MEGA chef Gordon Ramsay is off the scale when it comes to foodie fame and fortune.
But despite the Michelin stars and the fact he feeds his six-year-old son lavish meals at home, the sweary culinary great finds his own restaurants too fancy.
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And he says his wife Tana regularly scolds him for serving exquisite dishes to the children.
Gordon revealed he can “get carried away” prepping meals for the family, and admitted that whipping up posh sausage and mash for his young lad Oscar was a step too far.
On The Savoy Originals podcast — recorded before his 58th birthday last year, and out today — Gordon said: “I will do sausage and mash with baked beans and make it look like a f*****g three-star Michelin sausage, mash and baked beans.
“And I’ll put the beans on one at a time, and I’ll finish them, make f*****g mashed potatoes like [French chef] Robuchon did, with 70 per cent butter.
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“And then Tana will kick me up the arse and say, ‘What in the f*** are you doing? Our son is five years of age and you’re f*****g around with these sausages. Stop it’. So, yeah, I get a little bit carried away.”
Gordon got his first big taste of success in 1994, when Aubergine in London — where he was head chef — won a Michelin star. Under his leadership, another followed in 1997.
In 2001, his Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea, London, earned three Michelin stars. Over his career, Gordon has achieved 17 of the honours.
Of the accolades, the fiery chef added: “Everyone thinks it’s a formula. It’s nothing to do with a formula.
‘I never cooked to get rich’
“It’s that level of perfection. Getting the first one was an emotional relief like no other. Because then I felt vindicated.
“I felt that I’d got to this moment and everything’s been worth it.
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“The 16-hour days, lack of social life, the level of focus and training. And it felt like sort of the Bible.
“You know, France are giving back to you and saying you’re as good.”
I never cooked for money. I never cooked to get rich. I never cooked to buy a Ferrari.
Gordon Ramsay
Despite being worth a reported £165million, Gordon has been keen not to spoil his six children.
He and Tana have Megan, Holly, Jack, Tilly, Oscar and Jesse James.
But it is fair to say his life is at the top table. He has homes in Los Angeles, Cornwall and London, and counts the Beckhams and supermodel Gigi Hadid as friends.
But he insists he never dreamed of flashy cars and having a bulging bank account, revealing: “You’ve got to be smart and you’ve got to be honest to get out and not forget where you came from.
“I never cooked for money. I never cooked to get rich. I never cooked to buy a Ferrari.”
It is that down-to-earth attitude that sees him snub his own “posh” establishments. Gordon, who trained under the legendary Marco Pierre White, said: “There’s a very fine line, running it or indulging in it.
“I’ve only had dinner at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay twice in 25 years.
“Once was for Megan’s birthday, and the second time was with Bradley Cooper when we were together for the film Burnt. It’s not my style. It’s too posh for me. It sounds weird, right?
“You built the f*****g place, and it’s like, I’m not built that way. I can’t sit there with that level.
“It’s bloody intimidating and it’s a very special moment for the guests, not for me, because I’m a giver — I’m not a receiver.”
While most of Gordon’s children have shown no interest in following in his footsteps, 23-year-old Tilly is fast becoming a well-known chef in her own right.
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She has 10million followers on her TikTok page alone — often posting cookery tips and tricks.
Gordon has been known to make playful cameos in her clips, though he is keen not to become the main focus. In 2021, Tilly stepped out of her dad’s shadow and became a household name after competing on BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing.
Gordon stresses he is keen to let her make it on her own rather than rely on him to open doors.
So much so, he worries he should have done more to give her a leg-up.
Gordon said: “Thankfully, Tilly is the first one in the group that’s interested in cooking.
“She’s just currently studying at Ballymaloe [cookery school in Ireland] and just putting her head down. Tilly went to uni, graduated this summer.
“She’s gone off to Ballymaloe, paid for herself, worked, saved the money, gone off to culinary school.
“I said goodbye to her. And then I put her on the ferry and I thought, ‘F***, why didn’t she ask me? Is that my first big major f***-up?’.
“And I can’t wait to ask that question. But it just goes to show how unspoilt they are — they individually follow their own path, pay for their own experience and not depend on their parents. I think that’s a good call.”
‘Does that mean she thinks I’m s**t?’
But Gordon admits he now wishes he had taught Tilly how to perfect her culinary skills.
He said: “It does f*** me off, from a chef’s point of view, that today — as we sit here over a bottle of f*****g Laurent-Perrier — she’s getting taught to cook by someone else other than Gordon Ramsay.
“Now, does that mean she thinks I’m s**t? Does she think that three stars is not relevant today?”
While Gordon does not have any current UK TV shows on air following the resting of ITV’s Road Trip, with Gino D’Acampo and Fred Sirieix, he is far from winding down.
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As well as restaurants around the globe, he has three at London hotel The Savoy on The Strand.
Savoy Grill, The River Restaurant and Restaurant 1890 are all busier than ever before. But Gordon’s success reaches far beyond the kitchen, as he is now a fully marketable brand.
I’m enjoying everything I do. And I wake up in the morning with something I’ve always wanted to do. I have a choice in life. And so, at 57, I’ve decided that I’d like to learn how to skydive.
Gordon Ramsay
As well as his restaurants, he has a frozen meal range, By Chef Ramsay, and a TV production company called Studio Ramsay. He has also fronted several TV shows over the years, including Hell’s Kitchen.
Last month, he landed a £25million deal to rival Great British Bake Off with new show Next Level Baker on Fox in America.
A Netflix documentary about his life is also believed to be in the works.
But Gordon says that, for the past decade and a half, he has been putting his health first after burning the candle at both ends.
He explained: “So I got to 39 and I was thinking, s**t, I’m 40.
“Three Michelin stars, multiple restaurants, incredible family.
“But me, I’m not looking good. I’m not feeling good. I’m not as fit as I should be.
“And so I dived into triathlons and that got me out more. That got me into three disciplines and, wherever I was in the world, I could either swim, I could bike or I could run — and I wanted to put that together.”
In typical blunt style, Gordon shut down any notion he could retire.
On the podcast, he said: “What in the f*** would I do retiring in the countryside?
“Looking all buffed up in Barbour-wear and f*****g wellingtons and a stick.
“I’ll be the biggest pain in the ass to everyone if I retire. I’m in control.
“I’m enjoying everything I do. And I wake up in the morning with something I’ve always wanted to do. I have a choice in life.
“And so, at 57, I’ve decided that I’d like to learn how to skydive.”
With so many successful business ventures under his belt, it’s clear he’s an expert at taking the plunge . . .
- Gordon Ramsay’s episode of The Savoy Originals podcast series is available to stream in full now.
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