26 things you probably didn’t know about Gordon Ramsay
Gordon Ramsay is famous for his no-holds-barred persona on shows like “Kitchen Nightmares.”
He has five kids, competes in Ironman competitions, and almost became a professional soccer player.His favorite fast-food order is a double cheeseburger “animal style”Gordon Ramsay is Scottish but was raised in England.Gordon Ramsay in New York City in 2018. Roy Rochlin/Getty Images.He was born in Johnstone, Scotland, on November 8, 1966. His family moved to Stratford-upon-Avon in England when Ramsay was 5 years old.Ramsay almost pursued a career in professional football, or soccer, but he didn’t due to an injury.
At an early age, Ramsay decided to pursue a career in professional football (aka soccer).At the age of 15, Ramsay joined the professional football club the Glasgow Rangers, and his family moved back to Scotland for the opportunity.”My dad was a Rangers fan and fantastically proud of me,” Ramsay told the Observer Sport Monthly in 2002. “But it was hard and very stressful. Never knowing if you were going to make it. I was petrified most of the time.”He played with the team for three years until a knee injury ended his dreams of becoming a professional footballer.”It was a heart-ache,” he told the Observer, adding: “I still love football, though, and I think cooking is like football. It’s not a job, it’s a passion. When you become good at it, it’s a dream job.”
In his early culinary career, Ramsay apprenticed under Marco Pierre White, Joel Robuchon, and Guy Savoy, among others. At just 27 years old, however, Ramsay began his own career as a master chef. In 1993, he became head chef of the newly opened Aubergine restaurant in London.
In just three years, Ramsay earned the restaurant a two-star Michelin rating, and in 1995, he was named Newcomer of the Year at the prestigious Catey Awards.
He now has 58 restaurants around the world.
The entrance to Gordon Ramsay’s Malaysia restaurant.
The entrance to Gordon Ramsay’s Malaysia restaurant. Marielle Descalsota/Insider
Ramsay has restaurants — some with Michelin stars — in countries including the UK, China, and Malaysia. He has more than a dozen restaurants in the US, in cities including Las Vegas, Chicago, and Orlando, Florida.
Insider’s Shaan Merchant visited Ramsay’s newest restaurant in Boston, Ramsay’s Kitchen, in February 2022 and was less than impressed.
Ramsay was once the highest-earning chef in the world.
gordon ramsay
Gordon Ramsay. Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Ramsay was once the richest chef in the world, due in part to his many television shows including “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Kitchen Nightmares,” “MasterChef,” “Hotel Hell,” and “Faking It.” According to Forbes, Ramsay’s shows account for more than $150 million yearly in ad sales for Fox.
According to Money Inc., in 2021, Ramsay was surpassed in wealth only by British TV chef Jamie Oliver, despite his restaurant empire filing for bankruptcy in May 2019.
He speaks fluent French.
When Ramsay moved to France to study under some of the greatest chefs at the time, he said he couldn’t speak “a word of French.”
After becoming fluent in the language, he quickly got a promotion at Guy Savoy’s Michelin-star restaurant. Now that he didn’t have to work side jobs, he could explore Parisian cuisine for himself.
“I would go knocking on the doors for menus for a menu collection. I have over 3,500 menus now, I just love reading through them. They’re all filed A-Z in a filing drawer at home, it’s like a big pullout console at the end of the bed. It’s always close to me, always,” he told Restaurant Insider in 2007.
He has been married to his wife, Tana, for 26 years.
Gordon Ramsay and Tana Ramsay
Gordon and Tana Ramsay have been married since December 21, 1996. They are well-known philanthropists.
The Gordon and Tana Ramsay Foundation helps to support the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity to “give some of the sickest children the best chance in life,” according to the chef’s website.
