Rolling Stones rocker Keith Richards insists on having the first portion of shepherd's pie when the band are eating together on tour.
Keith Richards almost cancelled a concert because of a shepherd's pie.
Former Stereophonics drummer Stuart Cable - who supported The Rolling Stones on a European tour - was amazed when the band's frontman Sir Mick Jagger warned him he was in trouble for helping himself to a portion of the mashed potato-topped treat before Keith had eaten.
Stuart revealed in his new book 'Demons and Cocktails': "I whacked several hefty spoonfuls onto my plate. Mick Jagger came in and stopped in his tracks and the pleasantness suddenly left his face, 'Who's eating that?'
"He said, 'Do you know the rules? You never, ever, take the shepherd's pie unless Keith's broken the crust first.' He twirled on his heels and said jokingly, 'Enjoy the show, boys. If there will be a show. I'm not sure if he'll go on after this.' At least I thought it was a joke."
Desperate to avoid a disaster, Stuart was ordered to take the pie back to the canteen to be "recrusted".
He explained: "Luckily, when I got to catering I knew the waitress. She took it back and shook her head slowly and muttered, 'Don't you know the rules?' But she soon went to work on it and re-laid the potato topping making it as good as new, even if it was a little thinner. Major world disaster averted."
Despite his attempts to conceal the pilfered pie, Stuart was confronted by Keith after the show.
He added: "Later that night we were invited to play pool with them. Suddenly Keith stopped the game in mid-stroke. The lines on his face were more prominent than normal. Then he potted the yellow, placed his cue down and wandered over to me, a joint dangling on the edge of his lips. 'You ate my shepherd's pie, didn't you?' he whispered." | 
