Gordon Ramsay Biography

From LoveToKnow Reality-TV

He's one of the most instantly recognizable chefs on television, and any Gordon Ramsay biography helps to shed light on his rise to fame. Ramsay is best known as the foul-mouthed host of reality TV show Hell's Kitchen and he's also at the helm of other shows, including Kitchen Nightmares.

Early Gordon Ramsay Biography

Gordon Ramsay was born in Scotland on November 8, 1966. Ten years later his family relocated to Stratford-Upon-Avon in England. His initial career path had nothing at all to do with food or cooking; Ramsay had planned to become a soccer star. At the age of 15 he had been recruited to play for the Glasgow Rangers, but a series of injuries prevented him from turning pro.

When he was 19, Ramsay - who had already expressed an interest in cooking - entered college to study Hotel Management. After employment at various hotels and inns, he moved to London and worked as a chef in a variety of restaurants. Ramsay also spent several years in France studying cooking.

Becoming a World-Renowned Chef

Ramsay's first job as head chef was at the Tante Claire restaurant in London in 1993. In 1998, he opened his first restaurant, Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road. Chef Ramsay won three Michelin Awards at this restaurant, making him the first Scottish chef to earn this honor.

Since then, Ramsay has opened many new restaurants and pubs, including:

Petrus (UK)
Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's (UK)
Boxwood Café (UK)
Maze and Maze Grill (Worldwide)
Gordon Ramsay Plane Food (at Heathrow Airport, UK)
Gordon Ramsay at the London (three US restaurants)
Ramsay at Conrad Tokyo (Japan)
Verre by Ramsay (United Arab Emirates)
La Veranda (France)
Gordon Ramsay at Powerscourt (Ireland)

Hell's Kitchen

After being featured in several television programs in the United Kingdom, Ramsay was introduced to U.S. viewers with the reality TV show Hell's Kitchen. The show is a competition-based series that pits aspiring head chefs against each other under the direction and scrutiny of Gordon Ramsay. Each week at least one of the chefs is eliminated, and the winner receives a head chef job at one of Ramsay's restaurants.

Hell's Kitchen is one of the most popular reality shows on the FOX network. Critics of the show point to Ramsay's foul language and harsh treatment of the chefs on the show, but most fans actually enjoy this aspect of the program. Indeed, Ramsay is much different than any garden-variety reality show host.

Kitchen Nightmares

Ramsay's second reality show in the U.S. is Kitchen Nightmares. In this show, Ramsay enters struggling restaurants and - with the sometimes reluctant help of the owners - transforms both the building and the menu.

Here again, Ramsay comes off as extremely harsh with restaurant owners and staff. He has said that the reason he gets so irritable with people is because he is so passionate about food and cooking. Underneath the harsh exterior, he does give the impression that he is trying to bring out the best in the chefs he works with.

The F-Word

Another one of Ramsay's cooking shows is called The F-Word. The show is filmed in the U.K. and also airs in Canada. This program features a variety of different segments, from following the raising and eventual slaughter of animals for food to a cooking competition between Ramsay and his guests.

Writing

No Gordon Ramsay biography would be complete without mentioning the large library of cookbooks he has authored. With over twenty titles to his credit and no sign of slowing down, he is one of the most prolific cookbook authors today. His titles include:

Gordon Ramsay's Passion for Flavor
A Chef for All Seasons
Kitchen Heaven
Recipes from a 3-Star Chef
Healthy Appetite
Cooking for Friends: Food From My Table
Great British Pub Food

Ramsay has also penned two autobiographical books, Humble Pie and Playing with Fire.

Family Life

Gordon Ramsay has been married to Tana Hutcheson since 1996. They have four children together, including a set of twins. Hutcheson's father, Chris, handles the day-to-day business operations for all of Ramsay's restaurants.