MY hero of the week has to be Captain Wayne Keble, skipper of the Royal Navy warship HMS Bulwark.

Anyone who uses such power for good – by banning Brussels sprouts on his ship because they’re “The Devil’s vegetable” – deserves to be promoted to Admiral.

Interestingly, sprouts never made it on to the list of Britain’s most disliked foods, which was headed by the Devil’s offal... tripe.

I don’t even think it’s the fact that this slimy dish derives from the stomach lining of a cow or pig.

It’s the look of the stuff. Let’s face it, if somebody dropped a load of it on our local beaches, they’d have to evacuate the area, bring in the marine experts and someone would make an 18-rated film out of it.

In second place came snails, which I have almost enjoyed on regular trips to France.

They may feel like you’re chewing a pencil rubber, but smothered in garlic, the taste is fairly palatable. (Mind you, you could smother a wellington boot in garlic and probably get away with it).

In third place comes oysters. Again, it’s the consistency and look which puts people off, although I defy anyone seeking its aphrodisiac qualities to eat more than one.

I, for one, would want a guarantee that I would be rightfully crowned Britain’s Love God if I had to down a dozen of the things.

Black pudding came in fourth and if you don’t think too hard about its origin, a full English breakfast without it is unthinkable.

Crab sticks? Children love them and whatever you think about their constituent elements, they’ve surely got to be healthier than crisps.

In seventh, tenth and 17th places respectively come the bane of every primary school pupil in the 50s, 60s and 70s.

Dinner ladies at my school were experts at the creation of sago, tapioca and semolina.

Usually the consistency of wallpaper paste and twice as bonding, the lovely ladies would try to make it appear – and taste – more palatable by flopping a spoonful of jam in the middle.

The trick was then to mix it all into a pink mush and, if you were brave or foolhardy enough, eat it.

It is quite possible that the reason why my generation is living much longer is that the ingestion of sago and tapioca has made us immune to many life-threatening diseases.

Also included in the list were Spam (does anyone not remember the glorious Spam fritter?), mussels (moules mariniere anyone?) and peanut butter, the staple of many children’s lunchboxes.

Oddly, there is no mention of the single most detestable taste in the known universe.

Marzipan.

Ideas are welcomed, but any vegetarians using it as a means of criticising meat-eaters amongst us should note that tofu, the great taste of papier mache, is also on that list.