The One Food Patrick Stewart Was Repulsed By Truly Is Divisive: 'They're Slimy And Old-Tasting'

Sir Patrick Stewart, who died on October 29, 2026, would have been a legend even if he never had his most famous roles of Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and Professor Xavier in the "X-Men" films. Beginning his theatrical career in the late 1960s, he was an esteemed Shakespearean actor, whose regal bearing and sonorous baritone commanded the stage. Whether he was playing an avuncular Nazi in "Green Room" or voicing a pompous sheep in "The Sheep Detectives," he lent gravitas to every word — even if, as in one interview with Bon Appétit, he was just complaining about mushrooms.

In fairness to the man, he was a little more specific than that. When asked what food he found repulsive, he made sure to say it was cooked mushrooms that attracted his ire. "They're slimy and old-tasting," he said, in what we're sure was an exquisitely disdainful deadpan. It's true that cooked mushrooms have a rather polarizing reputation, with some people being disgusted by the texture and others by their earthy taste. For those of us who have a taste for fungi, however, they're a wonderful source of deep umami flavor.

It is interesting that Sir Patrick Stewart professed a distaste for mushrooms, considering he had an appreciation for another savory acquired taste. He loved Marmite, a divisive old-school condiment made from yeast extract. He attributed his affinity for the unique spread to his English background. On the other hand, "My wife would rather think it's not in her kitchen," he told Bon Appétit, which makes sense given that his wife, singer Sunny Ozell, is from the United States.

Proving himself as a true Englishman, Stewart also showed a fondness for beans on toast, a decidedly English dish that is often roundly mocked online. Part of the reason the simple meal became popular is because World War II rationing didn't completely end in the United Kingdom until 1954. Affordable dishes like beans on toast (or Paul McCartney's favorite childhood sandwich, a sugar butty) became nostalgic staples for a generation.