If there’s one thing Gordon Ramsay isn’t known for, it’s manners. Now, that’s not to say he lacks for manners – he can certainly be charming when he’s in the mood – but he’s more well-known for his expletive-laden approach to culinary education.
On shows like The F Word, Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, and Hell’s Kitchen to name just a few, Ramsay has rarely been guilty of mincing his words when it comes to the shortfalls in guests’ and contestants’ cooking skills or general attitude to working in a kitchen.
Beneath it all, however, is a very principled, dedicated and determined chef whose appreciation for the art of cooking has yielded 17 Michelin stars across a career that began under Marco Pierre White’s tutelage.
Now 58, Ramsay splits his time between London, LA and Cornwall, and he and wife Tana recently welcomed their sixth child into the world. As his daughter Tilly ventures onto her own journey to professional chefdom, Ramsay has spoken about his approach to parenting along with some of his views on manners.
It seems he’s a stickler for discipline in his own home, albeit likely with the lighter touch we’ve seen from him in MasterChef Juniors.
He’s said that he’s always told his children that ‘You'll appreciate it more if you're not handed it on a plate’, and recently revealed that his daughter has not only self-funded her culinary education but hasn’t taken the shortcut of leaning on dad’s expertise.
"I said goodbye and put her on the ferry, and I thought, 'f**k, why didn't she ask me to teach her? Is that my first big major f**k up?'” he told Closer Magazine. “I can't wait to ask that question – but it just got to show how unspoilt my kids are.”
When it comes to good manners, there’s one food-specific thing in particular that sticks in his craw, and it’s something we’ve all certainly done at some point.
Speaking with The Times, he said: “I didn’t have a father figure from the ages of 8 to 15, just when you need it most. My father was in and out of my life and it made me stand on my own two feet from a young age, trying to be the man of the house. It’s not until later in life that you process how it affected you.”
That household paradigm gave rise to one thing he can’t abide by when it comes to dinnertime manners: “It’s rude to leave anything on your plate. Watching my mother work three jobs to put tea on the table for my sisters, brother and me, I learnt never to waste anything. Those humble beginnings made me the person I am today,” Ramsay revealed.
He continued: “I’m so proud of all my children. You’ve got to make them graft, to encourage them to be their own person, and I think Tana and I have done a good job so far. We could have opened all kinds of doors for them, but that’s not how it is in life. They need to find their own hunger and ambition.”
And, presumably, they always clear their plates.
Featured Image Credit: Denise Truscello / Contributor/Getty ImagesTopics: Celebrity, TV and Film, Cooking
Rachael Davis