“WOT’S all the fuss about?” asks Hugo Smith as he tucks into the snack which helped him learn to eat again following a major throat operation.

After being born prematurely with a rare and life-threatening disorder of the oesophagus, Hugo had to undergo an operation in his first year of life to correct the abnormality.

The procedure meant Hugo had to rely on a stomach tube for food – that is until his parents made a surprise discovery at their Bridlington home.

Kim, his mother said: “I had opened a bag of Wotsits and his eyes lit up. I handed him one and he opened his mouth and took a big bite.

“I expected him to spit it out but he was grinning from ear to ear.

“It was like he finally plucked up the courage to try solid food and thankfully he liked the taste.”

Now on solids, the prognosis for two-year-old Hugo is good, and doctors have removed the tube from his stomach which had previously been used to feed him.

Kim said: “His favourite meal is spaghetti bolognese, with a bag of Wotsits for afters.”