Gordon Grilled Over Factory Food Claims

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posted: 109 DAYS 1 HOUR AGO
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Most Americans know Gordon Ramsay for his screaming persona on 'Hell's Kitchen,' in which he mercilessly rides the contestants about cooking technique, cleanliness and penchant for fresh food. So, new reports in Britain that some of his restaurants are serving up dishes of food that's pre-made in a large factory are sure to irk many purists and customers shelling out serious cash for what they thought lived up to Ramsay's reputation.
According to a report in The Sun, Ramsay's Foxtrot Oscar restaurant serves fishcakes that are made across town and charges a staggering 500 percent mark-up for them -- though that's nothing outlandish in the restaurant biz. The Sun also claims that Ramsay's coq au vin (rooster cooked in wine) is shipped to in huge portions by a van daily.
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    Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay and his wife Tana Ramsay attend the White House Correspondents dinner at the Hilton Hotel on Saturday, May 9, 2009, in Washington, D.C. (Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/MCT)

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    Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay and his wife Tana Ramsay attend the White House Correspondents dinner at the Hilton Hotel on Saturday, May 9, 2009, in Washington, D.C. (Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/MCT)

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    Chef Gordon Ramsay and wife Tana Ramsay arrive at the 2009 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner at Washington Hilton on May 9, 2009 in Washington, DC. 2009 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner Washington Hilton Washington, DC United States May 9, 2009 Photo by Paul Morigi/WireImage.com To license this image (57403757), contact WireImage.com

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    Chef Gordon Ramsay wife Tana Ramsay arrive at the 2009 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner at Washington Hilton on May 9, 2009 in Washington, DC. 2009 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner Washington Hilton Washington, DC United States May 9, 2009 Photo by Paul Morigi/WireImage.com To license this image (57403753), contact WireImage.com

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    Reality television personality and British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay arrives with his wife Tana for the 2009 White House Correspondents Dinner on May 9, 2009 at the Washingto Hilton in Washington, DC. AFP PHOTO / Tim SLOAN (Photo credit should read TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images)

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    Gordon Ramsay, Tana Ramsay and Nell McAndrew takes part in the 29th Flora London Marathon on April 26, 2009 in London, England. 29th Flora London Marathon London, United Kingdom April 26, 2009 Photo by Ferdaus Shamim/WireImage.com To license this image (57286715), contact WireImage.com

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    LONDON - APRIL 26: Gordon Ramsay completes the 2009 Flora London Marathon on April 26, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Gordon Ramsay

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    Gordon Ramsay and Tana Ramsay takes part in the 29th Flora London Marathon on April 26, 2009 in London, England. 29th Flora London Marathon London, United Kingdom April 26, 2009 Photo by Ferdaus Shamim/WireImage.com To license this image (57286511), contact WireImage.com

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    LONDON - APRIL 26: Gordon and Tana Ramsay pose before the 2009 Flora London Marathon on April 26, 2008 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Gordon Ramsay;Tana Ramsay

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    LONDON - APRIL 26: (L-R) Nell McAndrew and Gordon and Tana Ramsay pose before the 2009 Flora London Marathon on April 26, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Gordon Ramsay;Tana Ramsay;Nell McAndrew

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Ramsay insisted to the paper that all of his restaurant's meals are cooked freshly and on premises. The Sun says otherwise, saying at least three of Ramsay's eateries "take ready meals churned out by his mass production backstreet kitchen in a run-down part of South London."
The report goes on to claim that the shipped meals "a team of chefs stuffs them in plastic bags and dispatches them across town."
The report cites that GR Logistics -- Ramsay's catering company -- makes the food that is then served in the restaurants.
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An undercover reporter spoke to Darran Ridley, the factory's head chef, who told him the following: "We provide the majority of the food for Foxtrot Oscar ? everything from coq au vin, starters, terrines, snacks, salmon rillettes, various desserts, braised beef in red wine, beef pie mixes. Anything that takes a long time to cook, any braised items or items in sauces ? we do all of that ... All you have to do is pop it into a pan of boiling water and reheat it."Yet when the same reporter visited Foxtrot Oscar, the assistant manager answered as such: "Yes it's freshly made, definitely. Gordon wants this ? he's very fixed about this."
Following the investigation, a Ramsay spokesperson told the Sun that "on an average day up to 50 per cent of the menu at the three gastropubs and Foxtrot Oscar could be done off-site."
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2009-04-17 08:06:13
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