7 in 10 say taste is 80% mental, study reveals

45% would rather not eat if they see their most hated toppings on a pizza.

Seven in 10 Brits agreed that the mind makes up 80% of taste before you even try it, research commissioned by pizza chain Fireaway revealed.

Nearly half of Brits (45%) would rather go hungry than eat a pizza with their most hated topping, whilst one in five (18%) said they wouldn’t even risk tasting a topping they didn’t like.

The research also revealed that the most hated toppings are anchovies (41%) and blue cheese (35%) based on smell, texture or assumption rather than actual taste.

The report comes following Fireaway’s partnership with the launch of the game series Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, where the pizza chain tapped neuroscientist, Dr Jack Lewis, to prove that taste is all in the mind.

“What we taste is a vast multisensory illusion. The tongue can only detect five basic chemical signals - sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami - and the brain builds up everything else on the basis of intel arriving via all other senses. Smell, sight, sound and even touch can all pre-filter the flavour before the food has even hit the taste buds,” Dr Lewis said.

“When those cues are removed - darkness, silence and particularly blocked scent - the same food can taste completely different. Your brain isn’t just part of taste; it’s the main course.”

Further findings from the research of 2,000, conducted in October 2025, expose a national “taste illusion”, showing how much of what we think we love (or hate) is decided by the brain before the first bite.

76% admitted that they “eat with our eyes first”. Meanwhile, 84% still believe they’d enjoy their favourite pizza in complete darkness - a confidence that neuroscience suggests is misplaced. 18% confess they’ve never actually tried their most disliked topping - they’re simply assuming they won’t like it.

Following the report, Fireaway launched the Tokyo Hijacked Pizza, which combines a tomato base, mozzarella, crispy chicken tenders, chilli flakes, raw chillies, crispy onions and a Teriyaki x Kewpie mayo drizzle.

Fireaway created a multi-sensory campaign for the launch where influencers were invited to a sensory-deprivation “taste lab” where they were served pizzas blindfolded, with noses clipped and sonic seasoning on, to try Fireaway’s limited-edition Tokyo Hijacked Pizza.