How Gordon Ramsay went from timid apprentice to celebrity chef with a huge restaurant empire

Polly ThompsonApr 21, 2024, 18:36 IST

British Chef Gordon Ramsey shouts instructions from his kitchen at his Chelsea restaurant 19 January 2001.GERRY PENNY/Getty

Gordon Ramsay grew up with a disadvantaged childhood.

If Gordon Ramsay had a dollar for every time he shouted the F-word … he'd probably still be the multi-millionaire he is today.

The global celebrity chef places 19th on Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid celebrities and has amassed a substantial fortune. Ramsay's net worth isn't known, but estimates range from $220 million to $750 million.

But the star chef wasn't always surrounded by the trappings of success that he enjoys today.

Ramsay grew up in an abusive household and relied at times on handouts from neighbors. It was only through dedication and perfectionism that he made it to the top of his game.

"I'd like to be remembered for perfection. Because it's an absolute bitch to get right, but when it is, it's the most beautiful fucking thing on the planet," he told GQ.

This is how the foul-mouthed, Michelin-starred celebrity chef made his way up in the world.

Gordon Ramsay grew up in council housing on the outskirts of Glasgow

FOX/Getty

Gordon James Ramsay was born in Johnstone, a town on the outskirts of Glasgow, Scotland, in 1966.

His mother was a nurse, and his father, also called Gordon, was a swimming pool manager, welder, and shopkeeper.

In his autobiography, Humble Pie, Ramsay revealed that his father had abused and neglected his children.

'He hit us when he was drunk, things were thrown, we had to run for our lives. We spent many nights, weekends, hidden in DHSS rooms," Ramsay told the Daily Telegraph in 2008.

When Ramsay was nine, he moved with his parents and three siblings to Stratford-upon-Avon in England. He did not reconcile with his father, who died in 1997.

Gordon James Ramsay was born in Johnstone, a town on the outskirts of Glasgow, Scotland, in 1966.

His mother was a nurse, and his father, also called Gordon, was a swimming pool manager, welder, and shopkeeper.

In his autobiography, Humble Pie, Ramsay revealed that his father had abused and neglected his children.

'He hit us when he was drunk, things were thrown, we had to run for our lives. We spent many nights, weekends, hidden in DHSS rooms, Ramsay told the Daily Telegraph in 2008.

When Ramsay was nine, he moved with his parents and three siblings to Stratford-upon-Avon in England. He did not reconcile with his father, who died in 1997.

After an injury killed his hopes for a career in soccer, Ramsay pursued cooking

Gordon Ramsay in 1999.TV Times/Getty

Ramsay had aspired to be a professional soccer player as a child and by the age of 12 had made it onto a national youth team. He had been training with the Scottish team Rangers for several months when a knee injury ended his career as a sportsman.

Instead, he turned to the kitchen, a decision which he later called "a complete accident."

After studying hotel management at North Oxfordshire Technical College, he started work as a commis chef in the mid-80s.

Instead, he turned to the kitchen, a decision which he later called a complete accident.

After studying hotel management at North Oxfordshire Technical College, he started work as a commis chef in the mid-80s.

An apprenticeship under legend Marco Pierre White taught the young chef how to run a serious kitchen

British chef Marco Pierre White, pictured here in 1987, was the first British chef to earn three Michelin stars.Bryn Colton/Getty

When he was 19, Ramsay entered the kitchen of Marco Pierre White.

White was the first British chef to be awarded three coveted Michelin stars and is often called the first "celebrity chef." He ran the kitchen at his restaurant Harvey's in the high-pressure, cutthroat style notorious at the time, but now viewed as toxic by some restauranteurs.

White was known for being volatile and even made the famously tough Ramsay cry.

Though the two chefs had a long-running feud, Ramsay has credited White with instilling a perfectionist mentality in him and showing him he could reach for the impossible.

"I stood alongside Marco for two years. Side-by-side for 16 hours a day. It was relentless," he said in a 2023 episode of the High Performance Podcast.

"I was in that pursuit of perfection and this guy put food on a plate like Picasso. I wanted to get that level of discipline."

When he was 19, Ramsay entered the kitchen of Marco Pierre White.

White was the first British chef to be awarded three coveted Michelin stars and is often called the first celebrity chef. He ran the kitchen at his restaurant Harvey's in the high-pressure, cutthroat style notorious at the time, but now viewed as toxic by some restauranteurs.

White was known for being volatile and even made the famously tough Ramsay cry.

Though the two chefs had a long-running feud, Ramsay has credited White with instilling a perfectionist mentality in him and showing him he could reach for the impossible.

I stood alongside Marco for two years. Side-by-side for 16 hours a day. It was relentless, he said in a 2023 episode of the High Performance Podcast.

I was in that pursuit of perfection and this guy put food on a plate like Picasso. I wanted to get that level of discipline.

"I was hungry" — Ramsay worked his way through restaurants, reaching for Michelin star glory

Delighted British Chef Gordon Ramsey with his staff in the kitchen at his Chelsea restaurant 19 January 2001, after being awarded three Michelin stars.GERRY PENNY/Getty

After a couple of years at Harvey's, he moved to the 3-Michelin Star French Restaurant, Le Gavroche; and also apprenticed under French icons like Albert Roux, Pierre Koffman, Guy Savoy, and Joel Robuchon.

In 1993, he took on his first gig as head chef in the restaurant Aubergine in London. After 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.

"I was hungry. I was in pursuit of something to better myself," Ramsay said in an interview with the High Performance Podcast.

By 1997, he had founded his first restaurant group, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, and started gathering a handful more Michelin Stars. But it was in 2001 that he received the coveted accolade of three stars from the Michelin Guide for his flagship restaurant, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay.

He was only the second British chef to be awarded three stars at the time, after White.

I was hungry. I was in pursuit of something to better myself, Ramsay said in an interview with the High Performance Podcast.

He was only the second British chef to be awarded three stars at the time, after White.

In 2005, Ramsay started appearing on American TV screens. He hasn't left since

Gordon Ramsay hosting an episode of Hells Kitchen, which has been running in the US since 2005.FOX/Getty

After hitting the Michelin milestone, Ramsay began his journey into the world of TV.

After a brief debut on the British show "Boiling Point" in 1999, he started hosting the British versions of shows like "Hell's Kitchen," "The F-Word," and "Kitchen Nightmares."

In 2005, "Hell's Kitchen" made its way across the pond to the US, soon followed by "Kitchen Nightmares."

It was through the screen that his fans fell in love with his brash, profanity-laden persona and the occasional heartwarming pride he held for the chefs brave enough to sign up for his shows.

"Hell's Kitchen" is now in its 22nd US season and draws in millions of viewers.

According to Forbes, Ramsay's shows accounted for more than $150 million yearly in ad sales for Fox in 2020.

After hitting the Michelin milestone, Ramsay began his journey into the world of TV.

After a brief debut on the British show Boiling Point in 1999, he started hosting the British versions of shows like Hell's Kitchen, The F-Word, and Kitchen Nightmares.

In 2005, Hell's Kitchen made its way across the pond to the US, soon followed by Kitchen Nightmares.

It was through the screen that his fans fell in love with his brash, profanity-laden persona and the occasional heartwarming pride he held for the chefs brave enough to sign up for his shows.

Hell's Kitchen is now in its 22nd US season and draws in millions of viewers.

According to Forbes, Ramsay's shows accounted for more than $150 million yearly in ad sales for Fox in 2020.

Alongside show business, Ramsay has continued building an empire of 58 restaurants

A branch of Hell's Kitchen Restaurant in Harrah's Resort Southern California.Daniel Knighton/Getty

The chef's growing celebrity persona helped attract hungry fans to his growing network of restaurants.

From casual bars & grills to 3-Michelin star white table experiences that can set you back more than $1,000, Ramsay has built a sweeping empire of restaurants.

During the COVID pandemic, Ramsay said that his restaurants lost $80 million in turnover. But today, the British chef owns 58 restaurants in countries including the UK, the US, China, Malaysia, and France.

His signature establishment, and one of the most opulent, is Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in the affluent area of Chelsea, London. Other renowned favorites include Hell's Kitchen, The Fat Cow, Pétrus, and Le Pressoir D'Argent.

The Ramsay empire is still expanding and a second location of Gordon Ramsay Burger at the Flamingo Las Vegas was recently announced. The restaurant will cover 8,000 square feet and will be his seventh restaurant in Sin City, according to Eater.

The chef's growing celebrity persona helped attract hungry fans to his growing network of restaurants.

From casual bars & grills to 3-Michelin star white table experiences that can set you back more than $1,000, Ramsay has built a sweeping empire of restaurants.

Ramsay's family helped soften his fiery temper

From left, Megan Ramsay, Gordon Ramsay, Matilda Ramsay, Tana Ramsay, Holly Ramsay, and Jack Ramsay in 2016.Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP

Ramsay married his wife, Tana, in 1996 when he was 29.

Tana, a former Montessori-trained teacher, chef, and cookbook author had been engaged to someone else when she met Ramsay at a New Year's Eve party in London, she told the Guardian in 2008.

The couple initially struggled to conceive and went through in-vitro fertilization before welcoming their first child, Megan, in 1998.

Tana gave birth to their sixth child, Jesse, last November. They are also parents to twins Jack and Holly, 23; Matilda, 22; and Oscar, 5.

Ramsay, known for his fiery temper, told People that having children has "brought the emotion" out of him.

But he has compared having six kids to "running a restaurant where no one goes home."

Ramsay married his wife, Tana, in 1996 when he was 29.

Tana, a former Montessori-trained teacher, chef, and cookbook author had been engaged to someone else when she met Ramsay at a New Year's Eve party in London, she told the Guardian in 2008.

The couple initially struggled to conceive and went through in-vitro fertilization before welcoming their first child, Megan, in 1998.

Tana gave birth to their sixth child, Jesse, last November. They are also parents to twins Jack and Holly, 23; Matilda, 22; and Oscar, 5.

Ramsay, known for his fiery temper, told People that having children has brought the emotion out of him.

But he has compared having six kids to running a restaurant where no one goes home.

Despite earning millions of dollars, Ramsay is still working hard today

Ramsay arrives at the FOX Winter press junket red carpet in December 2023.FOX/Getty

Another milestone in Ramsay's rise to success came when he was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006 for his services to the hospitality industry.

But despite his success, he has at times disparaged his celebrity persona.

"'Don't call me that. I am a chef who happens to appear on the telly, that's it. I am a grafter. I work my arse off. So it's wrong to give me that title," he told The Telegraph in 2008. "Being called a celebrity makes a mockery of how hard I have worked."

That hasn't stopped him from lining up a range of celebrity friends, including David Beckham and Gigi Hadid.

In recent years, Ramsay's TikTok career has also taken off, and he has 20 million subscribers on his YouTube account.

Another milestone in Ramsay's rise to success came when he was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006 for his services to the hospitality industry.

But despite his success, he has at times disparaged his celebrity persona.

'Don't call me that. I am a chef who happens to appear on the telly, that's it. I am a grafter. I work my arse off. So it's wrong to give me that title, he told The Telegraph in 2008. Being called a celebrity makes a mockery of how hard I have worked.

That hasn't stopped him from lining up a range of celebrity friends, including David Beckham and Gigi Hadid.

In recent years, Ramsay's TikTok career has also taken off, and he has 20 million subscribers on his YouTube account.

Ramsay has also dedicated time and money to supporting a range of charities and helping disadvantaged individuals

Ramsay (R) runs alongside a young Prince William during a charity sports run in 2004.GAndrew Parsons/Getty

Having spoken out about the struggles of his disadvantaged childhood, Ramsay has also shared his wealth with a number of philanthropic causes, including those close to his own experiences.

For years, he has supported the charity Women's Aid, which runs refuges for victims of domestic violence, and supported his own mother in the past.

In 2020, Ramsay quietly donated $50,000 to help with the medical bills for a 14-year-old MasterChef junior contestant who had cancer.

He and his wife, Tana, also have a charitable foundation that has previously committed to raising $2 million for Make-A-Wish and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Recently, Ramsay helped a terminally ill woman fulfill her bucket list dream of meeting him and dining at one of his restaurants after spotting her viral video on TikTok.