Britain’s appetite for odd-sounding food pairings appears to be growing, with Pot Noodle sandwiches emerging as the country’s top offbeat favourite in a survey commissioned by Creams Café. The study found that 43% of respondents would try the carb-heavy combination, while 39% said they would go for chips dipped into a milkshake, suggesting that once-ridiculed mash-ups have moved further into the mainstream.

Other combinations that found some favour included chocolate with avocado and cereal with orange juice, each attracting support from just over a third of those asked. Britons also showed a willingness to embrace tuna melts with pineapple, peanut butter on burgers and popcorn with hot sauce, although some pairings still crossed the line for many, including Marmite with banana, banana with mayonnaise and ice cream with gravy.

Creams Café says that changing tastes are helping to fuel interest in its latest menu experiment, Froffle Toast, a hybrid of French toast and waffles that has become its best-selling brunch item. According to the company’s menu and launch details, the dish is now being sold nationwide in several versions, including sweet and savoury options such as Classic Maple, Apple Crunch and Chicken Teriyaki, with warm custard for dessert variants and the brand’s own sauce for the savoury ones.

The chain is also moving to protect the name, apparently mindful of how viral food inventions can be copied once they catch on. Its campaign has gone beyond the restaurant, with billboards promoting the idea that the product may not stay exclusive for long. Everett Fieldgate, of Creams Café, said the findings showed Britons are more adventurous than they are often given credit for, adding that the new dish was designed to be unusual enough to spark conversation but familiar enough to tempt people in.