Gordon Ramsay has revealed he reached out to fellow celebrity chef Jamie Oliver following the collapse of his restaurant group earlier this year.
In an interview on The Jonathan Ross Show, Ramsay called the undoing of Oliver’s restaurant empire "devastating". In May of this year, the so-called Naked Chef’s restaurant empire fell into administration, leading to the closure of his high-end restaurants Fifteen and Barbecoa, as well as the closure of all but three sites of his high street Jamie’s Italian chain. The collapse of Oliver’s empire also led to plenty of public scrutiny, with the closures meaning 1,000 former employees were left out of work and creditors faced losses of £83 million.
Speaking to Jonathan Ross, Ramsay said: “That was devastating. I don’t think anyone likes to revel in that kind of failure. Bottom line is, he’s a great guy and a great chef and it was sad to see him disappear overnight but we had a drink and it was a tough time, like it is for all of us out there… Yeah (I called) straight away.”
Ramsay also denied reports that he and Oliver do not get along. There have been rumours of a rift between the pair for years, but it seems any bad blood has since been forgotten about: “We were on holiday last year together in Cornwall, he came round for a barbecue… Yes (we are friends) absolutely. No one wants to see anyone fail like that because, at the heart of it, he is a super talented guy so it’s a great shame.”
It’s been a busy time for Ramsay, who welcomed his fifth child with wife Tana in April, as well as opening his new Asian-inspired restaurant Lucky Cat on the former site of his Maze Grill, which had operated for 14 years.
Although Ramsay and Oliver may now be chums, the chef doesn’t get along with some other big culinary names. Check out what Marcus Wareing had to say about his long-running feud with Gordon Ramsay.