towards 50 Shades of Grey, Apple products and anchovies.

Black pudding still maintains its ability to split opinion, while Brussels sprouts, selfies and liquorice also prove divisive.

The comprehensive exploration of the tastes of the modern Brit was commissioned by blu eCigs, the premium global e-cigarette brand, as part of the current Taste the Summer campaign and also found our favourite summer flavours, with Strawberries, vanilla ice-cream, watermelon and Pimms leading the way.

blu eCigs commissioned the insightful research ahead of a review of its current award-winning flavour range with the possibility of using the findings in future product development that could see brand new flavours that most represent the ‘taste of the summer’ introduced.

Yesterday Douglas Mutter, Senior Product Development & Manufacturing Controller at blu said: “From food to people, places or certain products, there are some things that will always divide opinions and are a matter of personal taste.

“Most people will recognise things they are big fans of in the list of 50 as well as some things that certainly don’t hit the mark for them.

“Whether it’s the products we use, the people that entertain us or the food we eat, the study into the average person’s personal taste has revealed some interesting results into the way we attribute memories and emotion into the things we like.

“Exploring people’s most-loved summer flavours shows the wealth of food and drink that simply smelling or tasting can get us embracing the time of year.”

Also named among the 50 opinion splitters for Brits, however, was sushi, Primark clothing and Twiglets.

While marzipan brings about a strong reaction either way, and people either love or loathe the idea of online dating, living in London or celebrating Valentine’s Day.

Politicians are always likely to cause a clearly divided opinion and both David Cameron and Boris Johnson split the nation.

Opinions are also firmly formed one way or the other when it comes to liking Coldplay, TOWIE and Twiglets – all made the top 50 list.

And with olives, liquorice and brie all featuring, the power of food is clear in prompting tastes to differ.

Nearly two thirds of Brits believe certain tastes make them feel quite nostalgic, while four in ten said a particular flavour can conjure up direct memories of a specific person or place.

Douglas Mutter, Senior Product Development & Manufacturing Controller at blu added: “It’s great to see that the blu eCigs range already boasts some of the nation’s favourite summer classics with berry-based flavours such as bluBERRY, Cherry and Strawberry Mint being firm favourites among our customers. We’re always keen to translate popular tastes into high quality e-liquids for adult smokers so watch this space for future sun-soaked flavours.”

BRITAIN’S FAVOURITE TASTES OF SUMMER

1. Strawberries
2. Vanilla ice cream
3. Pimm's
4. Watermelon
5. Cucumber
6. Ice cream soda
7. Coconut
8. Lime
9. Mint
10. Mango
11. Lemon
12. Cider
13. Vanilla
14. Champagne
15. Mixed berries
16. Coleslaw
17. Passionfruit
18. Cocktails
19. Burgers
20. Barbecue sauce

THE TOP 50 THINGS THAT SPLIT OPINION

1. Russell Brand
2. Jeremy Clarkson
3. Selfies
4. Facebook
5. Big Brother
6. The Royal Family
7. The Kardashians
8. Apple products
9. Brussels sprouts
10. X-Factor
11. The Only Way is Essex
12. Black pudding
13. David Cameron
14. Crocs (the shoes)
15. Blue cheese
16. 50 Shades of Grey
17. Lord of the Rings movies
18. Made in Chelsea
19. Boris Johnson
20. Coldplay
21. Joey Essex
22. Anchovies
23. Olives
24. Beards
25. Mussels
26. Twiglets
27. Sushi
28. Cats
29. Mother in Laws
30. Liquorice
31. Online dating
32. McDonalds
33. Primark clothing
34. Kanye West
35. Doing exercise
36. Wayne Rooney
37. Nick Clegg
38. Game of Thrones
39. Marzipan
40. Glee
41. Dark chocolate
42. Valentine's Day
43. Nick Grimshaw
44. Coffee
45. Public transport
46. Golf
47. Musicals
48. Green tea
49. London
50. Brie

ENDS