Gordon Ramsay, the renowned chef, restaurateur, and television personality, has long been associated with Michelin-starred restaurants. However, in recent years he has lost several of his Michelin stars. So what went wrong?
Ramsay has had a long and successful career in the culinary world, with several restaurants around the world being awarded coveted Michelin stars. But in 2020 he saw several of his restaurants lose their Michelin stars. This included his flagship restaurant in London, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, which lost its three-star rating for the first time since 2001.
The reasons for the loss of these stars are multiple and varied. One major factor was the closure of many of Ramsay’s restaurants due to the coronavirus pandemic. With reduced staff and customers, there was simply less opportunity for the restaurants to provide their usual high quality of cuisine and service that is expected by Michelin inspectors.
Another factor is that Ramsay’s style of cooking has changed over time, becoming more modern and contemporary as opposed to classic French cuisine that is usually associated with Michelin-starred establishments. With such a large number of world-class chefs competing for Michelin star status, it is increasingly difficult for older establishments to remain at the top when new trends emerge in gastronomic circles.
Finally, there have been reports that some of Ramsay’s dishes have become somewhat repetitive over time, with inspectors feeling that they were not being presented with anything truly new or innovative from his kitchens. This can be a major issue when it comes to retaining a Michelin star as inspectors expect a consistently high level of creativity from all restaurants they visit.
Overall then, there are a number of factors that have contributed to Gordon Ramsay losing several of his Michelin stars over recent years; from closures due to pandemic restrictions to changes in cuisine style and creativity levels within his kitchens. It appears that he must work hard if he hopes to regain these prestigious accolades again in future years.
Conclusion: Gordon Ramsay lost several Michelin stars due to a combination of factors including restaurant closures during the pandemic period as well as changes in cuisine style and declining levels of creativity in his kitchens which led inspectors to feel uninspired by some dishes served up by him.