Why Paul Hollywood Hates Pickles

In cooking and baking competitions, you would expect the judges to be impartial when evaluating the foods they sample. The job requires a certain amount of objectivity along with a refined palate. That's not always the case on "The Great British Bake Off," however, where Paul Hollywood is one half of the judging team, and his preferences strongly influence what the contestants ultimately create. Case in point: In a 2020 episode of the show, the competitors were tasked with creating steamed buns. Two of the chefs came up with hamburger-style bao buns as their entries, but due to Hollywood's aversion to pickles (or gherkins, as the British call them), the cooks had to accommodate and produce pickle-free versions of their dishes in order to try and win the picky judge's favor. 

Hollywood doesn't just dislike pickles ... he truly despises them. He made no qualms about his loathing for pickled cucumbers on an Instagram video posted to the official GBBO account, where he declared, "As far as I'm concerned, they're straight from hell." Tell us how you really feel, Paul. And he does, going on to say that he thinks "they're absolutely disgusting" and "not human food at all." 

The reasons Hollywood hates the brined cukes so profoundly have a lot to do with how they look and feel. He can't stand what he calls their "terrible" appearance or their texture. He compares pickles to looking like slugs and surmises that "they probably taste like slugs" too.

Paul Hollywood doesn't just avoid eating pickles; he thinks pickle juice is gross too. He considers using pickle juice to flavor margaritas and other cocktails to be "really not right," and said that drinking it raw would be the "worst thing in the world" (per Instagram). He'd probably find the viral pickles and Dr Pepper drink trend just as abhorrent. 

The thing is: There are many unexpected ways to use leftover pickle brine. If you're not repelled by it like Hollywood, the liquid is an excellent marinade for meat and tofu, or as a tangy salad dressing base. For that matter, pickle brine does wonders for homemade bread, both because of its complementary dill flavor as well as the vinegar's ability to interact with yeast and improve the dough's rise. Aside from its culinary uses, pickle juice is an underrated hydration powerhouse thanks to its electrolyte content.

We'd almost feel bad for Hollywood if his gripe had not interfered with the contestant's quest for Star Baker. After all, pickles are delicious! When fellow judge Prue Leith had to taste a dish containing baked beans (which she hates), the show's fans perceived Hollywood's response as hypocritical in telling her "to be open-minded" about it. Ever the grand dame, Leith replied with, "Exactly, we have to taste it like we have no prejudices at all" (via The Metro). As far as biases go, pickles aren't even his only problem — Paul Hollywood also hates Twinkies.