Ryan Giggs: "Cook? We Have Chefs And Butlers For That"

David Blake 18 March 2015

UNITED golden boy and part-owner of Old Trafford's new £24m Hotel Football, Ryan Giggs, made a surprise appearance at the Northern Restaurant and Bar Show 2015 in Manchester Central today.

Myself, Gary and Michael have always wanted Cafe Football to be more than just another sports cafe"

Giggs joined Michelin-starred chef Michael Wignall, Creative Director of Giggs and Gary Neville's Cafe Football restaurants (also of Surrey's two-star Latymer restaurant) on stage during a Chef Live demo at the two-day hospitality trade show.

"Do you cook at home, Ryan?" asked Wignall.

"Me? Cook? Nah. Everybody knows footballers have chefs and butlers for that," replied Giggs with a wink.

"He's much better with his feet than his hands," quipped Wignall.

Saucy.

While Wignall cracked on with a very handsome Yellowfish tuna dish seasoned with Spanish 'Moon Salt' (harvested 'strictly beneath a full moon in Spain', according to Wignall, by albino werewolves presumably), Giggs wisely stood back and answered our questions.

Giggs and Wiggs pack out the Chef Live area at NRB 2015

Why had he and Neville decided to take the plunge into hospitality?

"Quite simply, we needed something to do after football," said Giggs. "Both myself and Gary posess the drive to be successful in everything we do, whether that's on the pitch or in the new business, the determination is still there.

"The Hotel Football and Cafe Football idea has been six or seven years in the making," continued Giggs, "It's just that I carried on playing for longer than I thought I would."

Does he worry people will assume Cafe Football, by name alone, to be a low-quality, pukka-pie type sports caf'?

"Myself, Gary and Michael have always wanted Cafe Football to be more than just another sports cafe. That's one of the reasons we're so glad to have Michael and his Michelin star credentials on board.

"People in Manchester expect more now then they did ten to fifteen years ago," continued Giggs. "There's just so much more, so many more restaurants on offer, people aren't stupid; if you're not good enough people will figure you out."