Ramsay's gastro-pub and the dishes with a flavour of a rival chef

Yet experts say that the menu at his new gastro-pub bears more than a passing resemblance to the dishes of one of his culinary rivals.

Restaurateur Mark Hix - whose company Caprice Holdings is behind The Ivy, Le Caprice and J. Sheekey - brought out the successful British Regional Food cookbook last year.

And according to insiders, it is no coincidence that almost a third of the dishes included are on offer at The Narrow, Ramsay's latest venture in Limehouse, East London.

Braised neck of lamb, faggots with peas, Goosnargh cakes and boiled salt beef with carrots and onions are among the fare helping to augment Ramsay's estimated £60 million fortune.

A source said: "When the new kitchen was installed, British Regional Food was one of the first things to go up on the shelves and the kitchen's copy is certainly well-thumbed.

"It was used in setting up the menu and is seen as something of a textbook-cum-Bible by kitchen staff.

"It is something of a surprise considering Gordon has published 13 cookbooks himself but perhaps he didn't feel they provided the traditional British fare he was after.

"Hix isn't credited on the menu though and it remains to be seen whether he will be when Gordon's second pub opens in West London later in the year."

Ramsay denied stealing any recipes and insisted that he and Hix were firm friends.

Joe Warwick, editor of Restaurant magazine, said: "Chefs have been using each other's cookbooks and recipes for inspiration as long as I can remember, sometimes adding their own twist to dishes.

"Some acknowledge them, some don't. The dishes at The Narrow are traditional British fare but an awful lot of them do seem to appear in Hix's book. A lot of chefs would take this as a compliment."

Since The Narrow opened four weeks ago, it has been packed daily and bookings are being taken for weeks in advance.

Restaurant critics such as Fay Maschler have praised its 'lively' fare while customers have happily forked out for dishes ranging from £3.50 for a starter to £12.50 for a main course.

Ramsay, 40, has already admitted to being light-fingered on a previous occasion as head chef at the Michelinstarred restaurant Aubergine.

Last month, he boasted of his "stroke of genius" in concocting a tale of a theft nine years ago to stop his rival Marco Pierre White from taking his job.

In fact, he said, it was he who had stolen the restaurant's prized reservations book - and prompted a police inquiry into a trumped-up theft.

Ramsay, whose rivalry with White continues, said: "I nicked it. I blamed Marco because I knew that would f*** him and that it would call off the dogs."

In similar vein, Domestic Goddess Nigella Lawson was once accused of paying £2,000 for ten recipes from chef Skye Gyngell.

Miss Lawson insisted the cash was for help in "testing and researching" ideas.