Kitchen Nightmares is back

After nearly a decade off our screens, Kitchen Nightmares is back with a whole new host of struggling restaurateurs lining up to get the full Gordon Ramsay treatment. Arguably the chef’s most popular TV show, Kitchen Nightmares debuted in 2004 and ran for six seasons in the UK and seven in the US, until the 56-year-old chef called it quits in 2014. At the time, he said he had grown frustrated with seeing the business owners he helped on the show repeat their old mistakes instead of following his advice. However, time has obviously healed his wounds, and the new series is showing on FOX in the US every Monday at 8pm, though there’s currently no international premiere date.

Back doing what he does best

Fans will be pleased to hear that the new series doesn’t stray far from the original Kitchen Nightmares format, which saw the famously fiery chef visit failing restaurants in a bid to uncover where they were going wrong (unsanitary refrigerators and lazy or inexperienced staff were usually involved). Gordon and his team would have a week to turn the restaurant’s fortunes around, and his ambitious but harsh approach often resulted in extremely heated confrontations with the owners and kitchen staff – with plenty of fruity language along the way, of course.

King of the kitchen

The season eight premiere kicked off with a bang as Gordon pulled up a bar stool at the Bel Aire Diner in Astoria, New York, a busy but struggling spot with a gargantuan menu, chaotic kitchen and plenty of family drama. In shocking scenes, the chef was so horrified by what he found in the kitchen he appeared to vomit on camera, calling the restaurant a ‘death trap’ and dramatically ordering all of the diners to stop eating and leave. Happily, after a new Ramsay-approved menu and restaurant makeover, the Bel Aire Diner is thriving, and social media posts suggest that the owners are clearly enjoying the notoriety the show has given them.

The rise of Gordon Ramsay

Gordon Ramsay, once the enfant terrible of the restaurant scene, is one of the most successful celebrity chefs in the world. A TV personality, author, marathon runner and restaurateur he is, above all, an outstanding chef with an enduring presence – even if his talent is occasionally eclipsed by his temper and bad language. Read on to discover how he conquered the world, one restaurant at a time.

The childhood that defined him

Born in Scotland on 8 November 1966, Gordon had a ‘hopelessly itinerant’ childhood, according to his autobiography Humble Pie, suffering abuse from his father, an alcoholic womaniser. Gordon initially wanted to be a professional football player but his promising career was ended by injury. It was this disappointment that spurred him on; he returned to college to study hotel management and has since stated that ‘without the upset… I would not be the chef I am today’.

Early influences

In 1988, after completing his training and trying his hand at a couple of chef jobs, Gordon arrived at Harveys, the hottest restaurant in London at the time and holder of two Michelin stars. His genius blossomed under the tutelage of the brilliant but erratic Marco Pierre White (pictured). Ironically, Gordon – himself a notoriously temperamental chef – is said to have left after nearly three years because of the rages he regularly witnessed.

Ramsay’s mentors

Following a stint at the iconic Le Gavroche under Albert Roux (pictured, left), Gordon moved to France – he speaks fluent French – where he worked for legendary chefs and multiple Michelin-star holders Joël Robuchon and Guy Savoy (the man he regards as his culinary mentor). Marco Pierre White, his father-in-law Chris Hutcheson and Scottish football manager Jock Wallace are also credited as important influences in his life.

Three is the magic number

Back in London, Gordon worked as head chef at Pierre Koffman’s La Tante Claire and the Michelin-starred Aubergine, before launching his first solo venture – Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, pictured – in 1998, at the age of just 31. By 2001, the restaurant had been awarded three Michelin stars, making him the first Scottish chef to win that top honour. It still holds those stars today, and is considered one of London’s best fine dining restaurants.

The start of a restaurant empire

Nestled away down a quiet street in Chelsea, central London, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay remains the jewel in the crown of the chef’s towering empire, despite its small and relatively unassuming dining room. In 2023, Gordon released Restaurant Gordon Ramsay: A Story of Excellence, giving readers an intimate glimpse behind the scenes at the venue and detailing his constantly evolving quest for culinary perfection, as well as providing recipes for 40 signature dishes.