This is a very interesting topic. I'm a bit of an amateur food historian. Margarine has had a grip on the way we bake in this country for many years. It really took hold during the war and the austerity afterwards. Then it really got a boost in the 60s with the rise of TV advertising and the refrigerator. It is easy to be critical but a whole generation was brought up on these messages.

Once a product has got into the store cupboard and has a strong brand it is hard to dislodge from the market. In some ways what it tastes like is besides the point as taste is endlessly malleable. Often we buy the idea of a product more than the reality. Now we buy butter with the same the same regard for a positive image, whilst not thinking about some of the consequences in terms of agricultural practice. Personally I would use vegetable oil.