Scottish by birth, UK chef Gordon Ramsay was brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, and initially aspired to be a professional footballer. However, when an injury prematurely put an end to any hopes of a promising career on the pitch, Ramsay went back to college to complete a course in hotel management. His dedication and natural talent led him to train with some of the world’s leading chefs, including Albert Roux and Marco Pierre White in London, and Guy Savoy and Joël Robuchon in France.

Michelin-starred restaurants

In 1993, Ramsay became head chef of Aubergine in London, and within three years Aubergine was awarded two Michelin stars.

At the age of 31, Ramsay branched out on his own to set up his first wholly-owned and namesake restaurant, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay opened in 1998, and quickly received the most prestigious accolade in the culinary world – three Michelin stars. Today, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay is London’s longest-running restaurant to hold this award, and Ramsay is one of only four chefs in the UK to maintain three stars. Gordon also holds a Michelin star at his other London restaurant Pétrus in Knightsbridge. 

In addition to his stars in the UK, Gordon holds two stars at Le Pressoir d’Argent in Bordeaux and one star at Gordon Ramsay au Trianon in Versailles. 

Global restaurants

Now internationally renowned and holding a number of Michelin stars, Ramsay has opened a string of successful restaurants across the globe, from Italy to the United States. These include a two restaurants in Bordeaux (Le Pressoir D’argent & Le Bordeaux Gordon Ramsay); five restaurants in Las Vegas (Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen at Caesars Palace, Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips at The Linq, Gordon Ramsay Steak at Paris, Gordon Ramsay Pub and Grill at Caesars Palace and Gordon Ramsay Burger at Planet Hollywood); Gordon Ramsay Pub and Grill in Atlantic City;two ventures in Versailles (Gordon Ramsay au Trianon & La Veranda); Bread Street Kitchen in Dubai; two ventures in Doha, Qatar; Bread Street Kitchen and London House in Hong Kong; and Bread Street Kitchen in Singapore.

In the UK, the Gordon Ramsay Group has locations across London, including Union Street Café, London House, Maze, Maze Grill, Bread Street Kitchen, Heddon Street Kitchen and two further maze Grills, one of which is located on the former Aubergine site on Park Walk, Chelsea.

Gordon Ramsay on TV

Ramsay has also become a star of the small screen both in the US and internationally as a TV chef, with four top-rated FOX shows that air in more than 200 territories worldwide. These critically-acclaimed shows include HELL’S KITCHEN, MASTERCHEF, MASTERCHEF JR., and THE F-WORD, as well as UK shows: GORDON RAMSAY ON COCAINE, CULINARY GENIUS, GORDON BEHIND BARS, ULTIMATE COOKERY COURSE, GORDON’S GREAT ESCAPES and GORDON RAMSAY: SHARK BAIT. In 2016, Ramsay launched his own independent next-generation production company, Studio Ramsay, that develops shows and formats for the U.K., U.S. and digital properties. 

Other ventures

While best known as a celebrity chef now, Ramsay is successful in a variety of other ventures outside of food and television. Most notably as a published author, Ramsay has released a number of books, many of which have become bestsellers around the world; including his autobiography, Roasting in Hell’s Kitchen. Aside from this, Ramsay has a global partnership with WWRD (Waterford, Wedgwood, Royal Doulton), which offers quality home and lifestyle products as well a Glu Mobile, where his mobile game Restaurant DASH with Gordon Ramsay has been an international success. 

In 2006, in recognition of all that Ramsay has contributed to the industry, he received an OBE (Order of the British Empire awarded by Queen Elizabeth II). Since then, Ramsay and his wife, Tana, set up the Gordon and Tana Ramsay Foundation in 2014, to make a meaningful difference to the charities that are important to them. You can find out more about the Gordon and Tana Ramsay Foundation here.

Now, Ramsay splits his time between Los Angeles and South London, where he resides with his wife, Tana and four children, along with their dogs, cats and tortoise.