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Gordon Ramsay’s recipe for revival... Aberdeen Angus steak houses
Jonathan Prynn, Consumer Business Editor09.09.09
Gordon Ramsay has taken unlikely inspiration from Aberdeen Angus Steak House for a back-to-basics turnaround of his restaurant empire.
The multi-Michelin-starred chef, who suffered a near collapse of his restaurant empire this year after bad publicity and financial setbacks, said he was impressed by the success of often derided tourist traps through the recession.
He told the Standard: “You walk past those places and they are still full to the brim. They show there is scope for a mid-market bar-orientated grill. The Maze Grill [Ramsay's restaurant in Grosvenor Square] has been a phenomenon and we believe there is potential to roll out four to six more starting with one in Covent Garden and another in the City.”
Ramsay was speaking after picking up the best food award for his Royal Hospital Road flagship restaurant for the ninth year out of 10 in the annual Zagat survey of London restaurants.
As well as the plans for the Maze Grills, the Ramsay flagships Petrus and the Savoy Grill are due to reopen over the next six months.
The chef, who admits he has had to put up £5 million to keep Gordon Ramsay Holdings afloat, says he realises he made mistakes.
“This has been the most strenuous and fraught 12 months but we did not panic even though we were really seriously under scrutiny. Of course we made mistakes, I've been slightly overgenerous, slightly kamikaze and slightly naive. But we'll learn from the mistakes we made,” he said.
He said the biggest error was trying to grow too quickly overseas using vast amounts of company money just before the downturn, but blamed local circumstances for most of the problems.
“In France we were fighting against 85 per cent staff costs and a 34-hour working week, in New York we were dealing with the union and had 65 per cent staff costs and in LA it is muchmore about where to be seen.”
Ramsay also admitted mistakes in London, although the core restaurants continued to make healthy profits.
He said: “The interior of Foxtrot Oscar [his much
criticised Chelsea bistro] is not the most exacting perhaps, but it is a neighbourhood bistro.”
However, he denied “taking his eye off the ball” by devoting too much time to TV series Kitchen Nightmares and The F Word.
He said: “What I do on TV is exactly what I do in the restaurants — I cook. There is no chef in the world who would turn down the chance to earn $250,000 for an hour's work.”
He said he had been under huge pressure to “do a Tom Aikens” by putting the business into “flat-pack” administration then reopening.
“I could have thrown the towel in seven months ago and saved myself £5 million. But on a personal level that was never an option.”
Last year profits at Gordon Ramsay Holdings dropped almost 90 per cent but these are expected to have recovered to about £3 million in the financial year ending last month.
Reader views (20)
back to basics does that mean back to the lock-up boil in bag chuck in van round to the cafe add £60 on it sell in shop
- Anon, leicestershire
Kev, I would remind you that the 'no takers' and 'critics' are in fact the punters.
- Derek, London
At least he is still there and putting in his own money. Paper and ink critics are two a penny. Let us see any of those critics at the stove or on the door and see how they perform financially - Oh! No takers, there is a surprise!!
- Kev G, Cersay, France
i would eat in a steak house anyday compared to his crap restaurants with poncey people in them
- Rsaviour, lonodn england
Mr Pastry where is that kebab eatery in north london it sounds delicious?
- Rsaviour, lonodn england
he cooks food thats it?
- Rsaviour, lonodn england
Try the chippy gorden!!!
- C Cusano, Bedford
I have had to entertain many clients from overseaes when they come to London, all they say is Gordon Ramsey, Gordon Ramsey, after going there and eating to 4 of his restaurants, Clardiges, Petrus, Murano & Albany. Every time clients gave it the F-word! F-overpriced, F-average food, F-Foul mouth and F-waste of time and F-cold!
Murano is the best one.
Good luck to to him anyhow, the market will turn and he will be singing his own F-ing praises on TV, (at the same time as hes F-ing someone elses wife and slagging off every other chef).
- Fund Manager In City, London, England
Of course Mr.Ramsey is no different from all the other egocentrics who have taken their eye off the ball with their Ratner'ish ambivalence towards Joe Public. Come on Gordon back to what you do best.
- Derek, London
I think comparing Ramsay's restaurants to an all you can eat for a fiver carvery somewhere in deepest darkest Cambridge with a £1 "full ice cream sundae" pudding is the most ridiculous comparisons I've ever seen!
Before you protest I'm being snobbish, I eat in a vareity of places, from Harvesters and other of the mass market pub chains to the Michelin star restaurants of Ramsay, Corrigan, etc depending on my budget and the occasion. it just doesn't make sense to compare them.
- Mandy, London
I personally could not enjoy any food cooked by someone who shouts and screams at their kitchen staff like Mr Ramsey does on t.v.
Good Food should be prepared lovingly and with care and served in a relaxed atmosphere.
I would rather eat Saveloy and Chips cooked and served with love and care and a please and thank you , than Bouef en Croute cooked by someone that shouts and swears so much.
Good foodd is all about good vibes.
My Most pleasant dining experience was in North London , where i was served a monster sized (real) doner kebab, that i must say was lovingly prepared and served in the turkish way and i finished the meal off with a Rum Baba , some turkish delight and some turkish coffee, served by my host host Disko Hassan at his small eatery.
We should love and respect our food and not mourn it or swear at it.
I for one will not be using a Ramsay eatery.
MR (YES I CAN COOK) PASTRY
- Mr Pastry, london
...blamed local circumstances for most of the problems.
“In France we were fighting against 85 per cent staff costs and a 34-hour working week, in New York we were dealing with the union and had 65 per cent staff costs and in LA it is muchmore about where to be seen.”
And your competitiors didn't face these problems? Please explain.
- Mdj E10, london uk
let's hope he does a better job than the genius behind the revamp of Pizza Hut.....calling it...Pasta Hut. Maybe they could team up with Gordon to help him out.
- Tony, Barnet
I've never seen one full to the brim and I used to work close to one. He's talking nonsense.
- Melanie, milton keynes, bucks
Why doesn't he compete directly with AA by branding his new steak houses 'Glasgow Gordon'?
Won't be eating in them whatever they're called. London premium restaurants have been fleecing customers by charging rediculously high prices until the recession.
Who is going to be silly enough to pay a week's grocery budget to eat in one again.
- Gabriel, Essex
Perhaps Gordon Ramsay might consider that some of us are put off by the menu in high-class restaurants and can be made to feel a bit foolish when we haven't a clue what some of the items actually are.
Then again, we might jusy be put off by the price.
Chain restaurants are usually fairly straightforward and their boring menus are not going to embarass us.
I had a super carvery recently for a fiver if before 7pm.
The pudding was £1 and was a full ice-cream sundae.
Fantastic value, good food and the place was full to the brim.
Give good value and reap the rewards!
- George, Cambridge UK
"blamed local circumstances for most of the problems"
I would blame his foul mouth for most of his problems.
- Steve, london
blaming "local circumstances for most of the problems" - nothing like doing a bit of RESEARCH beforehand then? It's not like staffing costs overseas suddenly changed just because Crash Ramsey was setting up shop!
- Marianne, SW France/London
ahhhh. profits down to £3million. How on earth is he going to survive?
- Mr Opinion, london
“You walk past those places and they are still full to the brim."
They appear to be because the staff almost force you take a window seat!
I'd beat there are few people who have eaten in a Aberdeen Angus Steak House more than once!
- Mark, South-East London
