Credit: Michael Schofield
RAPPER Professor Green admits his appetite for music is only rivalled by his passion for good grub.
The chart-topping musician is now spinning a different type of plate after opening a takeaway business – with the very first branch launching in Glasgow.
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The rapper is excited to start his new venture Credit: Alamy
He picked Glasgow as his first location Credit: Michael Schofield
PG Fast Food opened in the city’s Byers Road last month and the 42-year-old has big plans for the franchise once he gets into a rhythm.
The Read All About It hitmaker, real name Stephen Manderson, reckons there’s a lot of similarities between lyricists and chefs.
He said: “A lot of people know me for food now. I had to start a separate Instagram for food posts because my love of roast dinners was getting more likes than my new songs.
“I genuinely have more chefs than rappers in my phone contacts. It’s a lot of the same energy as with music. I’ve had a hand in everything, from increasing the acidity in items, to the graphics, the looks, the feel, the menu.
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The UFO burgers are popular with customers already Credit: Michael Schofield
He reckons food and music go together perfectly Credit: Michael Schofield
“I’ve enjoyed being right under the hood and in the DNA of the place.”
He added: “Food and music go together. Chefs love rappers and musicians, and musicians love food and chefs.
“So it works really, really well. I just did a second sold out, ‘I used to rave, but now I roast’ event.
“We had two Michelin-starred chefs and we did a five-course roast dinner with music paired. And we ended up with people on the tables dancing at both.
“Pairing food and music is great because it means I get to indulge in two of my passions at the same time, and so does everyone who comes.
“There’s going to be a lot more to come and PG Fast Food is always going to be intrinsically linked with music.”
The new food spot has seen Green partner with Hero Brands – an East Kilbride firm known for the likes of German Doner Kebab and The Sidemen’s hot chicken brand, Sides.
Despite just opening their first shop, they hope to open another spot in Glasgow’s George Street, before heading to London in the summer.
The menu features unique options such as the trademark UFO burgers, where customers can fill their brioche buns with choices like miso salmon, pot roast beef or all-day cheesy beano.
While there’s also a range of innovative sides and ‘dirty sodas’ to offer something for everyone’s tastes.
The MC believes Glasgow is the perfect launchpad for his brand – especially as it means he’ll be spending more time in his favourite city.
He said: “Glasgow’s got real people, and we’re real food. We’re very culture driven and there is a real strong culture in Glasgow. There’s a grit to it.
“This is my first bricks and mortar and I’m glad we picked this location. You can tell there’s history here, but it’s also residential, it’s got a uni, it has tourists.
“I’ll be getting stuck in, doing activations and making sure that there’s a reason to be here.
“We want to keep introducing people to it and we want to make sure people are coming back.
“There’s a lot of interest around it already just by way of social media and stuff. And I think the brand and the aesthetic of it has made it quite easy for us online because people really take to it.”
But don’t expect him to be cooking much unless there’s a staffing crisis.
He jokes: “I do cook a lot at home. I like doing the simple things well and don’t mind getting my hands dirty.
“But the chefs are not going to want me getting in the way when it gets busy, I’ll tell you that much, I’ll slow things down.”
Despite his schedule being stuffed with food related jobs, the rapper is still working on new music too.
He enjoys making tunes too much to take a break entirely.
Green — who appeared on ITV’s The Masked Singer as Teabag — said: “We dropped the track No Management four weeks ago. And there is another song on the way soon. I’ve got a song called All By Myself, which has got a Moby sample.
“Then there’s just loads more music throughout the year. It’s going to be a busy one.”
Appearing on Jamie Laing’s Great Company podcast in October, he revealed that he and ex-wife and Made in Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh had been diagnosed with ADHD.
The pair got hitched in 2013 and split three years later. He’s been single since his break-up with fiancée Karima McAdams in 2024 after welcoming son Slimane three years prior.
As a campaigner for mental health, the artist is always keen to promote wellbeing.
Meanwhile, helping people be physically fit is also a big priority. One of the reasons he wanted to start his own fast food chain was because he recognised there were so many unhealthy options.
Every time he was on the road, he tried to pick food that would keep him going rather than leave him feeling sluggish.
He said: “You need to look after yourself when you’re touring because it’s prime time to get ill.
“You’re never sleeping in the same bed twice, or not usually, and it can really get you down, so eating good food on the road is imperative.
“Fast food doesn’t have to be junk food at all and we’re going to prove that.
“We’re not sacrificing on flavour. You can come here and be as indulgent as you want, but that’s the great thing about it.
“If you’re coming here with your family, it’s not a case of having to go somewhere else because you want something healthier, or somewhere else because you want something more indulgent.
“You have a sliding scale of indulgence, so it’s like the best of both worlds. If you want to be good, you can still be good.”
However, don’t expect the rapper to make a rule that his takeaways need to play his music.
He quipped: “I’m not Kanye West when it comes to that. I tend to kind of hide when people play my music, however flattering it is.
“It’ll be fun just letting stuff play on the playlist sometimes. Maybe we can just drop in something that hasn’t been released yet on the playlist and see what happens, see if anyone catches it.”