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Ramsaywatch UK


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Great news and quite a coup from that version of the story. Steeling the restaurant from under his nose is absolute genious. He knows the set up, will keep all his staff and give's Ramsay one heack of a whack while still being able to chase the 3rd star without having a disruptive move (but still a possible refurb?). Bit surprised that the Berkeley have given him the contract considering Ramsay is still at Claridge's for 10+ years...

Having tried to get a table at Petrus the other day I think it's fair to say MW has little to worry about - I couldn't get any Friday or Saturday for 4 months and no midweek for 6 weeks...

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Having tried to get a table at Petrus the other day I think it's fair to say MW has little to worry about - I couldn't get any Friday or Saturday for 4 months and no midweek for 6 weeks...

for a restaurant that recieves so little praise they look big numbers, i had a stunning meal in the old petrus but not tried the 'new'

you don't win friends with salad

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Great news and quite a coup from that version of the story. Steeling the restaurant from under his nose is absolute genious. He knows the set up, will keep all his staff and give's Ramsay one heack of a whack while still being able to chase the 3rd star without having a disruptive move (but still a possible refurb?). Bit surprised that the Berkeley have given him the contract considering Ramsay is still at Claridge's for 10+ years...

Having tried to get a table at Petrus the other day I think it's fair to say MW has little to worry about - I couldn't get any Friday or Saturday for 4 months and no midweek for 6 weeks...

Should make clear that I was looking for a prime time table at 7.30/8ish. Unless they're now working on only 6/6.30 and 9.30/10 sittings I thought I might have had a bit more luck. Could've got a table at 6pm or 10pm on a midweek but pretty certain weekends were chocca.

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Great news and quite a coup from that version of the story. Steeling the restaurant from under his nose is absolute genious. He knows the set up, will keep all his staff and give's Ramsay one heack of a whack while still being able to chase the 3rd star without having a disruptive move (but still a possible refurb?). Bit surprised that the Berkeley have given him the contract considering Ramsay is still at Claridge's for 10+ years...

Having tried to get a table at Petrus the other day I think it's fair to say MW has little to worry about - I couldn't get any Friday or Saturday for 4 months and no midweek for 6 weeks...

Should make clear that I was looking for a prime time table at 7.30/8ish. Unless they're now working on only 6/6.30 and 9.30/10 sittings I thought I might have had a bit more luck. Could've got a table at 6pm or 10pm on a midweek but pretty certain weekends were chocca.

Yes had the same experience trying to book Petrus a few months ago - no joy. Went to Claridges instead yesterday and it was a bit shit. Nice food but nothing special. Service was positively agricultural.

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Have just tried to find out if I could get a table for Angela Hartnett's new place Murano which I understood was due to open the back end of this month. Girl on the other end informed that it now won't be ready until the back end of August... Could well be a bit of a public spat between Ramsay/Hartnett and the newly escaped Waring around that time me thinks...

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  • 4 weeks later...
Gordo goes on the game:
Chefs that have often wondered what it would be like to work for Gordon Ramsay can now experience the heat for themselves, with the launch of the Hell’s Kitchen game.

Please, God, somebody do a Alien v Predator mashup. I want to be left alone in a room with Chef Sweary and an M41A Pulse Rifle.

Quick poll. Which movie or video game weapon would you choose for an encounter with GordonBalls?

Edited by Tim Hayward (log)

Tim Hayward

"Anyone who wants to write about food would do well to stay away from

similes and metaphors, because if you're not careful, expressions like

'light as a feather' make their way into your sentences and then where are you?"

Nora Ephron

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Quick poll. Which movie or video game weapon would you choose for an encounter with GordonBalls?

Nail gun from the original Quake (keyboard shortcut 5, geeky that I remember that) - painful, but not in one large dose.

I can't see much appeal for a game where you can cook for Gordon Ramsay. That's way too much "media" coverage for one man.

If I am your princess, then where is my crown?

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Well, Gordie’s back on the telly, with a huge audience I’m sure, after his publicity stunt rant about fining chef’s for using out of season produce.

This time round he’s everybody’s friend and the new happy clappy F Word looks like a pilot for a US audience, where of course he’ll make a lot more money if the networks bite.

Nah. Americans only like angry Ramsay a la "Kitchen Nightmares" and "Hell's Kitchen." The American versions are basically designed to showcase his ability to rant and throw things.

At the age of six I wanted to be a cook. At seven I wanted to be Napoleon. And my ambition has been growing steadily ever since. ‐ Salvador Dali

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much more interesting part of the article was the mention that MPW is returning to Hells Kitchen, Hurrah!

I noticed that... quick thinking on Gordo Inc's part to steal the march on the game end of things before MPW makes Hell's Kitchen his own.

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Have just tried to find out if I could get a table for Angela Hartnett's new place Murano which I understood was due to open the back end of this month. Girl on the other end informed that it now won't be ready until the back end of August... Could well be a bit of a public spat between Ramsay/Hartnett and the newly escaped Waring around that time me thinks...

I think its now the York & Albany - or is that a separate place?

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Have just tried to find out if I could get a table for Angela Hartnett's new place Murano which I understood was due to open the back end of this month. Girl on the other end informed that it now won't be ready until the back end of August... Could well be a bit of a public spat between Ramsay/Hartnett and the newly escaped Waring around that time me thinks...

I think its now the York & Albany - or is that a separate place?

Yes.

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Murano is going to be fine dining Italian - angelas flagship restaurant, while the York and Albany is a restaurant/deli/bar etc with rooms

"Experience is something you gain just after you needed it" ....A Wise man

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Murano is going to be fine dining Italian - angelas flagship restaurant, while the York and Albany is a restaurant/deli/bar etc with rooms

Y&A is at the end of my street so I'm obviously watching it with keen attention.

It's been locked and entirely devoid of life for ages and, in spite of occasional 'leaks' to the local paper about predicted opening times (April, then June) there's absolutely no action whatsoever.

The last leak featured an artist's impression of the interior which, at the very least, will involve the removal of the large bar in the centre of the main room.

I'll keep an eye on the place and post the minute there's any action but, right now, I wouldn't hold my breath for an opening... ever.

Maybe someone with more business acumen than me can explain this but it seems counter-intuitive to keep a place standing idle like this.

Possibilties?

1. It's on some kind of negotiated, low-cost, 'holding' lease with Crown Estates so there's little impact on GRH. This might make sense if the presence of a Ramsoid establishment is seen as an asset to the value of the landlord's property in the area

2. A ready-to-roll property that hasn't actually had the chance to fail in the market is, in some way a more useful part of the GRH portfolio than a going concern.

3. Hartnett's got Gordo over a barrel - if she were to announce a departure from GRH it would be damaging.

4. It's costing them a fortune but GRH is too rich to care about the burn rate.

Tim Hayward

"Anyone who wants to write about food would do well to stay away from

similes and metaphors, because if you're not careful, expressions like

'light as a feather' make their way into your sentences and then where are you?"

Nora Ephron

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I would think issues with planning permission or unexpected problems with the building (which dates back to 1820) are the most likely explanations. Its hardly unusual for restaurant opening dates to be put back and the move from a spring to late summer opening was made quite some time ago.

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You may be overestimating how much GRH charting its own path, Tim. Though the company specialises in restaurants, it's basically a small-scale niche property developer, so will be suffering exactly the same problems as its sector.

Property investment depends entirely on the cost of capital. For a business to work, the value of assets has to be greater than the debt used to access them.

As we all know, property valuations are falling and consumer confidence is fragile. As a result, lenders are becoming scarce, and those willing to lend will only do it on some pretty savage terms. Those terms will include some very specific earnings targets either for the business as a whole, or for each individual venture funded.

GRH is a privately owned company, so does not have to tell us how much it has borrowed to fund its expansion and on what terms. However, it'd be fair to assume that at least some of the debt that has funded its expansion over recent years has suddenly become more expensive, while the leases are not being renegotiated. Meanwhile, even Walnuts may not be immune to weaker spending. (Sure, Claridges and Maze are still booked every night, but the dwindling supply of expense account lunchers and upper slope wine list browsers will have had an effect.)

Highly indebted, fast-growing, consumer exposed businesses don't always end up in the shit when debt costs are rising and revenue is on the slide. But such conditions almost always force companies into changing gear. That takes time.

In short, it wouldn't be a surprise if GRH was running close to its banking covenants. Working capital is likely to be very tight at the moment, which means the business may have had to mothball some of its more cash intensive projects while new financing is sought.

Disclaimer: the above is composed entirely of uninformed speculation. Any resemblance to businesses living or dead is purely coincidental.

Edited by naebody (log)
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You may be overestimating how much GRH charting its own path, Tim. Though the company specialises in restaurants, but it basically just a small-scale niche property developer, so will be suffering exactly the same problems as its sector.

...

Highly indebted, fast-growing, consumer exposed businesses don't always end up in the shit when debt costs are rising and revenue is on the slide. But such conditions almost always force companies into changing gear. That takes time.

In short, it wouldn't be a surprise if GRH was running close to its banking covenants. Working capital is likely to be tight at the moment, which means the business may have had to mothball some of its more cash intensive projects while new financing is sought.

Disclaimer: the above is composed entirely of uninformed speculation. Any resemblance to businesses living or dead is purely coincidental.

You never disappoint, Naebody.

Once again, rem acu tetigisti.

Tim Hayward

"Anyone who wants to write about food would do well to stay away from

similes and metaphors, because if you're not careful, expressions like

'light as a feather' make their way into your sentences and then where are you?"

Nora Ephron

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