Where did I go wrong with my fussy eater children?

Roast potato-gate leaves Will Gore hanging his head in shame

A life in taters: the humble roast spud can riven even the most loving of families (Getty/iStock)

On a long car journey last week, my son and I began a discussion about our favourite pasta sauces. It was, I suggested, hard to beat a really good bolognese – one baked for hours in the oven, made with soffritto and plenty of plonk. The eight-year-old in the back was unimpressed, despite spag bol being his regular Friday tea for most of his life. Carbonara or puttanesca were his top two, with pesto nudging into third spot above bolognese and a plain tomato sauce.

As a favourite five, that seemed decent, though I made a plea for a sausage, fennel and broccoli combo, and argued that the tomato sauce would benefit from the addition of some chilli. If the pasta is freshly made, I’d also be very happy with a simple butter and sage sauce. The boy thought he’d give it a try.

Had you heard this greedy conversation, you might think my son was an adventurous gourmand, eager to try new flavours, and excited by the glorious culinary possibilities offered by the world. And were he an Italian bambino, scoffing pasta or pizza for every meal, your impression might be borne out.