WATCH: Neil Morrissey helps out as new chef arrives at his Stafford pub
It's not every day you get your food prepared by a renowned actor of stage and screen, but then again, it's not every day that such a star launches a new menu and head chef at his pub in Stafford.
Stafford-born Neil Morrissey, aged 54, bought the Plume of Feathers pub, Barlaston, in March 2015, with a £400,000 make over transforming the former slightly worse-for-wear venue into a modern, chic gasto-pub.
Morrissey was hard at work in the kitchen on Thursday, helping to prepare the first in a five course meal taken from his newly launched menu.
His Heritage tomatoes, the creation of new head chef, Bruce Mackie, combined the unusual wasabi mascarponi with toasted pine nuts and basil with a side of toasted bruschetta.
Gressingham duck was to follow, constructed from a traditional Staffordshire oatcake, made into a kind of crêpe filled to the brim with beautifully cooked duck.
Spotted Loch Duart salmon provided the third course, swiftly followed by the main event, the Morrissey blonde ale pie, with a trio of desserts to finish.
Speaking of his time in the kitchen, Morrisey said: "The pressure is on in there, I can tell you.
"It's a lot easier learning lines.
"The work surfaces are so low in there for me because I'm so tall. In my own house I have a built up work surface but in there I was practically bent up double! The chefs are a lot shorter than me though so for them it's perfect."
Morrissey, who is perhaps best known for his character Tony of 1990s classic Men Behaving Badly, has recently appeared in hit TV dramas Line of Duty and the Night Manager. In the pub though, he's just another hands-on member of the team.
Bar supervisor Becky Hiley said: "Neil has really brought us all together. He's involved in all the decisions we make and is very keen to find out what's going on and whether the customers are happy."
Morrissey even has his own blonde ale running at the pub, which is very much the best seller. It's even used in the special Morrissey blonde ale pie, which was very much the star of the show, served with creamy mash, chargrilled broccoli and roasted carrots.
Morrissey said: "It's quite possibly my most favourite beer in the world.
"Everything we do here is with the aim of bringing good food and good beer to the people. What is more Midlands than that?"
For more information on Plume of Feathers, visit www.plumeoffeathersbarlaston.co.uk or call 01782 373100.
