It has long been said that a man’s stomach is the way to his heart, but as it turns out, the same could probably be said for women.
A new study of 2,000 singletons has unveiled that it is a case of ‘love at first bite’ for more than one in five Brits, who admit they decide whether to continue dating someone – based on their FOOD PREFERENCES.
To see how far food really goes in finding love, sexy singleton – Maya Jama – has taken part in a unique dating experience where the superstar is matched with complete strangers, connected only through their love of the same foods and flavours.
The new film dubbed ‘Love at First Bite’ sees single men compete against each other to see if it is a match made in foodie heaven with the presenter.
Commissioned by Peperami Chicken Bites, the experiment follows a recent survey, where thousands of singletons unveiled that they would only consider a future with someone if they shared the same taste in cuisine and are considered ‘food compatible’ (23 per cent).
In fact, 14 per cent admitted they would end a budding romance if the person in question had completely different tastes to them.
And 11 per cent have, or would, decide against a second date based on their prospective lover’s food order.
Maya’s Dating Video Commentary:
Maya is the first to enter in the video, taking a seat and telling the camera about Peperami challenging her to find love at first bite and is very excited to be taking part.
We then meet the three single men who will be taking up the challenge and we see what they look like.
The video then flicks to Maya who starts by saying how food is important to her in life and dating, setting the scene for the challenge. She then mentions that she “loves flavours and I like to eat” with a happy smile, showcasing her passion for food.
Then, each of the men introduce themselves, pitching the dish that hopefully will gain the attention of the celebrity dater.
Dishing the dirt on a previous dating experience Maya explains “I haven’t had a horrible date, but I’ve had a situation where I’ve laughed and a bit of snot [has flown] onto the pasta – snotty pasta! And you can’t really do anything because the snot is there and you’re kinda like… oops!”
The stunning star continues to detail what she is looking for in a perfect date and potential partner.
“I want good conversation flowing and minimum awkward moments.
“I want to be so entertained by you that I don’t really end up eating all my food because [I’m laughing so much].”
From the single guys dishes, Maya wants to see “some originality, lots of flavours and them thinking outside the box.”
Next in the video, Maya tastes all three dishes created by the mystery chefs. The singletons were challenged to make a tasty recipe using Peperami’s Chicken Bites range, a popular snack that can also be eaten on the move.
Clearly impressed by the flavours, she then picks her winner following a dish that caught her by surprise – Sticky Korean BBQ Peperami Chicken Bites.
Labelling herself as a “basic bitch” in the video, Maya highlights her simplistic food preferences, but could sense “a lot of effort” in her chosen dish, she says.
The TV and radio presenter is then joined by her surprise blind date Dan, where they introduce themselves and seem to connect straight away!
They now prepare to see if it really is love at first bite.
They both sit down at the table and start tucking into the winning dish. Maya laughs with her mouth full of food and with a natural approach says, “is it rude to talk with my mouth full”
At the table, Maya’s date Dan asked, “do you get the chance to date very often”, with Maya jokingly responded “no I don’t really date, ever. Most of the time I’m too paranoid to meet up with somebody I don’t know, so I’ll get my friends to do a massive CRB check on them and find out their mums last name and stuff”.
Highlighting her dating vulnerability, Dan was impressed with her presence and noted that she was up for a laugh, which he enjoyed!
Dan went on to ask his celebrity date, “what’s a big no no on a date for you?” with Maya swiftly stating, “just rudeness and if we can’t have a laugh… or I’m doing all the talking”.
The couple giggle together and Dan shares a cheeky smile.
Asking Maya what impresses her on her date, she replies “I like someone to make me laugh and I like someone who doesn’t get put off by my disgusting chat.”
Maya then explains that she is quite “boisterous” so if her dates are not put off by that then that’s great.
Finally, Maya finishes the video saying that she was impressed by her date, “the conversation was flowing, he was polite and nice” and she had no complaints!
The video explores if love can be possible at first bite through a connection over cuisine, creating a unique scenario and of course the right amount of physical attraction.
With grub the key to getting the guy or girl, according to the survey, more than half believe that someone liking the same dishes and flavours as them makes them more attractive.
17 per cent feel so passionate about it, that they would not go out with someone with different tastes – even if they were a millionaire.
When questioned, respondents declared that they were more likely to judge what is on their dates plate than their shoes, what car they drive and how much money they make!
Incredibly, 30 per cent stated that food was more important to them than sex (17 per cent).
The research also found that a quarter said the person being compatible with them when it comes to food has a strong bearing on whether a date is going well.
