Violet Mclaren, 47, joint owner of The Victoria pub, tells us about her life with food

Do you cook a lot yourself? What is your failsafe dish?

I love cooking but don’t get any time to do it these days. My failsafe dish would be vegetable lasagne served with salad. I also bake very nice shortbread!

Where do you like to eat out? How often?

I love Italian food – especially Rustico’s. I also like Indian food, Ruchi’s do some great vegetarian specials. I eat out a couple of times a week on average.

What do you always hope to find on a menu? For starter? Main course? Dessert?

Starter would be salad, main course pasta and dessert anything chocolate!

Which foods did you hate as a child? Do you eat them now?

I hated fish, especially served in some sort of sauce. I still don’t eat it.

What is your favourite drink? Alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

My favourite alcoholic drink is Brew Dog beer at the moment. Non-alcoholic is Diet Coke.

Marmite: yes or no?

Definitely YES

What is your guilty pleasure when it comes to food... something you know you shouldn’t eat, but do anyway?

Beyond a shadow of a doubt – chips!

You are on your own at home watching a film. What is you snack of choice?

Crisps. I’ve recently discovered Haggis flavour, which is delicious.

You are eating a bacon sandwich...ketchup, brown sauce or nothing at all?

I don’t eat bacon so it would have to be nothing at all!