Gordon Ramsay biography

Synopsis

Profile

Born Gordon James Ramsay on November 8, 1966, in Glasgow, Scotland. Raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, after he moved there with his family at the age of 5. Ramsay's first love was soccer, and he set his sights on a professional sports career. At the age of 15, the talented Ramsay joined the Glasgow Rangers, a pro club.

His time with the team spanned three years until 1985, when a knee injury prematurely ended his career. Forced to start over, Ramsay returned to college for a degree in hotel management. After finishing his studies, Ramsay placed himself under the direction of some of Europe's top chefs. He apprenticed with Marco Pierre White at Harvey's in London, worked for Albert Roux at Le Gavroche, then worked under master chefs Jol Robuchon and Guy Savoy in France.

In 1993, Ramsay struck out on his own as head chef of the newly opened Aubergine in London, where over the course of three years he earned the restaurant a two-star rating from Michelin. For Ramsay, more personal prestige followed in 1995, when he was awarded Newcomer of the Year at the prestigious Catey Awards, an Oscars-like event for the restaurant and hotel business.

When the restaurant's financial backing became shaky, however, Ramsay left Aubergine and opened his own establishment, Gordon Ramsay, in 1998 in London. Hailed as a destination for high-end foodies, the restaurant eventually received a three-star rating from Michelin. That same year, Ramsay's celebrity profile was cranked up several levels with the release of his first book, Passion for Flavour.

The next several years proved to be a whirlwind for the ambitious, hard-driving and temperamental Ramsay. He opened several new restaurants, including Petrus in London, a second Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's, and eventually Verre in Dubai. He also added to his book titles (Passion for Seafood was published in 1999; Chef for all Seasons appeared a year later) as well as his trophy list. In 2000, he won the coveted Chef of the Year at the Catey Awards. Six years later, he was named Officer of the Order of the British Empire.

Ramsay's migration to television began in the late 1990s when he became the focus of a British television documentary, Boiling Point, which tracked the chef's working life as he opened his first restaurant. The success of that mini-film eventually launched a reality series by the same name.

The program, which pitted the tongue lashing Ramsay with celebrity understudies such as former Conservative MP Edwin Curry, immediately captivated audiences and led to a second program, Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, in 2004.

With reality television in full bloom in the U.S., it only seemed natural that the Ramsay brand be brought across the Atlantic.