In a well-stocked larder of celebrity chefs, Scotland’s GORDON RAMSAY is the spiciest. The man who chucked A.A. Gill out of his restaurant has now allowed the cameras to catch his staff getting in the soup. ‘.'.'<)r::‘s: Jonathan Trew
The latest in a long line of Volatile chefs in the public eye is on the other end of a phone from his London kitchen. [laying excttsed himself from our conycrsation for a couple of minutes. I can just make out his yoice oyer the huhhuh of the kitchen as it cranks tip for the lunch seryice. The stream of inyectiye which (iordon Ramsay is directing at a member of his staff is fluent. yehement and Versatile. The estimahle .\lr Ramsay seems capahle of swearing for seyeral minutes at a time without repeating himself UilCL‘.
Such a scene w ill hecome yery familiar to watchers of (‘hannel 4’s new fiye-part series lx’umsuy's‘ Hui/mg l’ninl. ()yer eight months. the cameras followed him as he set up his own restaurant in (‘helsea while on the trail of his third .\liche|in star whisper it. he didn‘t get it.
l’reyiottsly head chef at the exclusiye .r\uhergine
restaurant. Ramsay walked out with the intention of
striking out on his own. Despite a fearsome reputation for his temper. as seen in the secretly- filmed Britain 3' Worst Boss-(ax. 45 staff members from :\uhergine followed hint to his new yentttre.
llaying heen stung once. il‘s difficult to see why Ramsay should haye inyited the cameras into his kitchen again. "l’he most important t‘ettson is that chefs in this country haye huilt tip this celehrity status which has giyen the wrong impression ahout what we do.’ explains Ramsay. who. when not hollocking his staff. is in fact incredihly charming. ‘lt leads towards the joke side of food but there is a seriousness. loo. Hopefully the programmes will help people to understand why they haye to wait twenty minutes fora starter. why fresh produce is selected eyery day and why we charge the prices that we do.‘
To say that Ramsay is dt'iycn is like saying that ()asis haye sold one or two alhums. He works sixteen hours a day. fiye days a week. taking the weekends off to spend time with wife 'l'ana and
102 THE “ST 1w: .1 "/49
'l'm not running a hairdressing salon or a poodle parlour. This
is a kitchen and let's not forget that.’ Gordon Ramsay
Gordon Ramsay: not a chocolate salty ball in sight
daughter Megan. 'l‘hat decision cut his salary by half
a million pounds a year with his hank insisting he was ’ahsolutely fucking mad‘ (Ramsay may he paraphrasing at this point). But when he decides something he goes through with it and the consequences are comprehensiyer httggered.
'I know that I‘m not going to come out of the 'l'\' series smelling of roses and loyed hy 99‘} of the public.. says Ramsay with emphasis. 'Bttt I'm not running a hairdressing salon or a poodle parlour. This is a kitchen and let's not forget that.‘
Although Ramsay was horn in Scotland and exert played for Rangers hriefly in his youth. he has spent most of his life down south. .\'ow though. he has eyes on two possihle restaurant sites in (iiasgow and would loye to return and giye .\'ick .\'airn a run for his money.
'.\'ick‘s a wry talented chef. a hig TV star and I'm a hig admirer.’ laughs Ramsay. 'l haye to he careful what I say about him now because he gets \ery upset when you poke him. I lo\e getting poked hecause the more people do it the stronger | hecome.~
Ramsay's Boiling Point, Channel 4, Thu 25 Feb, 9pm.
Box Pops
Celebrity sofa surfing. This issue: Tony Roper
Favourite show? .onmo Pumps I am: «i thorouoii ;)s}.'< "to ()(}|( a ("uni Is- ..p
Favourite TV snack? PM and a Bow? o1istimt‘flteitIntuitiw "q fooioti ’ Sorry, int sin? ‘.'.o."!<‘-<i '."«ii I sta'o iii/imw was to; innoo" 10 i‘.' st‘o‘u. When did you last shout at the telly? A i)'()()!(i.'l‘l"(‘ about Dem-ix: i “(i " Pak star We < "1.0 gas noon}; "o
If you went on Stars In Their Eyes, who would you be? Rim: isle-so" 0' R i oto"
Who would be on your dream Top Of The Pops? iiar‘k 8"7rii'ii, Botto‘. Dav r‘, Dear: Harts", Do! si).:‘,, Brio-11o (fay, i‘a iif,’(}("'<ii(i, it». ii'cs on, We K Druid i);()‘.'.i(‘, [)Jaooo Re “wot (mt: Steiii‘a'w (mipoeii
Which TV personality makes you physically sick? Air, ('m'. shot. "tost ‘.‘.i:o one. has one ".zi".7(‘ To <i(i'.i"°."s(- Tiic si‘o‘x.
Who was the first person on telly you had a crush on? i.i(‘:t‘,'-i‘:,’;(" i.i()()'(‘ A'to '.."("'t \ii'w-ssti
What was the last video you rented? f’ii‘ De." '3 Adgot ate
Favourite/most hated advert?
i(i.()Li Hem" Ben's ii,o.-;>
latij.s"tit" B an .ita'rntafio Most Hated sits on a To; (2"11 tr‘m‘ "wormif, 841.3 or, "xts‘. s-Ae (roof. I'xa'. on" Greatest TV moment of all time?
..' t'" .' t‘l).'()(l.i(t" (, ./.ti.'/( ~.!'>.’)..
sum: to "‘e .‘.o.. :i ','o.. '.I\(‘ to (H) to [1(2“,i:)'t".-;‘- Favourite cartoon character? s: in" C (2'. io3:o.'.-:‘-(‘ o". o‘ lbw S.yl"‘l’)i)(),i\)
If you could be on any show, past or present, what would it be? :9 x; "it"(‘fs Mists-t
Favourite TV theme tune? (new, SHUNT/Hf; Snot;
Favourite/most hated sports commentator? "we (:1) ,o.. ‘
/t’ Nomi Ibo '..(i.‘< '7Io.‘.:".', [mt
Sid/{s Sat .28 for), (3 Th)!"