Why Gordon Ramsay Once Lost Michelin Stars
Most of us probably know British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay for his profanity-laden rants, shock of blonde hair, or his seemingly never-ending supply of simple recipes for us to try at home, such as this scrambled eggs classic. What many younger readers might not realize is that before his days of TV stardom and social media dominance, Ramsay was (and still is) a highly respected chef in fine dining and gastronomical circles. In fact, the Brit (though technically he's Scottish by birth) has earned a remarkable 17 Michelin stars over his long career.
But losing a Michelin star is an unfortunate experience for any chef. After all those years of hard work and sacrifice, the long hours, and understaffed services, to be publicly embarrassed like that must be excruciating, especially for a celebrity chef like Ramsay with all the extra pressure that brings. So imagine his dismay in 2013 when he lost not one Michelin star but two, as was the case at The London, the sweary Brit's former restaurant in a Manhattan hotel. And with the demotion, Ramsay made history for all the wrong reasons. According to Eater, this was the first time any restaurant had lost both of its stars at the same time. So, what went wrong?
Consistency is key
In the world of fine dining, getting a Michelin star is one thing but maintaining it is an entirely different proposition. The secretive Michelin reviewers regularly re-visit starred restaurants to make sure they're keeping up standards and maintaining consistency. And it seems consistency was exactly the problem for Ramsay and The London. Michelin guide director Michael Ellis told Bloomberg, "We've had issues with consistency, and consistency is a huge thing for us ... we've had some very erratic meals [there]." He explained that the major two-star downgrade was a difficult decision to make but the Michelin team felt it was the right thing to do.
Fair enough. But Ramsay can't say he wasn't warned. Around a year before The London's embarrassing demotion, a Michelin reviewer tweeted that he'd been in for dinner and not exactly enjoyed it. Still, when the news hit Ramsay didn't take it well, as you might imagine. The Daily Mail reported that when appearing on a Norwegian TV show the sweary chef said, "I started crying when I lost my stars. It's a very emotional thing for any chef... It's like losing a girlfriend. You want her back."
But why exactly did Gordon Ramsay lose his Michelin stars? What was going on behind the scenes? Well, after those "erratic meals" Ellis and the Michelin team were left wondering what was going on in the back of the house. Ellis told Bloomberg, "There's been quite a bit of instability at the restaurant quite frankly ..."
Fingers in too many pies?
So, how is it possible that there could be instability in the kitchen of a Gordon Ramsay restaurant, a man with such infamous drive and discipline? Well, that's where the real reason Ramsay lost his stars becomes a little clearer. Put simply, Ramsay was a chef with his fingers in too many pies, if you'll pardon the pun. Ramsay has several TV shows, writes books, appears at events, and, of course, has several restaurants around the world, so he couldn't exactly give The London his undivided attention.
Despite the fact Ramsay put in millions of his own money to open The London back in 2006, the demands of keeping up his international culinary empire meant that he wasn't around much. In 2008 the restaurant was awarded two stars, and then a year later, in 2009, Ramsay sold the restaurant to The London Hotel but it kept his name and brand. The London PR team said in a statement (via Eater), "Gordon Ramsay is not involved in the day-to-day running of the restaurants or kitchens," and visited just a few times a
year. Adding to all this, The London didn't even have an Executive chef for a stretch, which is not exactly ideal for a restaurant trying to maintain two Michelin stars. It's a situation that sounds like a recipe for instability and inconsistency — not something Michelin reviewers will accept, regardless of the name and face fronting the restaurant.