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Gordon Ramsay, Celeb Chef of the Millennium

From Wikipedia:
Gordon Ramsay
Born                                                                                        
  • Gordon James Ramsay
  • 8 November 1966 (age 44)
  • Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland 
Cooking style
French/Italian/British

Education
North Oxfordshire Technical College

Spouse
Tana Ramsay (1996–present)

Official website
http://www.gordonramsay.com/

Gordon James Ramsay, OBE (born 8 November 1966)[1] is a Scottish chef, television personality and restaurateur.[2] He has been awarded a total of 12 Michelin Stars[3] and, in 2001, became one of only three chefs in the United Kingdom to hold three Michelin stars at one time;[4]only Joël Robuchon and Alain Ducasse have been awarded more.[5]


Ramsay is known for presenting TV programmes about competitive cookery and food, such as the British series Hell's Kitchen, The F Word, and Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, along with the U.S. versions of Hell's Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, and MasterChef.



Contents

[hide]
1 Early life
2 Football career
2.1 Rangers revisited
3 Early cooking career
4 Head chef
5 Awards
6 Gordon Ramsay Holdings
7 Television
7.1 Guest appearances
7.2 Legal proceedings
8 Public image and reception
8.1 Personality
8.2 Food views
8.3 Other chefs
9 Personal life
9.1 Charity work
9.2 Near death experience
9.3 Accusations of infidelity
9.4 Pre-prepared meal controversy
10 Restaurants
10.1 United Kingdom
10.2 International
11 Filmography
12 Notable television appearances
13 Bibliography
14 References
15 Further reading
16 External links

[edit]Early life


Ramsay was born in Johnstone, Scotland,[6] and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, England from the age of 5.[7] Ramsay's father was, at various times, a swimming pool manager, a welder, and a shopkeeper, and his mother and sister were nurses.[8] Ramsay has described his early life as "hopelessly itinerant", as his family moved constantly due to the aspirations and failures of his father. In 1976, they finally settled in Stratford-upon-Avon where he grew up in the Bishopton area of the town. In past public interviews, Ramsay has declined to describe his father as an alcoholic; however, his autobiography, Humble Pie,[8] describes his early life as being marked by abuse and neglect from this "hard-drinking womanizer".[8][9] At the age of 16, Ramsay moved out of the family house into a flat in Banbury.[10]
[edit]Football career


Ramsay played football and was first chosen to play under-14 football at age 12. He was chosen to play for Warwickshire. His football career was marked by a number of injuries, causing him to remark later in life, "Perhaps I was doomed when it came to football".[8] In mid-1984, Ramsay had a trial with Rangers, the club he supported as a boy. He seriously injured his knee, smashing the cartilage during training.[11] Ramsay continued to train and play on the injured knee, tearing a cruciate ligament during a squash game. He never fully recovered from the double injury.


Ramsay has in the past claimed to have played two first team games for Rangers [12], according to his autobiography Ramsay played "a couple of non-league matches as a trialist" for Rangers[13] and was signed by the club at the age of 15.[14] However, according to Rangers historians, there is no evidence he ever played for the Rangers first-team and he was never a signed player.[15]
[edit]Rangers revisited


In Season 4 Episode 12 of The F Word (originally aired on 29 July 2008),[16] Ramsay visited his old stomping grounds Ibrox, the home playing field of his favourite childhood team,Rangers, and exclaimed, "Home, Sweet Home" and said, "My dream came true when I was spotted in the mid-80s and I joined the youth team here in Ibrox." He related that one of his fondest memories is playing alongside one of Scotland's football legends, Ally McCoist, who said about Ramsay, "I remember him well and the one thing that never ever will change is that he's a competitive so-and-so and wants to do and be the best that he can." Ramsay recalled that, "the pain of being released on the back of an injury" was only assuaged many years later, "after receiving [his] third Michelin Star", and concluded that, "without the upset at Ibrox, I would not be the chef I am today."[17]
[edit]Early cooking career


By this time, Ramsay's interest in cooking had already begun, and rather than be known as "the football player with the gammy knee",[8] at age 19, Ramsay paid more serious attention to his culinary education. After weighing his options, Ramsay enrolled at North Oxfordshire Technical College, sponsored by the Rotarians, to study Hotel Management. He describes his decision to enter catering college as "an accident, a complete accident".[8]


In the late 1980s, he worked as a commis chef at the Wroxton House Hotel, then ran the kitchen and 60-seat dining room at the Wickham Arms, until his sexual relationship with the owner's wife made the situation difficult.[8][clarification needed] Ramsay then moved to London, where he worked in a series of restaurants until being inspired to work for the temperamentalMarco Pierre White at Harveys.[8]


After working at Harveys for two years and ten months, Ramsay, tired of "the rages and the bullying and violence", decided that the way to further advance his career was to study French cuisine. White discouraged Ramsay from taking a job in Paris, instead encouraging him to work for Albert Roux at Le Gavroche in Mayfair. (While at Le Gavroche, he met Jean-Claude Breton, now his maître d' at Royal Hospital Road.) After working at Le Gavroche for a year, Albert Roux invited Ramsay to work with him at Hotel Diva, a ski resort in the French Alps, as his number two. From there, Ramsay moved to Paris to work with Guy Savoy and Joël Robuchon, both Michelin-starred chefs. He continued his training in France for three years, before giving in to the physical and mental stress of the kitchens and taking a year to work as a personal chef on the private yacht Idlewild, based in Bermuda.[8]
[edit]Head chef


Upon his return to London in 1993, Ramsay was offered the position of head chef at La Tante Claire in Chelsea. Shortly thereafter, Marco White re-entered his life, offering to set him up with a head chef position and 10% share in the Rossmore, owned by White's business partners. The restaurant was renamed Aubergine and went on to win its first Michelin star fourteen months later. In 1997, Aubergine won its second Michelin star. Despite the restaurant's success, a dispute with Ramsay's business owners and Ramsay's dream of running his own restaurant led to his leaving the partnership in 1997.[8] In 1998, Ramsay opened his own restaurant in Chelsea, Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road, with the help of his father-in-law, Chris Hutcheson. The restaurant gained its third Michelin star in 2001, making Ramsay the first Scotsman to achieve that feat.[18]


From his first restaurant, Ramsay's empire has expanded rapidly, first opening Petrus, where six bankers famously spent over £44,000 on wine during a single meal in 2001,[19] thenAmaryllis in Glasgow (which he was later forced to close) and later Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's. Restaurants at the Dubai Creek and Connaught Hotels followed, the latter branded with his protégée, Angela Hartnett's, name. Ramsay has now begun opening restaurants outside the UK, beginning with Verre in Dubai. Gordon Ramsay at Conrad Tokyo and Cerise by Gordon Ramsay both opened in Tokyo in 2005, and in November, 2006, Gordon Ramsay at the London opened in New York City,[20] winning top newcomer in the city’s coveted Zagat guide, despite mixed reviews from professional critics.[21]


In 2007, Ramsay opened his first Irish restaurant, Gordon Ramsay at Powerscourt, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Powerscourt, Co. Wicklow, Ireland.[22] In May 2008 Ramsay opened his first U.S. west coast restaurant, in Los Angeles, California. Situated in the former Bel-Age hotel on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, the hotel has been renovated and re-named The London West Hollywood. The restaurant is called Boxwood. In 2010, Ramsay is expected to preside over the Savoy Grill at the newly re-opened Savoy Hotel.[23]
[edit]Awards


Ramsay is one of only four chefs in the UK to maintain three Michelin Stars for his restaurant (the others being Heston Blumenthal, Alain Ducasse and Alain Roux). He was appointedOBE in the 2006 honours list "for services to the hospitality industry".


In July 2006, Ramsay won the Catey award for "Independent Restaurateur of the Year", becoming only the third person to have won three Catey awards, the biggest awards of the UK hospitality industry. Ramsay's two previous Catey awards were in 1995 (Newcomer of the Year) and 2000 (Chef of the Year). The other two triple-winners are Michel Roux and Andrew and Jacquie Pern.


In September 2006, he was named as the most influential person in the UK hospitality industry in the annual Caterersearch 100 list, published by Caterer and Hotelkeeper magazine. He overtook Jamie Oliver, who had been top of the list in 2005.[24]


Also in 2006, Ramsay was nominated as a candidate for Rector at the University of St Andrews, but was beaten at the polls by Simon Pepper.[25] Despite a publicity campaign, Ramsay never visited St Andrews and did not appear in press interviews.


Ramsay's flagship restaurant, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, was voted London's top restaurant in food bible Harden's for eight years, but in 2008 was placed below Petrus, a restaurant run by former protégé Marcus Wareing.[26]
[edit]Gordon Ramsay Holdings


All of Ramsay's business interests (restaurants, media, consultancy) are held in the company Gordon Ramsay Holdings Limited. Run in partnership with his father-in-law Chris Hutcheson, Ramsay owns a 69% stake valued at £67m.[27]


Whereas previous ventures acted as a combined consultant/brand, in November 2006 Ramsay announced plans to create three restaurants in the United States in partnership with private equity firm Blackstone Group, who are refurbishing each of the chosen hotels into five star locations at a cost of £100M per hotel. At an investment of £3m per restaurant for the 10-year lease, all the restaurants offer the chef’s trademark modern European cuisine, and opened in 2006/2007 at:
Gordon Ramsay at the London Hotel in Manhattan, New York, October 2006[20]
Gordon Ramsay at the Cielo in Boca Raton, Florida
Gordon Ramsay at the London Hotel in West Hollywood, California


In late 2006 Gordon Ramsay Holdings purchased three London pubs which he converted into gastropubs. These are: The Narrow in Limehouse, which opened in March 2007, theDevonshire in Chiswick, which opened in October of that year and The Warrington in Maida Vale, which opened in February 2008.


Ramsay acts as a consultant to numerous catering organizations, and was recruited by Singapore Airlines as one of its "International Culinary Panel" consultants.[28]


In May 2008 it was confirmed that Ramsay's protégé of 15 years, Marcus Wareing was going solo having opened and operated Pétrus at The Berkeley Hotel on behalf of Gordon Ramsay Holdings since 2003.[29] With the name Pétrus owned by Gordon Ramsay Holdings, industry sources suggested it was likely to transfer to another restaurant in the group with the formerLa Noisette site identified as the most likely.[30]


As of June 2009, Gordon Ramsay Holdings is reported to be in severe financial difficulty after a financial audit by accounting firm KPMG.[31]


In April 2010, Jason Atherton, Executive chef of Maze restaurants worldwide resigned to open his own venue in Mayfair.[32]


On the 19th October 2010, the company Gordon Ramsay Holdings Limited has announced that Chris Hutcheson has left his position as CEO of Gordon Ramsay Holdings Ltd. No reason was given for his departure.[33]
[edit]Television


Ramsay's first foray in television was in two fly-on-the-kitchen-wall documentaries: Boiling Point (1998) and Beyond Boiling Point (2000).


Ramsay appeared on series three of Faking It in 2001 helping the prospective chef, a burger flipper named Ed Devlin, learn the trade. This episode won the 2001 BAFTA for "Best Factual TV Moment".[34][35]


In 2004, Ramsay appeared in two British television series. Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares aired on Channel 4, and saw the chef troubleshooting failing restaurants over a one week period. This series ran its fifth season in 2007. Hell's Kitchen was a reality show, which aired on ITV1, and saw Ramsay attempt to train ten British celebrities to be chefs, as they ran a restaurant on Brick Lane which opened to the public for the two-week duration of the show.


In May 2005, the FOX network introduced Ramsay to American audiences in a U.S. version of Hell's Kitchen produced by Granada Entertainment and A. Smith & Co. The show follows a similar premise as the original British series, showcasing Ramsay's perfectionism and infamous short temper. The show proved to be popular enough with audiences in the United States that, in August 2005, shortly following the Season 1 finale, Hell's Kitchen was picked up for a second season. The show is currently in its eighth season. In addition, Ramsay had also hosted a US version of Kitchen Nightmares which premiered on FOX 19 September 2007. The show's second season aired from September, 2008 to January, 2009; in September, 2008, Fox announced that Kitchen Nightmares would return for a third season which aired from January 2010 to May 2010.







Ramsay at BBC Gardeners' World Live 2008


Ramsay has presented four series of a food-based magazine programme titled The F-Word; it launched on Channel 4 on 27 October 2005. The show is organised around several key, recurring features, notably a brigade competition, a guest cook competition, a food related investigative report and a series-long project of raising animals to be served in the finale. The guest cook (usually a celebrity) prepares a dish of their own choosing and places it in competition against a similar dish submitted by Ramsay. The dishes are judged by diners who are unaware of who cooked which dish and, if the guest wins (as they have on numerous occasions), their dish is served at Ramsay's restaurant. Each series also features a series-long project of raising animals to be used as the main course in the series finale. In the first series of The F-Word, Ramsay mockingly named the turkeys he raised: Antony, Ainsley, Jamie, Delia, Gary and Nigella – all in reference to other famous celebrity chefs. During the second series, Ramsay named the two pigs that he was raising after Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine[36] who found the naming highly amusing.[37] In July 2006, Channel 4 announced that it had re-signed Ramsay to an exclusive four-year deal at the network, running until July 2011.[38] During the third series, Ramsay reared lambs that had been selected from a farm in North Wales and he named them after two Welsh celebrities, Charlotte Church and Gavin Henson. The series became one of the highest rated shows aired on Channel 4 each week.[39]


During one episode of The F-Word, Ramsay cooked in Doncaster Prison in Marshgate for its inmates. The chef was so impressed by the speed at which a prisoner, Kieron Tarff, chopped vegetables that he offered him a job at his restaurant following his release in 2007.[40]


On 25 March 2008, according to Australian newspaper The Herald Sun, Ramsay was announced to have started a reality TV show about building a restaurant in Crown CasinoMelbourne, Australia.[41]


In September 2009, it was reported that Ramsay is set to star in his own animation series, Gordon Ramsay, at Your Service after reaching a deal with Cuppa Coffee Studios.[42]


In 2010, Ramsay served as a producer and judge on the U.S version of MasterChef [43]


In 2010, Ramsay hosted the series Ramsay's Best Restaurant, which was the first UK series by Ramsay's own production company, One Potato Two Potato.
[edit]Guest appearances


In September 2005, Ramsay, along with Jamie Oliver, Heston Blumenthal, Wolfgang Puck and Sanjeev Kapoor, were featured in CNN International's Quest, in which Richard Queststepped into the shoes of celebrity chefs.[44]


In 2006, Ramsay took part in a television series for ITV1, following the lead-up to Soccer Aid, a celebrity charity football match, in which he played only the first half, nursing an injury picked up in training. Ramsay captained the Rest of the World XI against an England XI captained by Robbie Williams. However, his involvement was limited after he received a four-inch cut in his calf.


During his second Top Gear appearance, he stated that his current cars are a Ferrari F430 and a Range Rover Sport Supercharged, the latter replacing the Bentley Continental GT he owned before. On 14 May 2006, he appeared on Top Gear in the "Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car" segment. Ramsay held the top spot on Top Gear's celebrity leader board, with a lap time of 1.46.38 until overtaken by Simon Cowell.[45]


Ramsay starred in part of a National Blood Service "Give Blood" television advertisement, in which he said that he would have died from a ruptured spleen[46] had it not have been for another person's blood donation. On 13 October 2006, he was guest host on the first episode of Have I Got News for You's 32nd series. On 27 December 2007 Ramsay appeared in theExtras Christmas special.


In January 2008, Ramsay also guest featured on Channel 4's Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack as the Big Brother housemates took part in his Cookalong Live television show. Gordon spoke directly to the Big Brother House via the house plasma screens, regularly checking on the progress of the contestants.
[edit]Legal proceedings


In June 2006, Ramsay won a High Court case against the London Evening Standard newspaper, in which Victor Lewis Smith had alleged, after reports from previous owner Sue Ray, that scenes and the general condition of Bonaparte's had been faked for Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. Ramsay was awarded £75,000 plus costs.[47] Ramsay said at the time: "I won't let people write anything they want to about me. We have never done anything in a cynical fake way".


In June 2007, Ramsay's show was sued by the terminated general manager (Martin Hyde) of the New York restaurant Purnima (Dillon's), who also alleged fakery. Hyde had quit his position at the restaurant during the show, when Ramsay suggested that the owner hire top Indian Chef Vikas Khanna as the Consultant Chef for Purnima. The lawsuit alleged that "unknown to the viewing audience, some or all of Kitchen Nightmares are fake and the so-called 'problems uncovered and solved' by Ramsay are, for the most part, created by Ramsay and his staff for the purpose of making it appear that Ramsay is improving the restaurant".[48] However, in August 2007, the case was dismissed voluntarily and ordered into arbitration as stipulated in their contract.[49]
[edit]Public image and reception
[edit]Personality


Ramsay's reputation is built upon his goal of culinary perfection.[50] Since the airing of Boiling Point which followed Ramsay's quest of earning three Michelin stars, the chef has also become infamous for his fiery temperament and use of expletives.[50] Ramsay once famously ejected food critic A. A. Gill along with his dining companion, Joan Collins, from his restaurant, leading Gill to state that "Ramsay is a wonderful chef, just a really second-rate human being".[18] Ramsay admitted in his autobiography that he did not mind if Gill insulted his food, but a personal insult he was not going to stand for. Ramsay has also had confrontations with his kitchen staff, including one incident that resulted in the pastry chef calling the police.[51] A 2005 interview claimed Ramsay had retained 85% of his staff since 1993.[52]


Ramsay attributes his pugnacious management style to the influence of previous mentors, notably chefs Marco Pierre White and Guy Savoy, father-in-law and business partner Chris Hutcheson, and Jock Wallace, his manager while a footballer at Rangers.[53]


Ramsay's ferocious temper has contributed to his media appeal in both the United Kingdom and the United States, where his programmes are currently produced.[54][55] His fierce personality ensured that he was voted television's most terrifying celebrity in a Radio Times poll consisting of 3,000 people.[56] MSN Careers featured an article about television's worst bosses, which listed Ramsay as the only non-fictional boss. They cited his frequent loss of his temper and his harsh critiques, notably when he picks on something other than one's cooking abilities, such as calling someone a "chunky monkey."[57]


Although Ramsay often mocks the French, one of his most trusted maître d's, Jean-Claude Breton (Royal Hospital Road) is French.[58][59]


Having once claimed that women couldn't "cook to save their lives", in November 2007 Ramsay installed 29 year-old Clare Smyth as head chef at his three-Michelin-starred flagship restaurant on London’s Royal Hospital Road.[60] Smyth is the second high profile appointment of a female chef by Ramsay, after Angela Hartnett.


Ramsay has been criticized for his frequent use of profanity on his programmes, first by British celebrity cook Delia Smith,[61] then, in relation to Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, by a member of the Federal Parliament of Australia.[62] In his autobiography, Ramsay himself said he was unaware of the extent of his swearing until he watched an episode of Boiling Point. While he stated he did not have a problem with it, "Mum was appalled".


On 5 June 2009, Ramsay started trading national TV insults with Australia's Nine Network, A Current Affair journalist Tracy Grimshaw. The day after his interview, he was a guest feature at the Melbourne Food and Wine festival. While doing his display, he added some comments revolving around Tracy. He described Tracy as a 'Pig', and questioned her sexuality, calling her a 'lesbian'. It is claimed that Ramsay questioned Grimshaw's sexuality and her looks saying a picture of a nude woman with multiple breasts on all fours with a pig's face resembled Grimshaw. Grimshaw hit back at Ramsay, calling him an "arrogant narcissist bully" and implied Ramsay is a husband who mistreats his wife.[63][64] Ramsay eventually apologized, stating that it "was a joke".[65][66]


Ramsay has also drawn the ire of vegetarians. In 2005, he served ham to an unknowing vegetarian. He has also told the BBC that he has lied to vegetarian diners to conceal the presence of chicken stock in his soup.[67]
[edit]Food views


On the second series of The F Word, Ramsay showed a softened stance after learning about intensive pig farming practices including castration and tail docking. On the programme, Ramsay commented, "It's enough to make anyone turn fucking vegetarian, for God's sake. And I've always sort of knocked vegetarians and vegans for missing out on the most amazing flavour you can get from meat. But you can see why so many people change instantly."[68]


Some controversy arose in the third series of The F Word when journalist Janet Street-Porter, who thought horse meat should be eaten more widely in Britain, attempted to serve horse steaks and quiche at Cheltenham Racecourse during Gold Cup Week. The police prevented her from doing this, and deemed the stunt "highly provocative". She, subsequently, served the meat from a private property; most of the consumers shown in the programme approved. The conclusion of both Street-Porter and Ramsay was that horse meat merited a more prominent place in Britain's national diet. In the wake of the stunt, representatives of animal rights group PETA protested by dumping a tonne of horse manure outside Ramsay's restaurant at Claridge's in central London.[69]
[edit]Other chefs


Ramsay has been highly critical of Food Network and Iron Chef America star Mario Batali.[citation needed] The New York Post reported in 2009 that Batali has banned Ramsay from his restaurants. This alleged feud goes back to when Batali was highly critical of Ramsay's cooking style for being "dull and outdated".[70] However, Batali has since stated that the alleged feud "was created by a couple of journalists." Batali went on to state, "I'd love to hang out with [Ramsay]."[71]
[edit]Personal life


Ramsay married Cayetana Elizabeth Hutcheson (known as Tana), a Montessori-trained schoolteacher, in 1996. The couple have four children: Megan Jane (b. 1998), twins Jack Scott and Holly Anna (b. 2000), and Matilda Elizabeth (b. 2002). Ramsay's father-in-law, Chris Hutcheson, is responsible for the business operations of Ramsay's restaurant empire.[72][73]


In 1994 Ramsay accepted a police caution for gross indecency involving him and two other men, both chefs, in the lavatory of a London Underground station. It was stressed to be only "hi jinks" by Ramsay and not sexual.[74] Ramsay stated that the three, who were discovered in the early morning hours, were celebrating and drinking the night before. In regards to the caution, Ramsay stated that one of his friends was urinating in a sink, another friend was walking around with his trousers by his ankles, and that he himself was urinating in a urinal with his head against the wall, when the station supervisor discovered them.[74]


On 15 November 2002, Ramsay was breathalysed, arrested, and charged with driving under the influence of excess alcohol in London. While he remained charged, he was informed by police that the case would be discontinued.[75]


In 2007, Ramsay admitted arranging for a biker to steal the reservations book from the Aubergine restaurant in 1998 and blaming the theft on Marco Pierre White, because he suspected Aubergine's owners were planning to offer his job to Pierre White.[76]


Ramsay is of above average height, standing at 6 feet 1.5 inches (186.7 cm).[77] On his show Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, Ramsay has stated that he is afraid of dancing, especially in front of people. On a later episode, at La Gondola, he decided to "confront his demons" and is seen dancing. Ramsay also demonstrates the moonwalk dance in the episode of Kitchen Nightmares spotlighting Mama Cherri's Soul Food Shack. He also learns to salsa dance on an episode of the F-Word. Ramsay is left-handed.
[edit]Charity work


Ramsay has been involved in a series of charitable events and organizations. He fulfilled his aim of finishing 10 marathons in ten years by running his 10th consecutive London Marathonon 26 April 2009, sponsoring the Scottish Spina Bifida Association.[78]


During March 2005 Ramsay teamed up with Indian chef Madhur Jaffrey to help the VSO, an international development charity group to support its Spice Up Your Life event. The charity hoped to raise £100,000 for VSO’s work in HIV and AIDS in India.[79] The Ramsays were the first couple to become ambassadors for the women's charity Women's Aid in 2005. The couple ran the Flora Families marathon [80] to support Women's Aid.[81]


Gordon Ramsay has been Honorary Patron of the Scottish Spina Bifida Association since 2004, and in 2005 he launched The Gordon Ramsay "Buy a Brick" appeal to help the Scottish Spina Bifida Association raise funds to build a new Family Support Centre and Head Office in Glasgow. In 2006 he launched a new Appeal to help the charity raise the funds required to continue to run the support centre "What's your favourite F Word, Gordon's is Fundraising" In November 2007 Ramsay hosted a St Andrew's Day Gala Dinner at Stirling Castle in aid of the Association and has now made this fundraising Gala Dinner an annual event. Since 2007 the event has raised over £400k for the Association and the 2010 Gala Dinner will be at the Glasgow Science Centre in October.[82]
[edit]Near death experience


In 2008, Ramsay was in Iceland's Westman Islands filming a puffin hunting segment when he lost his footing and fell during a descent of an 85m cliff, landing in the icy water below. He has said "I thought I was a goner", reaching the surface of the water by removing his heavy boots and waterproof clothing. His film crew, who rescued Ramsay by throwing him a rope, say that he was submerged for at least 45 seconds. During the ordeal he remembers how he felt: "I was panicking and my lungs were filling with water. When I got to the top after getting my boots off I was dazed and my head was totally massive".[83] At first, Ramsay did not want to tell his wife. "I chickened out but she knew something was up. She was upset and extremely pissed off. When I was underwater, all I could think of was Tana and my kids. It wasn't until I was on the plane home I realised what a close call I'd had".[84]
[edit]Accusations of infidelity


In late November 2008, the British tabloid News of the World published a news story wherein Sarah Symonds, author of the book Having An Affair? A Handbook For The Other Woman, claimed to have been involved in a secret affair with Ramsay for a period of seven years.[85][86] Symonds further alleged that Ramsay had been involved with at least two other women, as well.[85] Amidst the allegations, the family put off a holiday in Mauritius[87] and Ramsay, initially ignoring the allegations, denied them during a live BBC show cooking demonstration,Good Food Show.[88][89] An Australian woman has also made similar claims, while Ramsay denies even knowing the woman.[90][91][92][93]


Richard Harden, co-publisher of the Harden's Restaurant Guide, speaking to the Evening Standard, concurs "It must damage the package",[94] though publicist Max Clifford disagrees, noting that while the allegations might cause "a lot of aggravation" at home, it wouldn't impact his image and popularity "at all".[95]
[edit]Pre-prepared meal controversy


On 17 April 2009 it was revealed that Ramsay's restaurant, Foxtrot Oscar in Chelsea, West London, used pre-prepared food that was heated up and sold with mark-ups of up to 586%. It was also revealed that three of his gastropubs in London did the same thing.[96]


"Gordon Ramsay Holdings operate a kitchen facility in Wandsworth called GR Logistics (which was purchased from Albert Roux)..." the spokesperson said.[97]


A spokeswoman for Gordon Ramsay explained, "Gordon Ramsay chefs prepare components of dishes devised and produced to the highest Gordon Ramsay standards. These are supplied to those kitchens with limited cooking space such as Foxtrot Oscar and Gordon Ramsay's highly-acclaimed pubs, including the Narrow. These are sealed and transported daily in refrigerated vans and all menu dishes are then cooked in the individual kitchens. This is only for the supply of Foxtrot Oscar and the three pubs and allows each establishment to control the consistency and the quality of the food served."[96]


Reflecting on the controversy in 2010, Ramsay was unapologetic, stating


"When I was working at the Gavroche all those years ago, the duck terrine wasn’t made there. It was made outside, then brought to the restaurant wrapped in plastic. This is standard practice. What on earth was the fuss about?"[98]
[edit]Restaurants


These lists are of restaurants currently or formerly run or owned by Ramsay:
[edit]United Kingdom
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road (three Michelin stars), Mark Askew (executive chef), Clare Smyth (head chef)
Pétrus" (two Michelin stars), Marcus Wareing (executive chef) (until 2008)[99]
Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's , Steve Allen (head chef)
The Boxwood Café at the Berkeley Hotel, Stuart Gillies (executive chef)
La Noisette (one Michelin star) Sloane Street (closed)
Maze, (one Michelin star) Jason Atherton (executive chef)
Foxtrot Oscar
Maze Grill, Marriott Hotel in Grosvenor Square
Gordon Ramsay's Plane Food at London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5
York and Albany located in Ramsay's first hotel (only 10 rooms), Regents Park, Angela Hartnett (executive chef), opened in July 2008[100]
Murano (one Michelin star), Mayfair, Angela Hartnett (executive chef), opened 2008[100]
[edit]International


This section of a biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (April 2009)

Gordon Ramsay at The London (two Michelin stars), New York, Josh Emett (chef de cuisine)[101]
Maze by Gordon Ramsay at The London, New York City
Verre at the Hilton Dubai Creek, Dubai
Gordon Ramsay at Conrad Tokyo, Tokyo (one Michelin star)
Cerise by Gordon Ramsay, Tokyo
Cielo by Angela Hartnett, Boca Raton, Florida, Nader Jaouhar (head chef)
Maze by Gordon Ramsay at The Hilton Prague Old Town, Prague, Czech Republic, Phillip Carmichael (head chef)
Gordon Ramsay at The London, West Hollywood (one Michelin Star)
Gordon Ramsay at The Trianon Palace (two Michelin stars), Versailles near Paris, Simone Zanoni (head chef)
Boxwood Café, across from Gordon Ramsay restaurant in Los Angeles.[102]
Rôtisserie Laurier BBQ by Gordon Ramsay, Montreal[103]
Maze by Gordon Ramsay at One and Only Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa, opened doors on 2 April 2009 with first guests being Nelson Mandela and Sol Kerzner. (Closed)
Maze and Maze Grill by Gordon Ramsay at Crown Metropol Hotel, Melbourne, Australia. Opened in April 2010.
Grill from Hell by Gordon Ramsay in Flinders Street, Townsville, QLD and Gold Coast QLD. Opening mid 2011.
[edit]Filmography
Boiling Point (5 part documentary) (Channel 4, 1998)
Beyond Boiling Point (6 part documentary) (Channel 4, 2000)
Ramsay - Trouble at the Top
[edit]Notable television appearances
Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (Channel 4, 2004–present)
Hell's Kitchen (UK) (ITV, 2004)
Hell's Kitchen (U.S.) (Fox, 2005–present)
The F Word (Channel 4, 2005–present)
Kitchen Nightmares (Fox, 2007–present)
Extras Christmas Special (BBC Two 2007)
Gordon Ramsay: Cookalong Live (Channel 4, 18 January 2008–present)
Gordon Ramsay: Cookalong Live U.S. (Fox, 15 December 2009, a one-off episode)
Gordon's Great Escape (Channel 4, January 2010)
Soccer Aid 2006, 2008, 2010 (ITV, May 2006, September 2008, June 2010)
MasterChef (U.S.) (Fox, since 27 July 2010)
Ramsay's Best Restaurant (Channel 4, 2010)
[edit]Bibliography







Ramsay signing a copy of Gordon Ramsay's Healthy Appetite at theToronto Eaton Centre, February 2009


Since 1996, Ramsay has written 20 books. Ramsay also contributes a food-and-drink column to The Times' Saturday magazine.
Gordon Ramsay’s Passion For Flavour (1996)
Gordon Ramsay’s Passion For Seafood (1999)
Gordon Ramsay A Chef For All Seasons (2000)
Gordon Ramsay’s Just Desserts (2001)
Gordon Ramsay’s Secrets (2003)
Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Heaven (2004)
Gordon Ramsay Makes It Easy (2005)
Gordon Ramsay Easy All Year Round (2006)
Gordon Ramsay's Sunday Lunch and other recipes from the F word (2006)
Humble Pie (2006) (Autobiography)
Roasting in Hell's Kitchen (2006) (US title for Humble Pie)
Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food Recipes from the F Word (2007)
Playing With Fire (2007) (Follow up to Autobiography)
Recipes From a 3 Star Chef (2007)
Gordon Ramsay's Three Star Chef (2008)
Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food (2008)
Gordon Ramsay's Healthy Appetite (2008)
Cooking for Friends: Food from My Table (2008)
Gordon Ramsay's On Top of The World (2009)
Gordon Ramsay's World Kitchen: Recipes from "The F Word" (2009)
Ramsay's Best Menus (2010) Master Chefs Series
Pasta Sauces (1996)
Fish And Shellfish (1997) Cook Cards
Hot Dinners (2006)
Cool Sweets (2006)
[edit]References

^ "Gordon Ramsay". www.nndb.com. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
^ Gordon Ramsay - The man - Biography
^ Bremner, Charles (2 March 2009). "Gordon Ramsay wins Michelin stars for first restaurant in France". The Times (London). Retrieved 3 May 2010.
^ "Gordon Ramsay Official Biography".
^ "Michelin stars crown Sarkozy haunt, British chef Ramsay - Gordon Ramsay - Zimbio".Zimbio.com. Retrieved 2009-12-16.
^ "Overview of Gordon Ramsay". Geo.ed.ac.uk. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
^ Gordon Ramsay - The man - Biography. Retrieved 25 December 2009.
^ a b c d e f g h i j Ramsay, Gordon (2006). Humble Pie. UK: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-00-722967-4.
^ Barber, Lynn (13 May 2001). ""Mad for it"". Guardian Unlimited (London). Retrieved 1 August 2006.
^ "Chef from a humble background", The Oxford Times, 9 November 2006
^ Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares episode "Bonapartes"
^ "Gordon Ramsay on Rangers ' | Observer Sport Monthly". London:http://observer.guardian.co.uk.+2002-05-05. Retrieved 2010-08-09.
^ Irvine, Chris; Edwards, Richard (2 March 2009). "Gordon Ramsay admits claims about his Rangers career may be inaccurate". The Telegraph (London). Retrieved 9 November 2010.
^ "The man - Timeline". Gordon Ramsay. 2001-01-19. Retrieved 2010-08-01.[dead link]
^ Dan Newling (2009-02-03). "How Gordon Ramsay 'lied about his football career to raise his celebrity profile' | Mail Online". London: Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1264396/
^ "Season 4 Episode 12 - Gordon Ramsay's F Word". BBC America. 6 April 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
^ a b ""Gordon Ramsay: Chef terrible"". BBC News World Edition. 20 July 2001. Retrieved 1 August 2006.
^ ""Bankers 'sacked' over £44,000 meal"". BBC News Online. 25 February 2002. Retrieved 30 June 2007.
^ a b ""Ramsay: I will devour my New York rivals"". Times Online (London). 5 November 2006. Retrieved 17 November 2006.
^ "Gordon Ramsay's New York restaurant named top newcomer". Caterersearch.com. 2007-10-11. Retrieved 2007-11-28.
^ ""Gordon Ramsay Other Restaurants - Dublin"". GordonRamsay.com. Retrieved 16 November 2007.
^ Curtis, Nick and Jonathan Prynn. "Will The Savoy ever regain its long lost glamour?"The London Evening Standard, 5 February 2010
^ ""Gordon Ramsay is the most powerful figure in British hospitality"".Caterersearch.com. Retrieved 17 November 2006.
^ ""New university rector is welcomed"". BBC News. 10 March 2006. Retrieved 17 November 2006.
^ "Gordon Ramsay dispute sparks foodie bun-fight". www.meeja.com.au. 2008-09-12. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
^ Rosie Millard (30 September 2007). "Rosie Millard meets Gordon Ramsay". The Sunday Times (London). Retrieved 2 January 2008.
^ ""International Culinary Panel — Singapore Airlines"". Singapore Airlines Official Website. Retrieved 17 November 2006.
^ "Marcus Wareing leaves Ramsay to work directly with Berkeley Hotel". Amanda Afiya. Caterersearch.com. 2008-05-27. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
^ "Ramsay to transfer Pétrus name following split with Wareing". Amanda Afiya. Caterersearch.com. 2008-05-27. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
^ Ramsay's kitchen nightmare: Gordon admits his ego nearly destroyed his restaurant empire http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1189843/Ramsays-kitchen-nightmare-Gordon-admits-ego-nearly-destroyed-restaurant-empire.html
^ Vines, Richard. "Ramsay Chef Jason Atherton Quits Maze to Open Own Restaurant". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
^ Betrayal, in £1.5m in loans and the REAL reason Ramsay has split with the father-in-law who ran his empire http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1322957/Betrayal-1-5m-loans-REAL-reason-Ramsay-split-father-law-ran-empire.html
^ "Faking It: Burger Flipper To Chef Episode Summary on". Tv.com. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
^ "Classic TV & Movie Hits - Faking It". Classictvhits.com. 2000-09-18. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
^ "The Kumars at No 42 returns to BBC One". BBC Press Office. Retrieved on 14 February 2007.
^ "Laid Bare". The Daily Mirror. Retrieved 29 August 2007.
^ ""Channel 4 re-signs Gordon Ramsay in exclusive 4 year deal"". channel4sales.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 6 February 2007.
^ "[Weekly Viewing Summary (scroll to w.e 13/05/07 - 08/07/07)]". BARB. Retrieved 29 August 2007.
^ ""Tasty offer from TV chef to convict"". WACS2000. Retrieved 3 January 2007.
^ "Gordon Ramsay heading down under". The Sunday Telegraph. 25 March 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-08.
^ Littleton, Cynthia (25 September 2009). "Ramsay cooks up animated series".Variety.com.
^ "Masterchef USA Teaser". TV Tonight.com. June 21, 2010. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
^ ""Taking on the super-chefs"". CNN International. Retrieved 12 February 2007.
^ ""Top Gear Celebrity Laps"". Top Gear Official Website. Retrieved 17 November 2006.
^ ""Football got me out of house"". The Sun Online (London). 17 May 2007. Retrieved 22 June 2007.
^ ""Chef Ramsay wins £75,000 damages"". BBC News. 20 June 2006. Retrieved 20 July 2006.
^ Pilkington, Ed (20 June 2007). ""Ramsay accused of dirty tricks on US TV show"".Guardian Unlimited (London). Retrieved 20 June 2007.
^ Cornell, Kati (2007-08-10). ""TV Chef Out of Frying Pan"". New York Post. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
^ a b ""Ramsay swears by good service"". Times Online (London). 10 August 2005. Retrieved 1 August 2006.
^ ""Ramsay in hot water after scuffle on the set of US show"". NEWS.Scotsman.com. Retrieved 1 August 2006.
^ ""Gordon Ramsay Interview"". femalefirst.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2005-12-26. Retrieved 1 August 2006. "85 per cent of his staff from 1993 working with him in some capacity"
^ Ross, Peter (29 October 2006). ""Ask me to kill a turkey or rip a pigeon's guts out and I'm fine"". Sunday Herald. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
^ ""Gordon Ramsay"". About - Gourmet Food. Retrieved 1 August 2006.
^ Ruhlman, Michael (2006-09-06). ""Gordon Ramsay Takes Manhattan, Tiptoeing, He Says"". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
^ "Ramsay is scariest TV celebrity". The Daily Mail. Retrieved on 27 August 2007.
^ Mary Lorenz. "TV's Worst Bosses". MSN. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
^ Jean-Baptiste Requien at The London Bar - GordonRamsay.com
^ NY Post Interview with Jean-Baptiste Requien
^ ""Gordon Ramsay unveils new female head chef at Royal Hospital Road"".Caterersearch.com. 2007-11-28. Retrieved 2007-11-28.
^ ""Delia Smith slams Gordon Ramsay"". Marie Claire. 2008-03-04. Retrieved 2008-03-26.
^ ""Parliament's scrutiny of Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares' swearing"". Herald Sun. 2008-03-20. Retrieved 2008-03-26.
^ Yahoo 7, Ramsay: I didn't call Tracy a lesbian
^ Tracy Grimshaw calls Gordon Ramsay an arrogant narcissist NEWS.com.au. 8 June 2009
^ "Petulant 'teen' Ramsay eats humble pie". Brisbane Times. 2008-06-11. Retrieved 2008-06-11.
^ "Ramsay sorry over Grimshaw insult". BBC News. 2008-06-10. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
^ Nikkhah, Roya (12:01AM BST 15 May 2005). "Ramsay's pizza joke outrages vegetarians". London: Telegraph. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
^ The F-Word, Series 2, Episode 6 2006.07.26
^ "The night Janet Street-Porter ate horse meat". Daily Mail. Retrieved on 16 May 2007.
^ Posted: 1:44 AM, January 27, 2009 (2009-01-27). ""Hell'S Kitchen " Star Gordon Ramsay From Eating At Mario Batali'S Restaurants". NYPOST.com. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
^ Gostin, Nicki (April 7, 2010). "Mario Batali Goes Back to Basics".
^ ""Scott Descendant Chart"". Scott Family Web. Archived from the original on 22 June 2006. Retrieved 1 August 2006.
^ Cooke, Rachel (8 June 2003). ""How does our Gordon grow? "". Guardian Unlimited - The Observer (London). Retrieved 1 August 2006.
^ a b ""Ramsay feels the heat of indecency charge"". Daily Mail (London). 7 June 2004. Retrieved 21 January 2009.
^ ""Ramsay charged with drink-driving"". Scotsman.com - News. Retrieved 1 August 2006.
^ ""Ramsay cooked up theft"". Daily Mail (London). 27 March 2007. Retrieved 2 April 2007.
^ "The Bunton brigade". The F Word. Channel 4. 2008-07-22. No. 11, series 4. 31 minutes in.
^ "London Marathon 2009: Gordon Ramsay and Katie Price to battle professionals in capital street race". thelondonpapaer. 24 April 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2009.
^ Spice Up Your Life in 2005 - Media Releases
^ Family Marathon
^ Women's Aid - Press - Celebrity Spokespeople
^ Scottish Bifina Bifida Association official website
^ I thought I would die: Gordon Ramsay
^ Nathan, Sara (27 July 2008). "Ramsay I feared I was a goner". The Sun (London).
^ a b Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay revealed to mistress Sarah Symonds that he had TWO other lovers. "met Ramsay at London club Chinawhite in October 2001"
^ Pop Tarts: Kim Kardashian's Days of Stripping Off Are Over
^ 'Cheating' Gordon Ramsay cashes in on family man image with ad featuring wife Tana and his four children
^ High 'infidelity': Gordon Ramsay sex scandal latest
^ Gordon Ramsay Denies Affair Feature Story
^ Exposed: Sydney's Miss X who claims Ramsay affair
^ Ramsay Hit by New Affair Claims
^ Now ANOTHER blonde claims she had an affair with chef Gordon Ramsay
^ Gordon Ramsay Denies Affair
^ Ramsay's wife braves storm over his 'secret affair'
^ Gordon Ramsay affair claim 'could damage business empire'
^ a b Brown, Craig. "Ramsay's new F-word: frozen ready meals served up at celebrity prices - Scotsman.com News". News.scotsman.com. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
^ beautycutie1987 Posted 04/19/2009 09:17:58 (2009-04-19). "Gordon Ramsay defends prepared food". TV.com. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
^ Cavendish, Lucy (2010-02-05). "Gordon Ramsay’s escape to India — with a TV crew". London: The Times. Retrieved 2010-01-15.
^ "Gordon Ramsay & Marcus Wareing ; 'not best friends anymore' - Entertainme - Excite UK". entertainme.excite.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-04-10.
^ a b Moore, Charles (20 January 2008). "Gordon Ramsay eats his own words". The Daily Telegraph (London).
^ Josh Emett at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay at The London
^ "Gordo Thinks Inside the Boxwood". Zagat.com. 23 November 2009.
^http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/Exclusive+Gordon+Ramsay+taking+over+Montreal+resto/3808086/story.html#ixzz14umu6ObO
[edit]Further reading
Millard, Rosie (2007-09-30). "Rosie Millard meets Gordon Ramsay". Food & Drink (London: The Sunday Times). Retrieved 2007-10-02.
[edit]External links
Gordon Ramsay at the Internet Movie Database
Homepage for the Gordon Ramsay group
Times Online - Food & Drink column
Gordon Ramsay has donated recipes to a cook book to raise funds for cancer charities
Gordon Ramsay at the Chef and Restaurant Database

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