My Guilty Pleasure: Declan Maxwell’s trio of wings, sundaes and pick’n’mix

The SMS Luna manager takes a break from fine food every Monday evening


Throughout Food Month we will have a daily “Guilty Pleasure” feature where well-known faces share their secret treats, from the delicious to the daring to the downright strange. You can win a great prize if your share your guilty pleasure with us. See below for details

“Anybody who knows me knows I like to take care of myself and my health, but we all have to fall off that wagon sometimes.

I have a few guilty pleasures and they can all be done in one sitting. Every Monday evening I go to the cinema. Before we head there, we normally go to Avenue in Maynooth and have a big bowl of juicy, messy chicken wings.

By the time we get to the movie in Liffey Valley, there is enough room made for a large sundae from Ben and Jerry’s; three different ice cream flavours, whipped cream and a choice of toppings – just a little throwback to being a child in the Beehive cafe in Ennis, where you could get a sundae or banana split. Finally, pick’n’mix stands always attract me. It’s all about the visual – all those pretty colours, even though I know they are full of sugar and E numbers. I just can’t resist grabbing a scoop and filling a bag.

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“Because I work around fine food all the time and eat a healthy and balanced diet at home, it feels good to be a devil sometimes, especially in a dark room like the cinema, so I don’t feel so bad thinking nobody can see me.”

Declan Maxwell is manager of SMS Luna

To win an overnight stay for two with breakfast at Kelly's Hotel in Dublin plus dinner for two at L'Gueuleton French bistro, just tell us about your guilty pleasure. Whether it's tasty and tempting or odd and embarrassing, we want to hear about it. Email your entry plus your name and phone number to guilty@irishtimes.com and the winner will be announced at the end of Food Month.

November is Food Month in The Irish Times. You will find food-related content in all of our sections. We will also have reader events, competitions and lots of exclusive content at irishtimes.com/food