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Don’t cut off my family: Gordon Ramsay's plea to mother-in-law in sacking row
Jonathan Prynn, Consumer Business Editor10 Nov 2010
Gordon Ramsay issues an extraordinary emotional appeal to his mother-in-law not to sever all links with his family.
In an open letter to his wife Tana's mother, Greta Hutcheson, the celebrity chef tried to explain why he sacked her husband Chris last month after 12 years as business partners.
In the appeal, published in the Standard today, the Kitchen Nightmares star said: “This has to be one of the most painful letters I've ever had to write.
“Listening to Tana in floods of tears reading your letter... asking that she stays away from her family is so awfully wrong.”
Ramsay, 44 yesterday, added: “I'm not expecting a birthday card, but your punishing your daughter and our four children, for all the wrong reasons, it's so sad. She's an amazing woman and you've been a fantastic mum... please don't stop!”
Ramsay wrote that Mr Hutcheson “suggested my mood swings were down to involvement with drugs; my God did that hurt. How dare he ever suggest this on the back of my frustration and dealings with my younger brother and his addiction.”
In a recent newspaper article, Mr Hutcheson, 62, said Ramsay had turned into “a monster” who sacked him from Gordon Ramsay Holdings “in a public hanging”.
Three years ago the Ramsays were named celebrity family of the year. But the three-Michelin-starred chef has since faced a string of personal and business setbacks. In 2008 there were allegations, which he denied, that he had a seven-year affair. The next year it emerged foreign expansion had resulted in heavy losses for his company.
In his letter Ramsay accused his former chief executive Mr Hutcheson, who remains a major shareholder, of running the business “as a dictator” and claimed that when he told staff his father-in-law was going, “you could see the relief and joy in their faces”.
The Hutchesons would not comment but a friend of Mr Hutcheson denied he had ever accused Ramsay of drug-taking. The friend added: “It would have been nice to have ended a 12-year relationship in an orderly way over a drink but Gordon chose to lock him out of the office without notice. That is what's caused the family rift.”
Reader views (30)
Just another publicity stunt if you ask me the mans a conceited lying moron.
- george, Durham UK, 13/11/2010 07:02
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Just another publicity stunt if you ask me the mans a conceited lying moron.
- george, Durham UK, 13/11/2010 06:59
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Bob,
are you aware that large tracts of kitchen nightmares are scripted by writers?
- Scotty, London, 12/11/2010 14:17
Scotty,
There seem to be a fair number of segments within an episode where scripting is rather secondary. For instance, in the Walnut Tree Revised episode, Gordon returns to find customer count is rather spotty and a bit on the low side. In response he travels about getting customer opinions on the Walnut Tree. Consensus seems the prices are a "bit" high. In discussing this with the owner, it looked like gordon had about 15 to 20 customer opinion forms completed. Gordon's looked at the highest price menu items and went back to the kitchen to review how the chef was preparing these dishes. It was found that large scallops were being used with baby fresh vegetables. Gordon removed 1 scallop and cut the others to appear the same portion existed on the plate. In addition he changed out the baby fresh vegetables and used standard fare vegetables which provided a more rustic expected taste as well as further reduce the costs by 5 pounds I believe. When he demonstrated this to the owner, the owner refused to listen and would not change menu. Owner did not understand that food costs reduced by 5 pounds would allow price reduction of 5 pounds without reducing net profit. By reducing the price it would provide added value and more reasonable price - bringing in more customers. Very smart analysis in my opinion. Substance outweighs scripting here.
- Bob Trautman, Austin, TX USA, 13/11/2010 01:46
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I find his Kitchen Nightmare episodes to be highly informative. He analyzes the entire business and reconstructs the components to ensure a successful restaurant....the ability few people have. I am very impressed by this gentleman.
- Bob Trautman, Austin, TX USA, 12/11/2010 04:19
Bob,
are you aware that large tracts of kitchen nightmares are scripted by writers?
- Scotty, London, 12/11/2010 14:17
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Is is apparent Company is experiencing growing pains with family management. Some have stated Gordon's grammar is rather poor; I believe it is more of a man frustrated with the situation at the time he wrote it. You have to read between the lines to get his meaning where he seems to not want to air his detailed "dirty laundry".
I find his Kitchen Nightmare episodes to be highly informative. He analyzes the entire business and reconstructs the components to ensure a successful restaurant....the ability few people have. I am very impressed by this gentleman.
- Bob Trautman, Austin, TX USA, 12/11/2010 04:19
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love you chef RAMSEY!!!!
- polly hensley, tomball texas, 11/11/2010 18:27
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My mother in-law did the same thing to me and i tried mailing emailing texting and calling. she would throw away mail and ignor text and calls. the only way she got the message was me posting a letter on her face book wall publicly so she would have to reas it. I did it cause because. her blocking us out was hurting my husband. this letter proves he loves his wife enough to post is bussiness on the media so she would have to see it at some point.
- O'Connor, tampa, usa, 11/11/2010 18:25
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It is simply awful that Ramsey would have no other way to communicate with his in laws other than through the media. That said, I feel sorry for him.
It is obvious that his father n law bankrolled him to get him back on his feet. It is also obvious that the father n law felt that this gave him the right to make decisions without discussion. Ramsey is the name and the reason for the business. He's not just a cover for a product, he is the product. The questions I have are: What was the father n law doing on his leave of absence that were not what was put down on the company logs? Is Ramsey not saying because it would be a public embarrassment to the family? Is this also one of the major reasons the father n law was let go? Is he trying to let the mother n law know, she doesn't have all the facts?
My husband and I have owned and run 2 different corporations with income in the multi millions. We know how family can get greedy and get to where they feel entitled without cause or reason. We have dealt with family taking expenses that are illegal and vacations paid by the corp dollar in the name of a business trip. This type of behavior can take your company down. This may not be what is happening, but this is what I read between the lines. I wouldn't be surprised if infidelity was involved on the n laws side. The guilty alway cause a stir to cover their stink. I think the mother n law does not have all the facts.
- Mari, Nevada, USA, 11/11/2010 15:58
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why are you people from london so mean and grumpy? just because somebody is famous doesnt mean they dont have problems. it would of come anyway. let him handle it the way he wants.
- a fan, cape coral, usa, 11/11/2010 13:29
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Thank goodness Ramsey can cook, because his writing skills are atrocious.
- tiptop, cambridge, 11/11/2010 10:48
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I think Gordon is really frustrated about the whole thing such that he's been looking for help to be heard for the past 10 years but could not get one. Now, due his weakness of not been a strong person, he let the whole thing to the public. Double jeopardy.
- Olusegun Opanuga, Dulwich & West Norwood, 10/11/2010 21:11
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Why was it an open letter and why are we being invited to take an interest?
- nick, London, 10/11/2010 19:34
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In his own words I wish he would F*** Off. Obnoxious T**ser.
- Paul Humphreys, Essex, 10/11/2010 14:11
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Ramsay (amongst a small group of others) have taken this country from being considered as the dead zone of cuisine to being regarded as the best place to eat in the World with easily the most diverse range of restaurants and talent.
- Hansel, London, 10/11/2010 09:28
you know that's not true right?
London has no great, world class restaurants. It lags Paris, Tokyo, San Sebastian, Lyon etc in that regard.
It lacks the diversity of somewhere of New York for example.
London and the UK is not a culinary destination, it is however an entrance way to some of the places in Europe that are.
- Scotty, London, 10/11/2010 11:57
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....according to strict etiquette,dont hang your dirty washing , on your mother-in-laws line?
- SCONY, MIDDLESBROUGH., 10/11/2010 10:34
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Well done Gordon.
Mother in Laws will take over your life if you let them. Ignore the do gooders on here son, stay strong.
- OTHofWalworth, Walworth, 10/11/2010 10:06
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Des, he's hardly 'illiterate' and based on his personal fortune - £50-80m then count me in.
It's obvious that he's written an open letter because his wife's family are blocking him out.
I love the way we hate success in this country. We hate immigrants but are more than willing to hound our homegrown success stories abroad.
Ramsay (amongst a small group of others) have taken this country from being considered as the dead zone of cuisine to being regarded as the best place to eat in the World with easily the most diverse range of restaurants and talent.
Let's give the guy a break.
- Hansel, London, 10/11/2010 09:28
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This letter seems to be another attack on his father- in-law masquerading as an olive branch to his mother-in-law. What is he trying to do - drive a wedge between his wife's parents?
- Jacko, London, uk, 09/11/2010 22:51
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I cannot believe this illiterate little man can publicise a dispute with his Wife's Father and expect his in-laws to have anything to do with him again. I have had some unfortunate visits to some of this man's restaurants and I can say that 6 months ago I made a decision not to eat at any restaurant of his again
- des egan, london UK, 09/11/2010 21:51
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If his in-laws had cut them off then there was no way to mail a letter to them. Putting it in the paper was the only way he could go. It must have hurt like crazy to be so public with it.
- Denise Latini, Bristol, USA, 09/11/2010 20:14
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this may have been been the wrong way to go about appealing to his mother-in-law but the letter comes from the heart, you can see that Gordon really feels that what he has done was for the best for his buisness.... As a side note, leave his writing skills alone, he is a chef and not a journalist.
- Jeannie, Glasgow, 09/11/2010 19:33
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This is so undignified, why not post the letter.
Not the way to go.
- Anastasia Eagles, Northampton England., 09/11/2010 18:05
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Aside from the unfortunate personal difficulties that this must be causing to him and his family, I'm really surprised that he doesn't have somebody to check stuff like this before it's published.
However, I work with somebody who worked for Gordon Ramsey for many years in different restaurants at a senior level (until last year) and who has nothing but masses of praise for him. He says whllst he certainly doesn't stand for any nonsense in the kitchen, the television Gordon is really quite different from real life.
- emm, expat, Amman, Jordan, 09/11/2010 17:55
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By 10 years of manipulation, I trust Gordon means for 10 years Chris Hutcheson bankrolled him and funded his every whim.
how classlessly unedifying to air your dirty laundry in public, and in such detail.
- Scotty, London, 09/11/2010 16:06
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Does he not know her address?
- Mary, London, 09/11/2010 15:55
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I can’t believe he took any advice before taking this measure. He has invaded his own privacy and shown himself to be less than literate.
- Andy Taylor, London, 09/11/2010 15:50
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GR must surely know this sets other hares off running. What are these away days all about? What have chef profit shares got to do with anything?
Above all, if he means to write an open letter, at least make sure its well written and coherent!!!
- marco polo, london, 09/11/2010 15:22
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Ramsay's company has grown too quickly and has turned into a huge concern over the last 5-8 years. This often happens, when the original managment and those with the driving force get out of their depth. It's not unusual for things to go this way when big profitable companies are run like a family corner shop.
What Gordon needs now is to get the running of the company into the hands of professionals and concentrate on what he is good at food and wine (and shouting a people).
- Hansel, London, 09/11/2010 13:28
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Writing an 'open letter' looks to me like Mr Ramsey playing to the gallery.
Surely it would have been much more sincere to send something like this privately?
I don't know anything about Mr Ramsey's business affairs, but don't think this is the right way to go about his private life.
- Huggy, Cumbernauld Scotland, 09/11/2010 13:11
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This is so undignified, and a further public hanging. Why not settle your differences in private. Some terrible grammatical errors in there, too, Gordon...time to go back to school.
- In Mourning for our Nation, Tottenham, 09/11/2010 13:06
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