Rapper Professor Green, known for hits like "I Need You Tonight" and "Just Be Good to Green," has opened up about his kitchen habits in Metro's food series "What's Cooking." The 42-year-old, whose real name is Stephen Manderson, shared his unusual food pairings, budget buys, and the story behind his new fast food venture, Proper Good Fast Food, which recently launched in Soho.
Unusual Eats and Childhood Favourites
Professor Green admitted to enjoying an unconventional combination: ice cream and Yorkshire puddings. He described it as "a working-class profiterole," which he eats whenever he has made too many Yorkshires, pairing them with good vanilla ice cream. He also suggested it would work with miso caramel drizzled on top.
His childhood favourite is roast dinners, a meal he associates with being brought up by his Nan in a working-class environment. He noted that there wasn't much education around food and money was tight, so meals were "quite beige" apart from the Sunday roast. Beef roasts remain his favourite meal to this day.
Fridge, Cupboard, and Freezer Staples
In his fridge, Professor Green always keeps Candy Kittens, specifically the sour ones. He admitted he had never seen anyone put a jellied sweet in the fridge before meeting the mother of his son, but found it makes them more enjoyable, comparing the effect to how temperature affects the enjoyment of Coca-Cola.
His store cupboard is stocked with pickles, which he and his son enjoy eating straight from the jar. He also likes pickles on burgers and pairs them with just about anything.
In the freezer, alongside frozen bolognese (made using a recipe by Gizzi Erskine), he keeps ice packs for his "man parts." He explained that he uses special sauna pants with compartments for these sterile ice pack disks, as he saunas almost every day and the heat can cause damage to swimmers.
Splurging and Saving at the Supermarket
Professor Green spends the most on meat, including beef from Turner & George and pistachio mortadella from Eataly. He also mentioned a Norwegian company called SKANDL, which sells £24 sirloin from cattle raised on a diet of grass and chocolate, calling it "ridiculous, but it tastes incredible."
On the other end, he prefers own-brand sardines from Asda, which cost 75p. He criticised the gentrification of sardines, saying, "A sardine is a f***ing sardine; as long as it's responsibly sourced, that's all I care about." He sees no need to spend £7 on a tin just because of good branding.
From Chance Meeting to Fast Food Venture
The idea for Proper Good Fast Food came from a chance meeting at Arcade food hall in the West End, where he ran into Eddie Dua from Hero Brands, the company behind GDK. They discussed doing something together, and it turned out Hero Brands had just taken over a salad chain that needed a rebrand. The business was initially called Pro Greens before they settled on PG Fast Food, aiming to challenge people's idea of what fast food could be.
Professor Green recommends the Ice Grapes and the dish called Unicorn, which features Ice Grapes topped with white chocolate sauce, rainbow drops, and boba. He also enjoys eating at Roe in Canary Wharf and loves the roasts at Blacklock, particularly their white chocolate cheesecake.
For quick meals, he keeps Daylesford Thai chicken or beef bone broth, or their minestrone, in the freezer, calling them lifesavers that stop him from ordering something unhealthy after 10pm.
