Being Gordon Ramsay (2026) s01e03 Episode Script
Episode 3
1
Did you know,
originally I was gonna be called Scott,
not Gordon?
- "Scott Ramsay" just doesn't kind of--
- Scott's a lot better than fucking Gordon.
I'm obviously seven years older than you,
but there was a horrific--
- Eight.
- Seven.
- There was a--
- Eight.
Depending where you are. August, November.
- Seven and a half. Seven and a half.
- They're quite close.
There was an awful song at school,
at Stratford High,
by Jilted John,
called "Gordon Is A Moron,"
in the early--
Wow.
Wow.
I've gotta… I've gotta just play this,
Jilted John, "Gordon Is A Moron."
'Cause it still comes back to haunt…
When I hear it on the radio now,
I switch the thing off.
Here we go.
Jilted John, "Gordon Is A Moron."
I didn't realize you had such a big thing
about your name.
Yeah. Ready?
So every time I was at a disco,
I'd hear this. Ready?
I've been going out with a girl
Her name is Julie
But last night, she said to me
When we were watching telly…
T…
Listen. Here we go.
Building up to the chorus.
I know he's a moron
Gordon is a moron
I mean, fucking hell.
Gordon is a moron, Gordon is…
I love the fact
this song has affected you so much.
You never knew that, did you?
I'm going to play it to Oscar later.
No, don't. Don't. No.
I tell you what, have they got any music
to play over the opening titles?
Here we go, two, three, four
I was so upset that I cried
All the way to the chip shop
When I came out, there was Gordon
Standing at the bus stop…
Shall we?
Morning.
- How are you?
- Excellent.
Good. Good.
I'll… I'll stop two seconds then.
- Hello. Quick selfie?
- Thank you.
- Let me jump out. Quick.
- Quickly.
One, two and three.
- There we are. Take care. Have a good day.
- Thank you.
Selfies everywhere.
My pace is a thousand miles an hour.
It looks chaotic, frantic and mad,
but it's controlled chaos.
So it's the cocktail
influencer class this afternoon,
and then tonight the event with the mayor
and some Dolphins players.
Seriously? That's packed.
And the pressure this year, it's massive.
And there's no time to stop.
22 Bishopsgate, it's going to be
the most ambitious project
I've ever, ever opened in my entire life.
It was supposed to be
not one restaurant, but five.
But now, Bread Street's delayed,
so we're down one.
And I'll be honest,
Bread Street was our safety net.
And that thing was, you know,
into the millions of turnover.
So, you know, the shit has hit the fan,
and the pressure's on.
Financially, now those four unique
businesses have to open on time.
Yeah, beneath the wrinkles and the smile,
I'm quietly shitting oneself.
We've got two weeks
till we break up for Christmas,
and then we're back on 2nd January.
The restaurant opens on 3rd February,
so that's when they'll have bums on seats.
So, uh…
Yeah, it's busy.
The main kitchen's going in now.
And it's quite big and heavy,
so we've got to be mindful
how we get that in
and not cause any damage
to any of the finishes up there as well.
Oh, for fuck's sakes!
So I've got that crazy
Bishopsgate site going on there,
and that's full-on, 1,000 miles an hour.
But I can't always be there,
because that's what it's like
running the… the global business.
It's not just the restaurants
keeping me busy.
From a TV program to a TV ad
to a podcast to a social media post.
You want me to film?
How will you make a cocktail
with a phone in one hand and a cocktail
in the other? How's that possible?
I hate it when they think that
you are more interested as a TV chef
than a real chef.
And I balk at that,
because, yeah,
I fucking worked hard in a kitchen,
and I work hard on TV.
I didn't sacrifice
the restaurants for the TV,
and I haven't used the TV to fake
what's going on in the restaurants.
The restaurants are real.
But for me, they go hand in glove,
and one feeds off the other.
Shut it down!
This place is like the plague.
Kitchen Nightmares,
we've done over 10 seasons,
in excess of 100 episodes,
and traveled, I think,
nearly every state in America.
I… I'm very proud of that show.
Let's go.
It was the sort of first real insight
to the danger
of playing at running a restaurant.
And I called it straight as a die.
I wasn't fucking around.
Run the fucking food, now.
Run.
Something you haven't done
in 19 fucking years.
When they say, "You've left the industry.
You've got too famous to be a chef,"
I'm like, "Fuck off. That's ridiculous."
I will still go behind that line,
and I will still prove that I can do it.
Fuck's sake. Come on, man.
We're a little bit behind,
but I need you talking, yes?
You have two minutes. Just dropped.
My life is so different now.
Gordon, we love you!
If you'd said to me, you know,
20 years ago, "Hey, guess what."
"You're gonna have an empire,
multiple businesses,
and then you're gonna crack America."
Hello, mate.
You want to go on MasterChef Junior?
- Yeah!
- Do you?
I don't think I'd be able
to sort of comprehend
what that kind of spotlight
would have looked like.
Good night. Thank you. Good night.
But I'd still be disappointed
if they thought
that I'd sort of sold my soul
because of the popularity.
They've got no fucking idea
what's the most important thing to me,
and that's my reputation as a chef.
We watch Gordon Ramsay all the time,
and I just… I just love him to pieces.
I love our little town,
and I'm so glad he's here.
What is that?
You ride with that on the back?
- Yes.
- My God!
- I programmed all this.
- Right.
Thanks, Gordon. We love you.
Can I FaceTime the boys to say goodnight?
Oscar's on the loo?
Maybe let's not FaceTime him on the loo.
It is very hard when someone is away a lot
and has a job as demanding as Gordon.
You know, 30-odd years,
and it's never got any easier.
Hello?
- Hey!
- Hi!
Oh my God,
look at the speed he's crawling now.
- God, he is like a rocket, honestly.
- I know. Oh my God.
There has been times
when it has been hard,
and I think that's what we learnt then,
wasn't it?
It's just appropriate to sort of
stay in each other's lives
and make an effort to connect.
I'll meet Gordon on location,
and he'll be on set,
and I'll, you know, go to the hotel
to sort of have a shower,
get changed and go meet him,
and your hotel room is so meticulous.
You've left everything
your side of the bed,
and, like, the other side's ready for me.
It makes me sad that he's been on his own,
- but then happy…
- Yeah.
…that we can just sort of have
that couple of days.
- We miss you.
- I miss you too.
Say "goodnight Daddy."
- Night, Dad!
- Bye, Osc.
Oh Jesus. I'll let you go.
Love you, darling.
But also, Gordon has changed.
He's become disciplined
at having time off.
And I think, that's why sometimes
he's just like, "Okay,
that month in summer, I'm not working."
He's not gonna be on set. He's not gonna
physically be anywhere but Cornwall.
I keep thinking that's a helicopter,
but it's not. It's a bird.
Cornwall is very much our happy place.
It's like you go there,
and after a day or two of just simply
enjoying being outside, being together,
you kind of get a sense of calm.
And… and that's really special.
So excited.
I actually can't quite believe it.
Gordon's been away for six weeks,
but it's been far too long. We can't wait.
- Catch!
- Ooh.
Whoo! Over your head!
It'll be chaotic.
Oscar will be given sweets
by the bucketload.
And, um, yeah,
I'll just fade into the background.
Oscar, I think, is going to want
every moment of his time. Fair enough.
Oh, is that an aeroplane?
I think I can hear it.
There! There! There!
Start waving!
- Hello!
- This way!
Over here, Daddy!
Daddy, land here!
Oh, look at that. Isn't that amazing, Osc?
Daddy!
Daddy.
You know what you say
to the helicopter, Oscar?
"Thank you for bringing
my daddy home safely."
Daddy.
Go on, baby! Go! Quick!
- Go!
- Go, go, go!
Hello, Daddy!
- Hello.
- Hello.
Oh, mate! Hello! You're so big!
- Oh, bud, you good?
- Yeah.
- You've grown again.
- Thanks.
You've grown!
- Oh Dad, it's so good to see you.
- …lovely.
Long time, Gord.
- Can I take anything?
- I'm bursting for a pee. I'm so sorry.
Oh my God. But honestly--
Daddy, you can pee in here!
- Sorry?
- You can do a wee here.
- I can do a wee there?
- No.
- Osc!
- Come on, quick.
So, I'll sit next to you, please, yes?
- Daddy.
- Oh, mate.
T?
T?
- T!
- I don't know what you're talk…
Jesus. How--
Take off my glasses!
They're my new glasses!
You're gonna stretch them!
Whenever Gordon gets back from being away,
all sort of normal, day-to-day routines
go out the window.
It drives me absolutely crazy.
Oscar Bear.
- Dad.
- What?
It's not even ten o'clock.
For someone
who is so conscious about everything,
you do love to give Oscar
an overload of sweets.
It's a fruit pastille, for God's sake.
It's a bit of sugar to wake him up.
Yeah, 'cause he's so tired.
Oscar, what do your friends call Daddy?
The sweetie man.
It's one fruit pastille.
I think I disrupt everyone's routine
because Tana's super disciplined,
sometimes a little bit too disciplined.
Too disciplined?
I think you need to leave everyone
to do things their way.
You think he's overheating
with that jumper on?
- Dad…
- His face is all red.
He is fine. You're on it this morning.
No.
Like, it's hard to let him back in,
which sounds weird,
but Gordon has sort of said to me,
it's kind of hard
to get back into the groove,
and we'll end up
sort of having an argument,
and then everything is fine.
Here you go, bud.
Can I have a kiss, please?
- Dad!
- It's one fruit pastille.
I think it is like some kind of disorder.
"Sweetie man" disorder.
I miss this big time when I'm away,
and I try to blend in quickly.
And it's hard.
It takes me about 24 hours
just to sort of relax.
So this place is just like a…
a little getaway, a little hideout.
Jesus Christ. There's the Great White,
the man himself.
Have you got a picture of your hero?
Marco.
He, uh… He's always looking on,
staring down.
Working for Marco Pierre White
was probably one of the best things
that ever happened to me
because it transformed me.
A year in, Marco had gone up
to Yorkshire for an event
and said,
"You're on your own for a couple of days."
I'm like, "Fuck, what?"
I'm 22, and I'm running Harveys.
And so I made all the sauces,
boned out the pig's trotters,
stuffed them, made the raviolis.
And then I was so excited
for Marco to come back,
and I had all the sauces out.
I watched him taste them all
with such excitement.
And he turned around and he said,
"They're fucking shit."
"What the fuck are you doing?"
And I knew he was lying.
I saw the feedback, and it was like,
"Send Marco my best.
Tell Marco that's ama…"
And Marco wasn't even
in the fucking kitchen, so…
That was my passport then.
That's when I knew I've got this.
Yeah, there's Kitchen Nightmares,
and then this one from the Michelin,
handing out all the awards,
all those stars.
Is it always the aim to get those stars?
I think the stars are just a confirmation.
Just how fucking good you are.
And every chef would be lying
if they didn't want that recognition.
You know, as a footballer, you want
the Champions League or Premier League.
As a chef, you want that star.
And as I got my first star,
Marco was celebrating his third star,
so it was sort of the beginning for me
and the climax for him.
Because then that set the tone.
I was like,
"Fuck it. Okay, let's get two."
"Let's get three."
So these things are fucking powerful,
and they're also devastating.
Because when you lose them,
you know, it's a bitch.
Because then you feel like
the biggest fucking idiot in the industry,
and so you're embarrassed.
And I've lost stars,
and whether it's inconsistency,
moving on,
shutting the restaurant down, um…
Yeah, so… it's a double-edged sword.
But it's the…
It's at the sharp end. That's exactly
where you want to fucking be.
So we're going
to Restaurant Gordon Ramsay HQ.
A couple of little tastings
ahead of, uh, Bishopsgate.
I know it's early,
but if we're gonna call it
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay High, then…
Fuck me, we need to deliver.
We need to deliver.
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay,
it's fine dining, right?
So it's unique food.
It's perfection beyond belief.
James Goodyear is gonna be heading up
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay High.
And he's not from the stable,
so we're going a little bit off-piste.
But I've created a safety net for James.
You know, he's sat with Kim and Matt,
the number one
and number two of the flagship.
He's had a chance to really start
getting that understanding
of Restaurant Gordon Ramsay.
Here we are.
Still get chills driving past.
And we sacrificed fucking everything
to get the keys to this thing.
The Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
started with nothing.
Our only security was a flat we bought.
Cheers, mate. Thanks, bud.
And then I convinced Tana to sell that.
I remember the time when you said,
"We need to have a chat."
- Meg was newborn.
- Mmm.
We sat in our living room,
and you said to me,
"I think we're going to need
to sell our home."
So it was scary.
The bank wouldn't invest.
You know, dreamer. Thanks, but no, thanks.
But I think in order…
Because of the hunger
to move forward, to achieve,
we were never not going to do it.
We just had to get our heads 'round it.
I still get more nervous walking through
the front door than the back door.
Morning, guys.
Because I want to be with the deliveries.
I can honestly walk in that dining room
and close my eyes
and still walk in between the tables
and know each and every space,
each and every chair.
- Hey. You good?
- How are you?
- Kim, how old is this one?
- Twenty.
He looks fucking 12.
Honestly, I swear to God.
Royal Hospital Road's
very own Harry Potter.
Twenty. Amazing.
I couldn't afford a filet mignon
on our first menu. I had to use oxtail.
But I still won two Michelin stars
with oxtail.
Then when we got our second Michelin star,
I thought,
"Shit, we can afford
to buy a filet mignon."
Two stars, it's like, you know,
wow, we're getting serious now.
The top 1%.
And then everyone's saying,
"How do you get three stars?"
Well, you've got to be… individual,
and you have to stand out.
And when you get that third star,
everyone says it's a sigh of relief,
but it's not a sigh of relief.
It's fucking magical.
James, how long do you need?
- Ten minutes, chef?
- Yeah.
Your parents, what did they think?
Mum would pop in and see the staff
and say hello to the team in the kitchen,
but way too intimidated
to sit down and eat.
Dad would never have felt comfortable
in that scenario.
We went for a breakfast together.
And there was this full English breakfast
with fried bread.
And I said to the guy in the caff,
"Can I just have some toast, please?"
Dad said, "See, you've gone fucking posh.
You've forgotten your upbringing."
If I tried to show him
what I'd learned or what I'd done,
it was just over his head.
And suddenly, a year later,
you know, he dies of a heart attack.
So, yeah.
No, never once sat down at a table,
and I never had the chance to turn around
and say, "That's for my dad."
What a shame!
Yeah. Yeah, that's life.
Hey, James. Come over.
Sit down. Sit down.
I've got great things planned for James.
I think the capabilities
are sort of beyond
one star, two star, three star.
I think he can get that high.
But the menu at 22 Bishopsgate
needs to be fucking immaculate.
And I'm a tough chef to work for.
So, Kim, lead the way, please.
What we have here
is our Colchester oyster custard.
And then on the side,
we have oyster tempura.
And in the gel, is there any
chopped up oyster in there?
- No.
- No?
It's delicious.
The only thing I'd suggest is,
before you put the custard in,
get some pickle at the bottom.
- Mm-hmm.
- And does it need to be that big?
They're big fucking oyster shells,
aren't they?
It's just a lot to eat, isn't it?
- No?
- I think it's light enough.
- Mm-hmm.
- Personally.
Yeah, I think that
it's very creamy, very light.
- Not too rich either.
- Yeah.
Mm. That's very nice. Very nice indeed.
I'm inspired by nature and produce.
Working with fantastic ingredients
and working with the seasons,
that's what connects me to food.
And I try and represent that
whenever I cook.
I'm passionate about
being the best at whatever I do.
And, you know,
being at the top is what I enjoy,
and that's where I want to be.
Everyone in the world
is looking at Gordon Ramsay's new,
sort of, restaurant in the sky.
But I think I'm just focusing on
delivering to the best of my ability.
And, you know,
I'm confident that that's good enough.
I think if you have self-doubt,
then, you know, you shouldn't
really be in a position like this.
- Go down that door there, please.
- This way. This next one.
It's a building site.
Try not to kill or get killed.
To your average diner,
the footprint of Bishopsgate is enormous.
But per millimeter, per square foot,
it's one of the most expensive
real estates in London.
- We don't use that much.
- We use that much.
Academy, Lucky Cat and RGR High
have gotta share these facilities.
- Correct.
- This is all three of us, four of us.
This is tiny.
This is fucking tiny.
Chefs want more space than ever before.
Waiters want the biggest stations
on the planet.
And so there's a scramble, there's a fight
for every inch, every millimeter
of that floor.
- We need to find more space.
- We could get racks built.
Yeah, definitely,
we'll definitely do racks.
But we've got to think of BSK
when that opens as well.
It all comes down to the cost.
So you need to be super efficient
and you need to work together
and you need to share areas.
We've got to share it
between three businesses.
Look, everything will work.
You know, it's just… It's a lot, but…
it'll be fine.
There's never a truer word.
All good food comes out of a small kitchen
because it produces greatness,
because you have absolute, utter control.
It's great to be in the space.
It's gonna be so nice and intimate.
The guests are gonna be sat here,
and, you know,
we're just gonna be cooking just here.
It's very, very close.
I feel like some of the guests are gonna
get up, come and wanna talk to us,
being as involved as they can as well.
I'm sure they'll walk around the space.
I think it'll start feeling like
that sort of dinner party atmosphere.
But really looking forward
to getting in here.
It'll be, yeah, quite something as well,
especially when it's dark, the lighting.
Obviously, we just can't feel that
at the moment, but, yeah, super exciting.
Halfway in, how is culinary school?
It's been really good. Thank you.
Yeah. What's the exam on Friday?
Herb and salad recognition.
You probably wouldn't pass that nowadays.
You're not in the kitchen enough.
No, I would. I would.
Do you wanna try my flashcards?
See if you know the…
The lettuce?
I think Dad and I are probably
the most similar people in our family.
He's competitive. I'm competitive.
We're both quite stubborn.
But only really to each other, I think.
You know, I don't let Dad
get away with anything.
- That's butter lettuce.
- Nope.
- What?
- Green oakleaf.
Are you sure?
Yep. What's that?
Rocket.
- That's not rocket salad.
- It is.
- That is not rocket salad.
- It's a home-grown rocket.
- They're big leaves.
- That's-- Jesus Christ.
Wood sorrel.
That's not wood sorrel.
The pictures are terrible, Tills.
Cooking definitely is something
that has brought us together.
I was away at university,
and if I was ever trying
to make something, and I was stuck,
the first person I'd call is him.
But since I've gone to culinary school,
I'm coming back,
and I'm showing him, "Actually, Dad,
I'm gonna do it a different way."
And he's a bit like,
"Um, I didn't teach you that."
And I'm like, "No, you didn't.
Somebody else did."
And I think he…
I think he's a bit like,
"Well, but my way's right."
And I'm like, "Yes,
but this way's also right, Dad."
Right, watch. First of all,
a little slice at the bottom,
a little slice on the top.
Just keep the orange on the board,
and you go 'round.
You never hold it like that.
Never, ever, ever, ever, ever.
No, that's so dangerous.
She's paying for that.
When she came to my kitchen,
I wouldn't charge her.
I would just put her in the kitchen,
12 weeks, and produce an amazing chef.
You're such a knob.
You also don't do that right.
Look, you're missing all this.
- No, that's called pith.
- It's not called pith.
Pith off.
Right, look. See? And segment.
Meanwhile, you're still…
Look, this is crazy.
As much as I don't love him interfering
when I'm in the kitchen,
I secretly love it,
because at the end of the day,
he does know best.
Well, not all the time, but sometimes.
- Tills. Too lumpy.
- I'm not listening.
You're not my teacher, Dad.
I had to go to the experts.
You know,
you need to burn off some energy.
You're a bit like a dog.
Why don't you go
and take yourself for a walk?
Can we go surfing?
- Yeah.
- I can throw you in the waves.
It's the perfect weather for surfing.
- Let's go. Come on then.
- Come on, Daddy!
Right, shall I throw you in the waves?
Exercise, for me, is crucial.
Whether it's, you know,
going surfing with Oscar…
Let's go, my man!
I literally lose myself
on the bike for hours.
Can we race now?
Quick! Let's go!
Go, go, go!
We started getting marathon places
for the kids for their 18th birthday,
whilst other parents
were buying cars and iPads,
because I wanted them to understand
the importance of staying fit.
Fitness keeps you, you know, intact.
I do get to eat what the fuck I want,
because I train.
I don't have to watch my diet.
I don't have to watch my cholesterol.
I'm not overweight. I'm in shape.
I'm in fucking good shape,
and I'm strong, so, um…
You need to be
to take on what I've got on.
And so I think the busier I am,
the fitter I've become.
I emphasize a lot now to all the chefs,
find that time,
because this industry
doesn't look after your body.
From high cholesterol,
to high pressure, to long hours,
um, you need a release.
- Let's go, bud.
- Okay.
So, I think chefs generally
don't have the best level of fitness.
This fucking industry
can absolutely take you down
if you don't look after yourself.
I got out of shape once because
it just all got too fucking much. And so…
I got warned.
I mean, I was 35 or 34.
"You know, start taking care of yourself."
And then my father died of a heart attack,
literally, you know, six months later
at 53.
So that scared the shit out of me,
I think, really.
More than anything, in a way,
that you've got to look after yourself.
- Would you mind doing up the back, please?
- I will, mate. Breathe in.
- Breathe in?
- Shoulder blades back.
Oh my God.
It's so nice to be back down here.
- Missed you, mate.
- I tried to get a cycle in.
They said you were away on holiday again.
Every day's a holiday when you live
in Cornwall, mate. You know that.
Yeah, I think Gordon has
lots of acquaintances
but not many normal friends,
'cause that's really hard to come by
for him,
people that don't see Gordon
as any different
to who he was back when they met.
- Are you wearing shoes, Paul?
- No.
- No? Nothing.
- I'm going barefoot. No gloves.
Gordon's friendship with Paul is amazing.
We've both known him
since he was probably about 18,
when he worked for Gordon.
Oh my God. Let's go.
I've got just enough wee inside me
to get me nice and warm.
- Have you wee-ed?
- Not yet.
Please save warm-up wees
until we're in the water.
Shit, that's cold. Shit!
We've been able to watch him grow
from taking him on as a junior chef
to to where he is now.
How invigorating is this, though?
The way it makes you feel, doesn't it?
Keeps an old man like me in shape,
I'm telling you.
So I've always been grateful
that they have this whole connection
with fitness,
and that he has something that
he can just leave his phones behind,
clear his head with a friend.
That's real time-out.
- Okay.
- Right, I am freezing.
Right, race you back in?
Let's do it. Come on.
I love this kitchen.
When can Oscar come in here?
Next week, if he wants.
- Can we get him in?
- Yeah.
I'd like him to spend
a couple of hours in here next summer.
Is that okay?
He loves it in here. Amazing.
- They look delicious. Thanks.
- Thanks, Jon.
Look at this view, honestly.
I mean, this does not get old here,
does it?
It does not.
- Beautiful.
- It really, really doesn't.
- I love it down here.
- Yeah.
I think I may retire down here,
after Bishopsgate.
Absolute bullshit.
- You can't.
- I can't retire?
- You can't retire.
- That scares me.
I don't think you've got
a round of golf in you.
Oh no, fuck that. I'm not playing golf.
No! Do you play golf?
- No. No.
- Oh no.
You mind if I have a little bite?
Oh my God. That is delicious.
Mm! My God. It's beautiful.
How are you doing?
Mm.
Fucking hell.
So, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay High.
I definitely wanna go for two stars
from the get.
- Yeah.
- James, up-and-coming, young, on it.
He's been at Royal Hospital Road
for the last six months.
Yeah, I think the pressure's on,
but creative, on it, and young.
I think that's what I'm excited about,
is a young, hungry team.
A bit like we were back at the beginning
at Royal Hospital Road.
I remember all of us, we were all…
Yeah, all wanted it to win, all wanted
to be wrapped up in the success of it.
That day will live with me forever,
when you came in and told us.
- Three stars? Fucking hell.
- Three stars, yeah.
It feels like three months ago.
How old were you when you got there?
- I'd just turned 21.
- That's crazy.
- Yeah.
- That's crazy you remember that.
I can't wait to show you around
at Bishopsgate.
Um, why don't we host your 40th…
Have you passed 40 yet?
- I'm, um…
- Have you passed 40?
- You still look fucking 25.
- Well, yeah.
- How can you be this busy and still look…
- Cold-water swimming.
Cold-water swimming.
Oil of Ulay.
Don't change. Don't change.
Is this square?
I've got a meter sixty-two there.
I've got 1,200.
It's my finishing eye, boys.
I might be nearly 60,
but my eyesight's still working.
Okay, boys, thank you very much.
Now, being as it's
the Christmas period coming up, boys,
we finish on the Friday,
Christmas gifts will be much appreciated.
Yeah, we're winding down for Christmas,
so, uh, people are getting tired, yeah.
It's a long build.
But things are coming to a head now.
I think we need to go darker, so…
'Cause it does look a bit…
It looks a bit dusty.
Sorry. It's great, but it's a bit wrong.
Choosing a designer
is one of the most difficult choices,
because when you're into this,
you can't halt a project
and say, "Oh God, the design."
I've worked with Russell multiple times,
and he's a genius.
Even though he's scruffy,
shirt tail's hanging out…
Uh, banquette all down there.
…he gets it.
And I've been a real…
pain in the ass for Russell,
because I'm meticulous.
It's gonna look amazing.
This does look amazing.
It better do.
Anything less, and we'll be stuffed.
Gordon was my first or second ever client,
22 years ago, I think.
And actually, Bishopsgate,
it's certainly
one of the most complex builds
we've ever done.
Designers have egos,
and it's managing those egos,
because they want to manipulate your idea
for what they think is the best direction.
And you have to take the medicine
that they want to give you
to how they see this thing built out.
We are in Gordon Ramsay High.
It's very, very kind of premium
and exclusive.
So, we had a quick discussion
about what to put on these columns.
And originally,
we had shown padded leather squares.
Um…
But that was gonna increase
the columns so much
that we'd actually lose two covers,
two seats,
on the big table
that's going between the two.
You know, and then you just have to think,
"How much is that seat worth to Gordon?"
It's probably £300 a head per evening.
So, that's 600 times 7,
£2,000-- £8,000 a month, 90--
So it's about £100,000
of possible turnover lost
just by having a leather detail.
So, we need to make
the cover of this much, much thinner.
I guess, ultimately, the frustration is
that Gordon would walk on site and go,
"I'm not happy about that," and…
But we all know our jobs.
-We're live now with the bookings.
- Yeah.
There is no way this thing can be delayed.
- That's fine.
- No way.
Don't worry. I don't think
we're gonna have a problem with that.
But you say every time,
"Don't fucking worry,"
and, yeah, I do worry.
Well, no, it's your job to worry,
but I worry more
just so that you don't have to worry
when you get there. Don't worry.
- Right.
- I'm telling you, don't worry.
Look at it going.
It's almost finished. Don't worry. Okay?
Fucking hell. Fucking Jesus Christ.
Yeah, a big one today, really big.
So, we're gonna catch up
with the uniforms,
and then do a tasting, um, with James.
So, fingers crossed.
It's a big day.
Very excited to cook for him.
Ready to hear his thoughts
and his feedback.
Yes, nerves are there.
There's a lot of expectation,
but if I don't have that pressure,
I don't really enjoy what I'm doing,
so it gives me that drive.
Good morning. Good morning.
Thank you.
Oh my Lord. Hello, guys.
- Gianni. Nice to meet you.
- Nice to see you.
The colors are striking.
It's just the apron.
The hexagon takes you straight down
to the aprons. Was that the intention?
- Yes.
- Yeah.
My idea was to take
the hexagon from your logo.
They're not actually hexagons on there,
though, are they?
Well, half-hexagons, yes.
Yeah. Um…
It just feels like
all these aprons are from the '80s.
In the aprons,
we've got pockets on the sides.
I'm never a big fan of pockets
'cause they just start gathering shit
in there.
Lean over.
So your tie's hanging out,
so that's in the water glass.
The minute we've got a mess or a stain
on there, they'll look terrible.
It's so serious.
- You've walked the space?
- Sorry?
- Have you been up there?
- Not yet.
Oh shit. Why have you not been up there
and designing something for something
you haven't been up there?
'Cause when you go up there,
you'll understand what I'm trying to see.
It's fucking cool,
and it's not stiff-cool.
You know,
let's lighten this up a little bit.
Thank you.
- So, sabayon's in?
- Yes.
- Can you spin chicken liver parfait?
- Yep.
James Goodyear is Mr. Unknown,
and there's always that fear.
What happens if he doesn't do well?
I checked this morning,
and, yeah, we're at 2,000 reservations.
I haven't told James yet,
but Gordon Ramsay High is already
fully booked for the first two months.
The pressure's on.
People have paid deposits.
Gotta get our shit together.
Start spinning ice cream sorbet as well.
Yep.
The pressure's huge.
You know, I feel it every day.
You've put a lot of work into that,
so there's, uh, apprehension.
He's allowed several tiny blips,
but, you know,
major fuck-ups at this level
will 100% never, ever pass.
- Hey, bud.
- Hi, Gordon.
- Good to see you. You well?
- Very good. Thanks. Excited for this.
Yeah, likewise. Just, uh…
You know, just roll it out.
- Chef.
- Yeah.
Okay, fire away, James.
So, we're starting
with a selection of canapés.
This will be served
when the guests arrive.
We'll be doing them individually.
Then we've got a Parmesan sablé,
served with a French onion cream
on the inside,
caviar and chives.
An oyster ice cream here.
Serving it with fresh apple, dill,
and some sorrel for freshness.
It's a bit different
to what we had two months ago, right?
And these look better sized,
just visually already.
Yeah. Good.
Serve those canapés two at a time,
because if Tana was here,
she'd go for the little sablé first,
and I'd go for the oyster.
So give them a little choice.
Let them meddle a bit and enjoy it.
Yeah, really good.
Really good indeed, yeah.
I think of, how does it eat?
Eating that level
of, you know, finessed perfection
should never be awkward,
whether it's the way it's cut,
the size of the portion.
We're serving a tartare of scallop,
dressed in fresh clementine, hazelnut oil,
calamansi and truffle
for a bit of vibrancy,
and then we top it with a jelly
made of a shellfish consommé.
Visually, that looks beautiful.
Now I'll just register the notes,
the seasoning, the acidity, the texture.
Yeah, it needs a touch of seasoning
on the scallops, 'cause it's super sweet.
You've got the acid, the sweet.
The one thing missing is a touch of salt.
But beautiful.
Next over here, we have the lobster.
You just saw it smoked over the pine.
In here, we've got a tartlet.
Inside, we've got the pumpkin écrasé.
Over here, we've got a pine cream to bring
that sort of freshness to the dish.
- And lobster oil to finish.
- That's lovely.
Uh, visually, it looks beautiful, James.
Mm.
Yeah, it's beautiful. I love the tartlet.
It's super, uh… It's super fine.
Crunchy straight away.
I think the big question for me,
does it need the caviar?
- The hero is the lobster, right?
- Yeah.
James… His food is unique.
The only bit that he needs
to evolve now is the character.
Characters are what makes restaurants.
It's that… that special added ingredients
that you can't buy.
He's shy in nature,
he is a reserved character,
and that character now needs to open up.
He needs to spill the beans.
I wanna hear from him.
They wanna hear from him.
That needs to come out of James now.
Because it's so intimate,
don't make it church service
in a way that is whispering.
I want more involvement
when you're standing there.
That's just a comfort zone
that you need to get into.
No, but really good.
The flavors are incredible.
I mean, really incredible.
And just the foray into the first course,
the scallops, the lobster,
it's a two-star level.
Yeah, just gotta get through Christmas now
and get you up there.
- Good job. Very good job.
- Thank you.
Very good job.
Very happy. Whew!
- Yeah, let's get cleaned up.
- Yep.
It's great to see
his point of view, his perspective.
It's given us a couple of ideas.
And now we'll take that away
and improve it.
Now we know the standard we need to be at.
Um, it's about how can we get it better
from here on in.
I am not at the coalface
and behind that stove
like I was in my twenties and my thirties.
But I feel for my team
because the onus on them is immense.
Because the expectations of guests
walking in there already are up here.
Any business of this size
depends on cash flow.
So, financially,
no Bread Street is a big gap.
Jacket on, if you don't mind.
- This is Bread Street, right?
- This is Bread Street.
Basically, it's a holding area
for all the materials at the moment.
The Academy, it's intimate and small.
We can't use that to float the finances.
We've got a bit of a hiccup
on the terrace.
- A hiccup? Fucking hell.
- A hiccup.
We knew when we started this project
- that putting a roof on a building…
- Yes.
…that was never designed to have
a roof on it was going to be ambitious.
The idea was a Japanese rooftop terrace
with an open bar
and this incredible, almost zen garden
with a roof that will retract.
But for them to get
an exact measurement on prefabrication,
they needed five days of clear weather.
We just didn't have that time.
We didn't have that ability
to get up into the roof,
get the measurements, get the dimensions.
So that meant a delay
going into manufacture.
- Shit.
- Um…
Which meant a delay getting it in
for opening on the 3rd of Feb.
How the fuck do we schedule five days
of clear weather in the middle of winter?
Jesus Christ. It looks terrible.
Yeah, it's not going to be open
for the 3rd of Feb.
Jesus Christ. Setback
with the, um, terrace, that's just…
Great British shit weather. Um…
It is a bit of a shock.
How bad does that look, that fucking roof?
Fuck me.
What a task!
What a task!
Jesus Christ.
What have we done? It's feeling more real.
Fucking hell.
It's happening.
Did you know,
originally I was gonna be called Scott,
not Gordon?
- "Scott Ramsay" just doesn't kind of--
- Scott's a lot better than fucking Gordon.
I'm obviously seven years older than you,
but there was a horrific--
- Eight.
- Seven.
- There was a--
- Eight.
Depending where you are. August, November.
- Seven and a half. Seven and a half.
- They're quite close.
There was an awful song at school,
at Stratford High,
by Jilted John,
called "Gordon Is A Moron,"
in the early--
Wow.
Wow.
I've gotta… I've gotta just play this,
Jilted John, "Gordon Is A Moron."
'Cause it still comes back to haunt…
When I hear it on the radio now,
I switch the thing off.
Here we go.
Jilted John, "Gordon Is A Moron."
I didn't realize you had such a big thing
about your name.
Yeah. Ready?
So every time I was at a disco,
I'd hear this. Ready?
I've been going out with a girl
Her name is Julie
But last night, she said to me
When we were watching telly…
T…
Listen. Here we go.
Building up to the chorus.
I know he's a moron
Gordon is a moron
I mean, fucking hell.
Gordon is a moron, Gordon is…
I love the fact
this song has affected you so much.
You never knew that, did you?
I'm going to play it to Oscar later.
No, don't. Don't. No.
I tell you what, have they got any music
to play over the opening titles?
Here we go, two, three, four
I was so upset that I cried
All the way to the chip shop
When I came out, there was Gordon
Standing at the bus stop…
Shall we?
Morning.
- How are you?
- Excellent.
Good. Good.
I'll… I'll stop two seconds then.
- Hello. Quick selfie?
- Thank you.
- Let me jump out. Quick.
- Quickly.
One, two and three.
- There we are. Take care. Have a good day.
- Thank you.
Selfies everywhere.
My pace is a thousand miles an hour.
It looks chaotic, frantic and mad,
but it's controlled chaos.
So it's the cocktail
influencer class this afternoon,
and then tonight the event with the mayor
and some Dolphins players.
Seriously? That's packed.
And the pressure this year, it's massive.
And there's no time to stop.
22 Bishopsgate, it's going to be
the most ambitious project
I've ever, ever opened in my entire life.
It was supposed to be
not one restaurant, but five.
But now, Bread Street's delayed,
so we're down one.
And I'll be honest,
Bread Street was our safety net.
And that thing was, you know,
into the millions of turnover.
So, you know, the shit has hit the fan,
and the pressure's on.
Financially, now those four unique
businesses have to open on time.
Yeah, beneath the wrinkles and the smile,
I'm quietly shitting oneself.
We've got two weeks
till we break up for Christmas,
and then we're back on 2nd January.
The restaurant opens on 3rd February,
so that's when they'll have bums on seats.
So, uh…
Yeah, it's busy.
The main kitchen's going in now.
And it's quite big and heavy,
so we've got to be mindful
how we get that in
and not cause any damage
to any of the finishes up there as well.
Oh, for fuck's sakes!
So I've got that crazy
Bishopsgate site going on there,
and that's full-on, 1,000 miles an hour.
But I can't always be there,
because that's what it's like
running the… the global business.
It's not just the restaurants
keeping me busy.
From a TV program to a TV ad
to a podcast to a social media post.
You want me to film?
How will you make a cocktail
with a phone in one hand and a cocktail
in the other? How's that possible?
I hate it when they think that
you are more interested as a TV chef
than a real chef.
And I balk at that,
because, yeah,
I fucking worked hard in a kitchen,
and I work hard on TV.
I didn't sacrifice
the restaurants for the TV,
and I haven't used the TV to fake
what's going on in the restaurants.
The restaurants are real.
But for me, they go hand in glove,
and one feeds off the other.
Shut it down!
This place is like the plague.
Kitchen Nightmares,
we've done over 10 seasons,
in excess of 100 episodes,
and traveled, I think,
nearly every state in America.
I… I'm very proud of that show.
Let's go.
It was the sort of first real insight
to the danger
of playing at running a restaurant.
And I called it straight as a die.
I wasn't fucking around.
Run the fucking food, now.
Run.
Something you haven't done
in 19 fucking years.
When they say, "You've left the industry.
You've got too famous to be a chef,"
I'm like, "Fuck off. That's ridiculous."
I will still go behind that line,
and I will still prove that I can do it.
Fuck's sake. Come on, man.
We're a little bit behind,
but I need you talking, yes?
You have two minutes. Just dropped.
My life is so different now.
Gordon, we love you!
If you'd said to me, you know,
20 years ago, "Hey, guess what."
"You're gonna have an empire,
multiple businesses,
and then you're gonna crack America."
Hello, mate.
You want to go on MasterChef Junior?
- Yeah!
- Do you?
I don't think I'd be able
to sort of comprehend
what that kind of spotlight
would have looked like.
Good night. Thank you. Good night.
But I'd still be disappointed
if they thought
that I'd sort of sold my soul
because of the popularity.
They've got no fucking idea
what's the most important thing to me,
and that's my reputation as a chef.
We watch Gordon Ramsay all the time,
and I just… I just love him to pieces.
I love our little town,
and I'm so glad he's here.
What is that?
You ride with that on the back?
- Yes.
- My God!
- I programmed all this.
- Right.
Thanks, Gordon. We love you.
Can I FaceTime the boys to say goodnight?
Oscar's on the loo?
Maybe let's not FaceTime him on the loo.
It is very hard when someone is away a lot
and has a job as demanding as Gordon.
You know, 30-odd years,
and it's never got any easier.
Hello?
- Hey!
- Hi!
Oh my God,
look at the speed he's crawling now.
- God, he is like a rocket, honestly.
- I know. Oh my God.
There has been times
when it has been hard,
and I think that's what we learnt then,
wasn't it?
It's just appropriate to sort of
stay in each other's lives
and make an effort to connect.
I'll meet Gordon on location,
and he'll be on set,
and I'll, you know, go to the hotel
to sort of have a shower,
get changed and go meet him,
and your hotel room is so meticulous.
You've left everything
your side of the bed,
and, like, the other side's ready for me.
It makes me sad that he's been on his own,
- but then happy…
- Yeah.
…that we can just sort of have
that couple of days.
- We miss you.
- I miss you too.
Say "goodnight Daddy."
- Night, Dad!
- Bye, Osc.
Oh Jesus. I'll let you go.
Love you, darling.
But also, Gordon has changed.
He's become disciplined
at having time off.
And I think, that's why sometimes
he's just like, "Okay,
that month in summer, I'm not working."
He's not gonna be on set. He's not gonna
physically be anywhere but Cornwall.
I keep thinking that's a helicopter,
but it's not. It's a bird.
Cornwall is very much our happy place.
It's like you go there,
and after a day or two of just simply
enjoying being outside, being together,
you kind of get a sense of calm.
And… and that's really special.
So excited.
I actually can't quite believe it.
Gordon's been away for six weeks,
but it's been far too long. We can't wait.
- Catch!
- Ooh.
Whoo! Over your head!
It'll be chaotic.
Oscar will be given sweets
by the bucketload.
And, um, yeah,
I'll just fade into the background.
Oscar, I think, is going to want
every moment of his time. Fair enough.
Oh, is that an aeroplane?
I think I can hear it.
There! There! There!
Start waving!
- Hello!
- This way!
Over here, Daddy!
Daddy, land here!
Oh, look at that. Isn't that amazing, Osc?
Daddy!
Daddy.
You know what you say
to the helicopter, Oscar?
"Thank you for bringing
my daddy home safely."
Daddy.
Go on, baby! Go! Quick!
- Go!
- Go, go, go!
Hello, Daddy!
- Hello.
- Hello.
Oh, mate! Hello! You're so big!
- Oh, bud, you good?
- Yeah.
- You've grown again.
- Thanks.
You've grown!
- Oh Dad, it's so good to see you.
- …lovely.
Long time, Gord.
- Can I take anything?
- I'm bursting for a pee. I'm so sorry.
Oh my God. But honestly--
Daddy, you can pee in here!
- Sorry?
- You can do a wee here.
- I can do a wee there?
- No.
- Osc!
- Come on, quick.
So, I'll sit next to you, please, yes?
- Daddy.
- Oh, mate.
T?
T?
- T!
- I don't know what you're talk…
Jesus. How--
Take off my glasses!
They're my new glasses!
You're gonna stretch them!
Whenever Gordon gets back from being away,
all sort of normal, day-to-day routines
go out the window.
It drives me absolutely crazy.
Oscar Bear.
- Dad.
- What?
It's not even ten o'clock.
For someone
who is so conscious about everything,
you do love to give Oscar
an overload of sweets.
It's a fruit pastille, for God's sake.
It's a bit of sugar to wake him up.
Yeah, 'cause he's so tired.
Oscar, what do your friends call Daddy?
The sweetie man.
It's one fruit pastille.
I think I disrupt everyone's routine
because Tana's super disciplined,
sometimes a little bit too disciplined.
Too disciplined?
I think you need to leave everyone
to do things their way.
You think he's overheating
with that jumper on?
- Dad…
- His face is all red.
He is fine. You're on it this morning.
No.
Like, it's hard to let him back in,
which sounds weird,
but Gordon has sort of said to me,
it's kind of hard
to get back into the groove,
and we'll end up
sort of having an argument,
and then everything is fine.
Here you go, bud.
Can I have a kiss, please?
- Dad!
- It's one fruit pastille.
I think it is like some kind of disorder.
"Sweetie man" disorder.
I miss this big time when I'm away,
and I try to blend in quickly.
And it's hard.
It takes me about 24 hours
just to sort of relax.
So this place is just like a…
a little getaway, a little hideout.
Jesus Christ. There's the Great White,
the man himself.
Have you got a picture of your hero?
Marco.
He, uh… He's always looking on,
staring down.
Working for Marco Pierre White
was probably one of the best things
that ever happened to me
because it transformed me.
A year in, Marco had gone up
to Yorkshire for an event
and said,
"You're on your own for a couple of days."
I'm like, "Fuck, what?"
I'm 22, and I'm running Harveys.
And so I made all the sauces,
boned out the pig's trotters,
stuffed them, made the raviolis.
And then I was so excited
for Marco to come back,
and I had all the sauces out.
I watched him taste them all
with such excitement.
And he turned around and he said,
"They're fucking shit."
"What the fuck are you doing?"
And I knew he was lying.
I saw the feedback, and it was like,
"Send Marco my best.
Tell Marco that's ama…"
And Marco wasn't even
in the fucking kitchen, so…
That was my passport then.
That's when I knew I've got this.
Yeah, there's Kitchen Nightmares,
and then this one from the Michelin,
handing out all the awards,
all those stars.
Is it always the aim to get those stars?
I think the stars are just a confirmation.
Just how fucking good you are.
And every chef would be lying
if they didn't want that recognition.
You know, as a footballer, you want
the Champions League or Premier League.
As a chef, you want that star.
And as I got my first star,
Marco was celebrating his third star,
so it was sort of the beginning for me
and the climax for him.
Because then that set the tone.
I was like,
"Fuck it. Okay, let's get two."
"Let's get three."
So these things are fucking powerful,
and they're also devastating.
Because when you lose them,
you know, it's a bitch.
Because then you feel like
the biggest fucking idiot in the industry,
and so you're embarrassed.
And I've lost stars,
and whether it's inconsistency,
moving on,
shutting the restaurant down, um…
Yeah, so… it's a double-edged sword.
But it's the…
It's at the sharp end. That's exactly
where you want to fucking be.
So we're going
to Restaurant Gordon Ramsay HQ.
A couple of little tastings
ahead of, uh, Bishopsgate.
I know it's early,
but if we're gonna call it
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay High, then…
Fuck me, we need to deliver.
We need to deliver.
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay,
it's fine dining, right?
So it's unique food.
It's perfection beyond belief.
James Goodyear is gonna be heading up
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay High.
And he's not from the stable,
so we're going a little bit off-piste.
But I've created a safety net for James.
You know, he's sat with Kim and Matt,
the number one
and number two of the flagship.
He's had a chance to really start
getting that understanding
of Restaurant Gordon Ramsay.
Here we are.
Still get chills driving past.
And we sacrificed fucking everything
to get the keys to this thing.
The Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
started with nothing.
Our only security was a flat we bought.
Cheers, mate. Thanks, bud.
And then I convinced Tana to sell that.
I remember the time when you said,
"We need to have a chat."
- Meg was newborn.
- Mmm.
We sat in our living room,
and you said to me,
"I think we're going to need
to sell our home."
So it was scary.
The bank wouldn't invest.
You know, dreamer. Thanks, but no, thanks.
But I think in order…
Because of the hunger
to move forward, to achieve,
we were never not going to do it.
We just had to get our heads 'round it.
I still get more nervous walking through
the front door than the back door.
Morning, guys.
Because I want to be with the deliveries.
I can honestly walk in that dining room
and close my eyes
and still walk in between the tables
and know each and every space,
each and every chair.
- Hey. You good?
- How are you?
- Kim, how old is this one?
- Twenty.
He looks fucking 12.
Honestly, I swear to God.
Royal Hospital Road's
very own Harry Potter.
Twenty. Amazing.
I couldn't afford a filet mignon
on our first menu. I had to use oxtail.
But I still won two Michelin stars
with oxtail.
Then when we got our second Michelin star,
I thought,
"Shit, we can afford
to buy a filet mignon."
Two stars, it's like, you know,
wow, we're getting serious now.
The top 1%.
And then everyone's saying,
"How do you get three stars?"
Well, you've got to be… individual,
and you have to stand out.
And when you get that third star,
everyone says it's a sigh of relief,
but it's not a sigh of relief.
It's fucking magical.
James, how long do you need?
- Ten minutes, chef?
- Yeah.
Your parents, what did they think?
Mum would pop in and see the staff
and say hello to the team in the kitchen,
but way too intimidated
to sit down and eat.
Dad would never have felt comfortable
in that scenario.
We went for a breakfast together.
And there was this full English breakfast
with fried bread.
And I said to the guy in the caff,
"Can I just have some toast, please?"
Dad said, "See, you've gone fucking posh.
You've forgotten your upbringing."
If I tried to show him
what I'd learned or what I'd done,
it was just over his head.
And suddenly, a year later,
you know, he dies of a heart attack.
So, yeah.
No, never once sat down at a table,
and I never had the chance to turn around
and say, "That's for my dad."
What a shame!
Yeah. Yeah, that's life.
Hey, James. Come over.
Sit down. Sit down.
I've got great things planned for James.
I think the capabilities
are sort of beyond
one star, two star, three star.
I think he can get that high.
But the menu at 22 Bishopsgate
needs to be fucking immaculate.
And I'm a tough chef to work for.
So, Kim, lead the way, please.
What we have here
is our Colchester oyster custard.
And then on the side,
we have oyster tempura.
And in the gel, is there any
chopped up oyster in there?
- No.
- No?
It's delicious.
The only thing I'd suggest is,
before you put the custard in,
get some pickle at the bottom.
- Mm-hmm.
- And does it need to be that big?
They're big fucking oyster shells,
aren't they?
It's just a lot to eat, isn't it?
- No?
- I think it's light enough.
- Mm-hmm.
- Personally.
Yeah, I think that
it's very creamy, very light.
- Not too rich either.
- Yeah.
Mm. That's very nice. Very nice indeed.
I'm inspired by nature and produce.
Working with fantastic ingredients
and working with the seasons,
that's what connects me to food.
And I try and represent that
whenever I cook.
I'm passionate about
being the best at whatever I do.
And, you know,
being at the top is what I enjoy,
and that's where I want to be.
Everyone in the world
is looking at Gordon Ramsay's new,
sort of, restaurant in the sky.
But I think I'm just focusing on
delivering to the best of my ability.
And, you know,
I'm confident that that's good enough.
I think if you have self-doubt,
then, you know, you shouldn't
really be in a position like this.
- Go down that door there, please.
- This way. This next one.
It's a building site.
Try not to kill or get killed.
To your average diner,
the footprint of Bishopsgate is enormous.
But per millimeter, per square foot,
it's one of the most expensive
real estates in London.
- We don't use that much.
- We use that much.
Academy, Lucky Cat and RGR High
have gotta share these facilities.
- Correct.
- This is all three of us, four of us.
This is tiny.
This is fucking tiny.
Chefs want more space than ever before.
Waiters want the biggest stations
on the planet.
And so there's a scramble, there's a fight
for every inch, every millimeter
of that floor.
- We need to find more space.
- We could get racks built.
Yeah, definitely,
we'll definitely do racks.
But we've got to think of BSK
when that opens as well.
It all comes down to the cost.
So you need to be super efficient
and you need to work together
and you need to share areas.
We've got to share it
between three businesses.
Look, everything will work.
You know, it's just… It's a lot, but…
it'll be fine.
There's never a truer word.
All good food comes out of a small kitchen
because it produces greatness,
because you have absolute, utter control.
It's great to be in the space.
It's gonna be so nice and intimate.
The guests are gonna be sat here,
and, you know,
we're just gonna be cooking just here.
It's very, very close.
I feel like some of the guests are gonna
get up, come and wanna talk to us,
being as involved as they can as well.
I'm sure they'll walk around the space.
I think it'll start feeling like
that sort of dinner party atmosphere.
But really looking forward
to getting in here.
It'll be, yeah, quite something as well,
especially when it's dark, the lighting.
Obviously, we just can't feel that
at the moment, but, yeah, super exciting.
Halfway in, how is culinary school?
It's been really good. Thank you.
Yeah. What's the exam on Friday?
Herb and salad recognition.
You probably wouldn't pass that nowadays.
You're not in the kitchen enough.
No, I would. I would.
Do you wanna try my flashcards?
See if you know the…
The lettuce?
I think Dad and I are probably
the most similar people in our family.
He's competitive. I'm competitive.
We're both quite stubborn.
But only really to each other, I think.
You know, I don't let Dad
get away with anything.
- That's butter lettuce.
- Nope.
- What?
- Green oakleaf.
Are you sure?
Yep. What's that?
Rocket.
- That's not rocket salad.
- It is.
- That is not rocket salad.
- It's a home-grown rocket.
- They're big leaves.
- That's-- Jesus Christ.
Wood sorrel.
That's not wood sorrel.
The pictures are terrible, Tills.
Cooking definitely is something
that has brought us together.
I was away at university,
and if I was ever trying
to make something, and I was stuck,
the first person I'd call is him.
But since I've gone to culinary school,
I'm coming back,
and I'm showing him, "Actually, Dad,
I'm gonna do it a different way."
And he's a bit like,
"Um, I didn't teach you that."
And I'm like, "No, you didn't.
Somebody else did."
And I think he…
I think he's a bit like,
"Well, but my way's right."
And I'm like, "Yes,
but this way's also right, Dad."
Right, watch. First of all,
a little slice at the bottom,
a little slice on the top.
Just keep the orange on the board,
and you go 'round.
You never hold it like that.
Never, ever, ever, ever, ever.
No, that's so dangerous.
She's paying for that.
When she came to my kitchen,
I wouldn't charge her.
I would just put her in the kitchen,
12 weeks, and produce an amazing chef.
You're such a knob.
You also don't do that right.
Look, you're missing all this.
- No, that's called pith.
- It's not called pith.
Pith off.
Right, look. See? And segment.
Meanwhile, you're still…
Look, this is crazy.
As much as I don't love him interfering
when I'm in the kitchen,
I secretly love it,
because at the end of the day,
he does know best.
Well, not all the time, but sometimes.
- Tills. Too lumpy.
- I'm not listening.
You're not my teacher, Dad.
I had to go to the experts.
You know,
you need to burn off some energy.
You're a bit like a dog.
Why don't you go
and take yourself for a walk?
Can we go surfing?
- Yeah.
- I can throw you in the waves.
It's the perfect weather for surfing.
- Let's go. Come on then.
- Come on, Daddy!
Right, shall I throw you in the waves?
Exercise, for me, is crucial.
Whether it's, you know,
going surfing with Oscar…
Let's go, my man!
I literally lose myself
on the bike for hours.
Can we race now?
Quick! Let's go!
Go, go, go!
We started getting marathon places
for the kids for their 18th birthday,
whilst other parents
were buying cars and iPads,
because I wanted them to understand
the importance of staying fit.
Fitness keeps you, you know, intact.
I do get to eat what the fuck I want,
because I train.
I don't have to watch my diet.
I don't have to watch my cholesterol.
I'm not overweight. I'm in shape.
I'm in fucking good shape,
and I'm strong, so, um…
You need to be
to take on what I've got on.
And so I think the busier I am,
the fitter I've become.
I emphasize a lot now to all the chefs,
find that time,
because this industry
doesn't look after your body.
From high cholesterol,
to high pressure, to long hours,
um, you need a release.
- Let's go, bud.
- Okay.
So, I think chefs generally
don't have the best level of fitness.
This fucking industry
can absolutely take you down
if you don't look after yourself.
I got out of shape once because
it just all got too fucking much. And so…
I got warned.
I mean, I was 35 or 34.
"You know, start taking care of yourself."
And then my father died of a heart attack,
literally, you know, six months later
at 53.
So that scared the shit out of me,
I think, really.
More than anything, in a way,
that you've got to look after yourself.
- Would you mind doing up the back, please?
- I will, mate. Breathe in.
- Breathe in?
- Shoulder blades back.
Oh my God.
It's so nice to be back down here.
- Missed you, mate.
- I tried to get a cycle in.
They said you were away on holiday again.
Every day's a holiday when you live
in Cornwall, mate. You know that.
Yeah, I think Gordon has
lots of acquaintances
but not many normal friends,
'cause that's really hard to come by
for him,
people that don't see Gordon
as any different
to who he was back when they met.
- Are you wearing shoes, Paul?
- No.
- No? Nothing.
- I'm going barefoot. No gloves.
Gordon's friendship with Paul is amazing.
We've both known him
since he was probably about 18,
when he worked for Gordon.
Oh my God. Let's go.
I've got just enough wee inside me
to get me nice and warm.
- Have you wee-ed?
- Not yet.
Please save warm-up wees
until we're in the water.
Shit, that's cold. Shit!
We've been able to watch him grow
from taking him on as a junior chef
to to where he is now.
How invigorating is this, though?
The way it makes you feel, doesn't it?
Keeps an old man like me in shape,
I'm telling you.
So I've always been grateful
that they have this whole connection
with fitness,
and that he has something that
he can just leave his phones behind,
clear his head with a friend.
That's real time-out.
- Okay.
- Right, I am freezing.
Right, race you back in?
Let's do it. Come on.
I love this kitchen.
When can Oscar come in here?
Next week, if he wants.
- Can we get him in?
- Yeah.
I'd like him to spend
a couple of hours in here next summer.
Is that okay?
He loves it in here. Amazing.
- They look delicious. Thanks.
- Thanks, Jon.
Look at this view, honestly.
I mean, this does not get old here,
does it?
It does not.
- Beautiful.
- It really, really doesn't.
- I love it down here.
- Yeah.
I think I may retire down here,
after Bishopsgate.
Absolute bullshit.
- You can't.
- I can't retire?
- You can't retire.
- That scares me.
I don't think you've got
a round of golf in you.
Oh no, fuck that. I'm not playing golf.
No! Do you play golf?
- No. No.
- Oh no.
You mind if I have a little bite?
Oh my God. That is delicious.
Mm! My God. It's beautiful.
How are you doing?
Mm.
Fucking hell.
So, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay High.
I definitely wanna go for two stars
from the get.
- Yeah.
- James, up-and-coming, young, on it.
He's been at Royal Hospital Road
for the last six months.
Yeah, I think the pressure's on,
but creative, on it, and young.
I think that's what I'm excited about,
is a young, hungry team.
A bit like we were back at the beginning
at Royal Hospital Road.
I remember all of us, we were all…
Yeah, all wanted it to win, all wanted
to be wrapped up in the success of it.
That day will live with me forever,
when you came in and told us.
- Three stars? Fucking hell.
- Three stars, yeah.
It feels like three months ago.
How old were you when you got there?
- I'd just turned 21.
- That's crazy.
- Yeah.
- That's crazy you remember that.
I can't wait to show you around
at Bishopsgate.
Um, why don't we host your 40th…
Have you passed 40 yet?
- I'm, um…
- Have you passed 40?
- You still look fucking 25.
- Well, yeah.
- How can you be this busy and still look…
- Cold-water swimming.
Cold-water swimming.
Oil of Ulay.
Don't change. Don't change.
Is this square?
I've got a meter sixty-two there.
I've got 1,200.
It's my finishing eye, boys.
I might be nearly 60,
but my eyesight's still working.
Okay, boys, thank you very much.
Now, being as it's
the Christmas period coming up, boys,
we finish on the Friday,
Christmas gifts will be much appreciated.
Yeah, we're winding down for Christmas,
so, uh, people are getting tired, yeah.
It's a long build.
But things are coming to a head now.
I think we need to go darker, so…
'Cause it does look a bit…
It looks a bit dusty.
Sorry. It's great, but it's a bit wrong.
Choosing a designer
is one of the most difficult choices,
because when you're into this,
you can't halt a project
and say, "Oh God, the design."
I've worked with Russell multiple times,
and he's a genius.
Even though he's scruffy,
shirt tail's hanging out…
Uh, banquette all down there.
…he gets it.
And I've been a real…
pain in the ass for Russell,
because I'm meticulous.
It's gonna look amazing.
This does look amazing.
It better do.
Anything less, and we'll be stuffed.
Gordon was my first or second ever client,
22 years ago, I think.
And actually, Bishopsgate,
it's certainly
one of the most complex builds
we've ever done.
Designers have egos,
and it's managing those egos,
because they want to manipulate your idea
for what they think is the best direction.
And you have to take the medicine
that they want to give you
to how they see this thing built out.
We are in Gordon Ramsay High.
It's very, very kind of premium
and exclusive.
So, we had a quick discussion
about what to put on these columns.
And originally,
we had shown padded leather squares.
Um…
But that was gonna increase
the columns so much
that we'd actually lose two covers,
two seats,
on the big table
that's going between the two.
You know, and then you just have to think,
"How much is that seat worth to Gordon?"
It's probably £300 a head per evening.
So, that's 600 times 7,
£2,000-- £8,000 a month, 90--
So it's about £100,000
of possible turnover lost
just by having a leather detail.
So, we need to make
the cover of this much, much thinner.
I guess, ultimately, the frustration is
that Gordon would walk on site and go,
"I'm not happy about that," and…
But we all know our jobs.
-We're live now with the bookings.
- Yeah.
There is no way this thing can be delayed.
- That's fine.
- No way.
Don't worry. I don't think
we're gonna have a problem with that.
But you say every time,
"Don't fucking worry,"
and, yeah, I do worry.
Well, no, it's your job to worry,
but I worry more
just so that you don't have to worry
when you get there. Don't worry.
- Right.
- I'm telling you, don't worry.
Look at it going.
It's almost finished. Don't worry. Okay?
Fucking hell. Fucking Jesus Christ.
Yeah, a big one today, really big.
So, we're gonna catch up
with the uniforms,
and then do a tasting, um, with James.
So, fingers crossed.
It's a big day.
Very excited to cook for him.
Ready to hear his thoughts
and his feedback.
Yes, nerves are there.
There's a lot of expectation,
but if I don't have that pressure,
I don't really enjoy what I'm doing,
so it gives me that drive.
Good morning. Good morning.
Thank you.
Oh my Lord. Hello, guys.
- Gianni. Nice to meet you.
- Nice to see you.
The colors are striking.
It's just the apron.
The hexagon takes you straight down
to the aprons. Was that the intention?
- Yes.
- Yeah.
My idea was to take
the hexagon from your logo.
They're not actually hexagons on there,
though, are they?
Well, half-hexagons, yes.
Yeah. Um…
It just feels like
all these aprons are from the '80s.
In the aprons,
we've got pockets on the sides.
I'm never a big fan of pockets
'cause they just start gathering shit
in there.
Lean over.
So your tie's hanging out,
so that's in the water glass.
The minute we've got a mess or a stain
on there, they'll look terrible.
It's so serious.
- You've walked the space?
- Sorry?
- Have you been up there?
- Not yet.
Oh shit. Why have you not been up there
and designing something for something
you haven't been up there?
'Cause when you go up there,
you'll understand what I'm trying to see.
It's fucking cool,
and it's not stiff-cool.
You know,
let's lighten this up a little bit.
Thank you.
- So, sabayon's in?
- Yes.
- Can you spin chicken liver parfait?
- Yep.
James Goodyear is Mr. Unknown,
and there's always that fear.
What happens if he doesn't do well?
I checked this morning,
and, yeah, we're at 2,000 reservations.
I haven't told James yet,
but Gordon Ramsay High is already
fully booked for the first two months.
The pressure's on.
People have paid deposits.
Gotta get our shit together.
Start spinning ice cream sorbet as well.
Yep.
The pressure's huge.
You know, I feel it every day.
You've put a lot of work into that,
so there's, uh, apprehension.
He's allowed several tiny blips,
but, you know,
major fuck-ups at this level
will 100% never, ever pass.
- Hey, bud.
- Hi, Gordon.
- Good to see you. You well?
- Very good. Thanks. Excited for this.
Yeah, likewise. Just, uh…
You know, just roll it out.
- Chef.
- Yeah.
Okay, fire away, James.
So, we're starting
with a selection of canapés.
This will be served
when the guests arrive.
We'll be doing them individually.
Then we've got a Parmesan sablé,
served with a French onion cream
on the inside,
caviar and chives.
An oyster ice cream here.
Serving it with fresh apple, dill,
and some sorrel for freshness.
It's a bit different
to what we had two months ago, right?
And these look better sized,
just visually already.
Yeah. Good.
Serve those canapés two at a time,
because if Tana was here,
she'd go for the little sablé first,
and I'd go for the oyster.
So give them a little choice.
Let them meddle a bit and enjoy it.
Yeah, really good.
Really good indeed, yeah.
I think of, how does it eat?
Eating that level
of, you know, finessed perfection
should never be awkward,
whether it's the way it's cut,
the size of the portion.
We're serving a tartare of scallop,
dressed in fresh clementine, hazelnut oil,
calamansi and truffle
for a bit of vibrancy,
and then we top it with a jelly
made of a shellfish consommé.
Visually, that looks beautiful.
Now I'll just register the notes,
the seasoning, the acidity, the texture.
Yeah, it needs a touch of seasoning
on the scallops, 'cause it's super sweet.
You've got the acid, the sweet.
The one thing missing is a touch of salt.
But beautiful.
Next over here, we have the lobster.
You just saw it smoked over the pine.
In here, we've got a tartlet.
Inside, we've got the pumpkin écrasé.
Over here, we've got a pine cream to bring
that sort of freshness to the dish.
- And lobster oil to finish.
- That's lovely.
Uh, visually, it looks beautiful, James.
Mm.
Yeah, it's beautiful. I love the tartlet.
It's super, uh… It's super fine.
Crunchy straight away.
I think the big question for me,
does it need the caviar?
- The hero is the lobster, right?
- Yeah.
James… His food is unique.
The only bit that he needs
to evolve now is the character.
Characters are what makes restaurants.
It's that… that special added ingredients
that you can't buy.
He's shy in nature,
he is a reserved character,
and that character now needs to open up.
He needs to spill the beans.
I wanna hear from him.
They wanna hear from him.
That needs to come out of James now.
Because it's so intimate,
don't make it church service
in a way that is whispering.
I want more involvement
when you're standing there.
That's just a comfort zone
that you need to get into.
No, but really good.
The flavors are incredible.
I mean, really incredible.
And just the foray into the first course,
the scallops, the lobster,
it's a two-star level.
Yeah, just gotta get through Christmas now
and get you up there.
- Good job. Very good job.
- Thank you.
Very good job.
Very happy. Whew!
- Yeah, let's get cleaned up.
- Yep.
It's great to see
his point of view, his perspective.
It's given us a couple of ideas.
And now we'll take that away
and improve it.
Now we know the standard we need to be at.
Um, it's about how can we get it better
from here on in.
I am not at the coalface
and behind that stove
like I was in my twenties and my thirties.
But I feel for my team
because the onus on them is immense.
Because the expectations of guests
walking in there already are up here.
Any business of this size
depends on cash flow.
So, financially,
no Bread Street is a big gap.
Jacket on, if you don't mind.
- This is Bread Street, right?
- This is Bread Street.
Basically, it's a holding area
for all the materials at the moment.
The Academy, it's intimate and small.
We can't use that to float the finances.
We've got a bit of a hiccup
on the terrace.
- A hiccup? Fucking hell.
- A hiccup.
We knew when we started this project
- that putting a roof on a building…
- Yes.
…that was never designed to have
a roof on it was going to be ambitious.
The idea was a Japanese rooftop terrace
with an open bar
and this incredible, almost zen garden
with a roof that will retract.
But for them to get
an exact measurement on prefabrication,
they needed five days of clear weather.
We just didn't have that time.
We didn't have that ability
to get up into the roof,
get the measurements, get the dimensions.
So that meant a delay
going into manufacture.
- Shit.
- Um…
Which meant a delay getting it in
for opening on the 3rd of Feb.
How the fuck do we schedule five days
of clear weather in the middle of winter?
Jesus Christ. It looks terrible.
Yeah, it's not going to be open
for the 3rd of Feb.
Jesus Christ. Setback
with the, um, terrace, that's just…
Great British shit weather. Um…
It is a bit of a shock.
How bad does that look, that fucking roof?
Fuck me.
What a task!
What a task!
Jesus Christ.
What have we done? It's feeling more real.
Fucking hell.
It's happening.