The chef at the centre of a lawsuit with Jay Z has accused the rapper of taking legal action in a bid to get his hands on a secret recipe.
The hip-hop star is suing Mike Shand, who previously organised food for both Jay Z and his wife Beyonce on tour, over a dispute relating to the New York City branch of the rapper's 40/40 bar and restaurant chain.
Legal papers, filed at a Manhattan court, allege Shand "failed to perform on significant aspects" of a deal to spice up the menu and state "the club has not been able to adequately replace the items and services (the) defendant was paid to provide."
Shand's lawyer, Vik Pawar, has now revealed the $1.5 million (£937,500) legal battle erupted because Shand refused to hand over the secret recipe for his popular spice mix.
Pawar tells New York Post gossip column Page Six, "The spice mix recipe that Mike developed is his own recipe. 40/40 terminated him, then had the audacity to sue him for his recipes. He gave them all apart from this spice mix because it is his own. Mike had a wonderful relationship with Jay Z and Beyonce for many years."