'Straight From Hell': The Pantry Food Paul Hollywood Can't Stand

The Great British Bake Off introduced American viewers to many new culinary treasures when it first premiered: Steamed puddings, fruity tarts, sweet biscuits, and, of course, Paul Hollywood. The English chef quickly won over fans with his handshakes, bread-making skills, and playful grouchiness, and while he pretends to be hard to please, he's usually quite agreeable when judging the contestants' dishes. However, Hollywood has also revealed one thing he vehemently dislikes: Pickles.

Hollywood shared his hatred of the pantry item in a video posted on Instagram, where he commented, "As far as I'm concerned, they're straight from hell. I think they're absolutely disgusting ... they look terrible as well. It's not human food at all." Hollywood gave several reasons for his aversion to pickles, including their texture, which he likened to that of a slug. He also apparently hates their slimy appearance and shape, but as he explained further in the video, there's one element of pickles that he despises the most: Their juice.

It seems that Paul Hollywood's hatred goes all the way through the jar, with the chef saying that he also hates pickle juice. Not only does he shiver at the idea of sipping the juice straight, but he is also disgusted by the use of pickle juice in cocktails.

Pickle juice has been paired with alcohol for a while now, with the history of the pickleback whiskey shot dating back to 2006. It is also sometimes added to vodka drinks, margaritas, and even seltzers –- which we can't imagine would be Hollywood's drink of choice. Another trend that grinds his gears is mixing pickle juice with cola, which was popularized by singer Dua Lipa in a TikTok video earlier this year.

Hollywood said that he had heard about the trend and thought that it wasn't right, adding that those who try it "must have no taste buds at all". To summarize it all up, he said that drinking pickle juice in any form would be a terrible experience for him. If Hollywood's reaction is any indication, at least next year's Great British Bake Off contestants will know one ingredient to steer clear of!