BellaOnline Forums Travel and Culture Scottish Culture Gordon Ramsay

The latest Scottish Culture article is about Scottish born chef and restaurenteur Gordon Ramsay who has made the transition from UK to US TV.

Gordon Ramsay

Have you seen him on TV, visited one of his restaurants or read/used one of his books?

If so, what do you think of him?

I LOVE Gordon Ramsey!

He does have a nasty vocabulary and bad temper, but he slips up and lets his compassion show when he helps restaurateurs going through hard times. I like Kitchen Nightmares more than Hell's Kitchen or the F Word. He has restaurants in the US but I've yet to try them.

I often wonder about his wife and kids left at home for long periods of time but then again, most chefs work 24/7, too. It's a hard life.

I find the man fascinating.

I am a fan of his, too! There are times I think he could tone it down - but would it work? He is always intersting to watch, and someday I would love to sample his food.

When he goes to different people's restaurants and helps them turn their business around - that is my favorite side of Gordon Ramsay.

I enjoy Kitchen Nightmares, although the sight of what goes on in some restaurant kitchens has made me even more reluctant than usual to eat out! Ramsay filmed a show in a failing restaurent in my town 2 years ago. Unfortunately the owners didn't follow his advice and the place finally went under. It's a tough business!

Hi Asha,

Very nice write up on Gordon Ramsey! Thanks for sharing!

Hi Asha,

I was watching Hell's Kitchen USA last night and found it almost (ahem) indigestible. How people can sit and eat in that atmosphere - whatever the food is like - when he is swearing and bullying the apprentice chefs in that threatening and objectionable way is beyond me. He called one of the girls a (something) [censored], he towers over them with a thinly veiled suggestion of violence - they must really want their own restaurant or to be on telly - or both! to put up with that. I think his food looks amazing, he is an effortless culinary genius - but his attitude is atrocious and is definitely not a good advertisment for Britain. He makes me feel embarrassed for him, and for my country.

By the way - hope this doesn't come across as too pompous! And by 'my country' I mean England as this is where he grew up - nurture over nature maybe in this case? But I honestly do watch it and think - what does the rest of the world think of British men? Hopefully that they're not all as aggressive and foul mouthed as this! Though I suppose he does a good job of destroying the 'Hugh Grant' school of English manners, eh?

Eileen people seem to have very mixed reactions to Gordon Ramsay - a bit like Marmite (love it or hate it!). And no, I don't see what you've said as pompous, just your opinion which is probably shared by a lot of people. I do think that Ramsay's confrontational style may have helped his exposure in the US.

Hi Asha,
As an ex executive chef, I believe that Chef Ramsay's confrontational style on Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares is one great acting job on his part to attract advertisers/viewers. There is no way that this amazing entrepeneur treats his "real" staff in the restaurants that he owns that way or he bloody well would not be living to be seen on such unreal, contrived and got to be somewhat scripted "reality shows."

I am sure that he is one tough dude and as all great (and not so great) chefs are he could be defined with one word, ARROGANT but
he certainly is not a fool. That type of chef behavior cannot exist if you want to be "successful." See how gracious and charming he is in the segments where he is rewarding that days' winning team- do you thing he in real life is such a Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde?

As for the so-called chefs on Hell's Kitchen US, I believe that they are largely chosen for their "drama" ability and not for their culinary skills or even potential as I have not seen one of them that I would have ever have chosen to be an executive chef at $200,000 a year (I think?) at a quality restaurant (unlike the really qualified chef contestants on Top Chef).

There's no business like show business...

Les I agree that Ramsay is far from a fool. He has built an impressive business empire. As to how much of his programmes are "real" and how much set up for the viewers - many of them are a form of reality TV, and one of the things reality TV seems to do well is create conflict and confrontation...