THEY say food is the way to the heart – and now celebrity maître d’ Fred Sirieix has fronted a scientific experiment which put that theory to the test.
The matchmaking Frenchman teamed up with Charles Spence, professor of multisensory flavour science at Oxford University, to test whether food and flavour preferences can predict compatibility.
Participants were matched according to their culinary likes and dislikes, uncovering surprising insights about their individual characteristics, interests, and potential compatibility.
United by a shared passion for great food and bringing people together, Boursin and Fred Sirieix hosted an event welcoming 10 paired couples to an exclusive dining experience at Café François in Borough Market.
The 20 strangers were invited to take part in the evening and as they enjoyed their meal, each couple had the chance to discover the beginnings of a new friendship — or perhaps the spark of something more.
The couples enjoyed a personalised menu crafted by executive chef Matthew Ryle, based on their shared preferences and elevated using different Boursin flavours.
At one of the tables, William and Chiara bonded over their shared love of garlic and quickly discovered their interests aligned beyond flavour, describing themselves as a perfect friendship match.
Despite an 18-year age gap, their enthusiasm for bold, adventurous food quickly dissolved any sense of generational difference.
What began as a light-hearted conversation about favourite garlic-heavy dishes soon expanded into wider shared interests.
Their curiosity about food led naturally to conversations about travel, culture and memorable meals abroad, revealing a shared passion for exploration and new experiences.
In this way, food acted as a social bridge, creating the foundation for a friendship that might not otherwise have formed.
William said: “It was incredible to find out that through being matched on food and flavour preferences alone, I ended up having dinner with someone who has the same interests and passion for adventure as me.”
Professor Charles Spence added: “Garlic is a really interesting ingredient and flavour profile, and in recent years has had something of a revival in British cuisine, as it is now a hugely popular ingredient.
“Bonding over this once divisive ingredient is very much on trend and suggests an openness to strong flavours and ‘new’ flavour experiences.
“What’s more, women find men who eat garlic smell better than those who don’t. So there may have been more going on than meets the eye.”
Fred Sirieix said: “I’ve always believed food isn’t just about what’s on the plate, but how it has the power to create connections and elevate moments between loved ones.
“The way we eat together reveals so much about ourselves, and this experience proved it, with genuine connections made.
“When I was a little boy, my dad used to say to me, ‘tell me what you eat and I’ll tell you who you are,’ and that is completely true for the Perfect Pairings experiment.”
The experiment comes as research revealed the nation’s feelings about how food reflects the soul and acts as an indicator of compatibility.
A poll of 2,000 adults found 43 per cent agreed a person’s taste in cuisines and flavours can tell them a lot about their personality.
For example, spicy food lovers are associated with being bold and confident, whereas those who can’t get enough garlic were also labelled carefree, comfortable, and open-minded.
Just under half (47 per cent) also believed those who have similar preferences are more likely to get along socially.
In support of this, 34 per cent confirmed at some point in their life they have bonded with another person over a shared love of a particular dish or flavour.
Sharing a meal together is clearly important for any sort of relationship-building, although more so for budding romantic relationships (64 per cent) than new friendships (50 per cent).
The most romantic dishes couples should indulge in to solidify their bonds were identified as sharing plates (29 per cent), a steak dinner (28 per cent), and chocolate mousse (25 per cent).
Whereas the number one most off-putting things they would ‘never’ consider eating in front of a date were very messy foods, such as ribs or chicken wings (50 per cent).
The top red flags at the dinner table which are enough to put anyone off their grub were confirmed as eating with their mouth open (65 per cent), taking a bite off someone else’s plate without asking (51 per cent) and using phones during the meal (47 per cent).
Fussy eaters were also a dealbreaker for 32 per cent, which may be bad news for those who revealed their gripes with certain ingredients.
The most divisive of all was found to be brussel sprouts, splitting the vote fairly evenly between those who absolutely love them (21 per cent) and those who can’t stand them on their plate (18 per cent).
While black olives had the heaviest weighting towards hatred, mushrooms, garlic, and broccoli were the most universally loved, with the highest overall scores of four out of five.
Oliver Richmond, spokesperson for the brand, said: “We’ve always believed that food has the power to bring people together.
“Bold, distinctive flavours can elevate even the simplest meal, whether it’s classic garlic and herbs, a creamy blue cheese flavour, indulgent truffle, or punchy black pepper.
“This experiment perfectly shows how shared tastes and flavours can spark connections and friendships, turning a simple meal into an elevated, memorable shared experience.”
TOP 10 MOST DIVISIVE FOODS, FROM MOST TO LEAST LIKED (SCORE OUT OF 5):
1. Garlic: 3.56
2. Broccoli: 3.52
3. Mushrooms: 3.5
4. Asparagus: 3.25
5. Coriander: 3.14
6. Brussel sprouts: 3.13
7. Chillis: 3.03
8. Truffles: 2.93
9. Blue cheese: 2.82
10. Black olives: 2.78
