Mister D chef David Griffiths reckons the Rolling Stones offer culinary inspiration.
He chats to Mark Story ahead of this year's Winter F.A.W.C!
What does Mister D have planned for Winter F.A.W.C!?
For the last four years we've based its Winter F.A.W.C! event theme around a Rolling Stones album. A little history on the origin of the name Mister D comes from the first song on the Goats Head Soup, Dancing with Mister D. Prue being a Rolling Stones fan from way back came up with it. [I have a 4 piece rock band called 3 Shots to the Head so I cook up a storm then play with the band a rock set featuring songs from the chosen album. Taking a food theme from one of the songs or from the album name.
This year we are featuring the album Some Girls celebrating 40 years since its release in 1978 the year I started cooking!! We start with arrival drinks and canapes then sit down to a 4 course dinner featuring food from French, Italian, English and American cuisines with the band coming on for fun and dancing from 9.30. Dress up is optional but our regulars get into it. Come as your favourite "Some Girl or Guy" 70's disco dress theme.
Our event is on Sunday, June 3.
Ray McVinnie last year told me the event was not just a national coup,
but an international one for the region. Do you agree?
We'll see if we can carry on to international focus but we do have groups of regulars from around the country who make an annual pilgrimage to the Winter F.A.W.C! festival so definitely a coup for the region on a national basis.
What does Winter F.A.W.C! offer that Summer F.A.W.C! doesn't?
I think just having the promotion over a longer time gives people a bigger chance to make the choices that suit them, whether a high end fine dining/wine event or a fun beer tasting. And it is positioned at a quieter time of year for the industry so we at Mister D put a lot of energy into making our event memorable whereas the Summer F.A.W.C! at the restaurant we are busy focusing on the up coming summer season.
Mister D's doughnuts are now a regional icon. Where did the idea of
injecting doughnuts come from?
I knew I needed a hook to get wide appeal to all ages and I wanted the doughnut to be a feature of the casual coffee trade we wanted to attract so as I was working on the doughnut recipe I wondered how Keith Richards might enjoy his fillings served!?
