Sitophilia is the ‘primal’ fetish more than a third of Brits are keen to try

Our sexual fetishes typically play out in the bedroom, but there’s one fetish on the rise which starts in supermarkets.

It turns out more than a third of Brits (34%) are looking to use food items to spice things up between the sheets, with 45% saying they believe food can be just as sensual as sex toys.

Food play, otherwise known as sitophilia, is an ‘accessible, low-barrier, playful’ way to spice up your sex life, sexual therapist Courtney Boyer tells Metro.

‘You don’t need special equipment, and it can feel less intimidating than impact play or restraint,’ she adds. ‘It’s got great “dip your toe in” energy.’

And online supermarket Ocado has certainly seen the enthusiasm for this beginner fetish reflected in their food sales, with certain phallic items flying off the shelves.

Take ridge cucumbers (you know the ones with the little bumps on the outside) which have seen a 178% in sales in recent weeks.

But it’s also lickable food items that are soaring in popularity. Take honey, which has seen a 509% surge in sales, of whipped cream which has seen a 24% surge, according to the supermarket.

Perhaps as a makeshift massage oil, or lube, multiple brands of coconut oil have seen sales surge by a whopping 599%. Brits are clearly oiled up and ready to indulge.

Other edible indulgences which customers said they were likely to use when opting for some food play were peaches (sales increase by 77%), cherries (increased by 84%), and melon (which increased by 97%).

It all points to Brits trying their hand at sitophilia, especially since all the above items are on the list of the most popular food items people told Ocado they would reach for when having sex.

Food play is a common request for sex worker Melissa Todd, too, who has seen one client masturbate on a block of stilton cheese and another wrap their penis in a sandwich, using clingfilm to hold it in place.

Where did food play come from?

It certainly isn’t a new fetish on the block, though, it’s actually pretty darn old in the sexual playbook.

‘Food and eroticism have been intertwined for thousands of years,’ Courtney explains. ‘Ancient cultures, including the Greeks and Romans, linked feasting, pleasure, and sexuality in both ritual and social life.

‘Indulgence was sensory and communal. Look at the evidence in art: reclining bodies, grapes, wine, honey. While “food play” was never a named historical kink, the pairing of taste, touch, and desire demonstrates that humans have long eroticized what nourishes us.’

As for why it’s always been so erotic, Courtney says food lights up the same sensory pathways as sex.

‘Taste, smell, texture, anticipation, gratification — it’s primal,’ she adds. ‘Feeding and being fed can feel intimate, nurturing, even power-infused depending on the dynamic.

‘Throw in taboo (food “not meant” for sex), messiness, and sensory overload, and it can heighten vulnerability and presence in the body.’

It tracks, given nearly half (45%) of Brits feel flavours and textures of food can heighten intimacy. And Courtney even suggests the eroticism starts in the supermarket, rather than the bedroom.

‘That private-public contrast can be a turn-on by creating a shared secret. Anticipation builds while you’re in an ordinary setting, adding those items to your shopping basket, which heightens arousal,’ she explains.

‘You’re essentially co-authoring a fantasy in plain sight. Seeming “normal” on the outside, but charged on the inside.’

Getting started with food play

Trying something new in the bedroom can feel overwhelming, but Courtney’s first piece of advice is to not over-complicate it.

‘Keep it simple, low-mess, body-safe,’ she says. ‘Feeding each other by hand or mouth, using syrups or creams to drizzle along the body, can be a great place to start.’

She even suggests adding a blindfold into the mix, which can make it even more erotic because you’re deprived of one of your senses, or trying temperature play, by chilling grapes beforehand, which can make your skin more sensitive.

Even with something as beginner as food play, Courtney stresses the importance of basics, too.

‘Consent and aftercare still matter even with “playful” kinks. Remember to discuss boundaries, clean-up expectations, and comfort levels with mess,’ she says.

‘It’s good to remember towels, protect sheets, and keep it body-safe. The goal isn’t performance. It’s shared pleasure, curiosity, and connection.’

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