Gordon sells out! The decline of the celeb chefs?

[PhilD]

... I assume this "positive" story has no link to him deciding to employ a PR person...

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You're being ironic, right?

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Of course not. Restaurant PR's are vital. How would we know where to go, and what to eat without them? How would I know which were the new openings worth visiting? How would all these bloggers be able to sample lots of restaurants without the largesse of the PR's?

Actually the last point does have a serious undertone. Lots of great bloggers retain an independent spirit and write about their personal food journey. But have the PR people now hooked into the blog world? Maybe I didn't notice it before but it is becoming increasingly prevelant. Two examples: I used to enjoy "World Foodie Guide", or "Gourmet Chick", quite fun, low key blogs written by passionate people finding their way around the food of London. But recently there are increasing numbers of posts about blogger gatherings arranged by restaurants, or books sent out for review. They strive to remain independent, but the sense of reality has been lost.

I understand readers will vote with their mice. For me the attraction of the blog world is that it was independent. The influx of PR's will change this. Hopefully, there is enough quality out there for discriminating readers to still find independent thought.

[alex james]

It seems to me that rather a lot of spin is being put on this tale of his financial woes.

Some of the problem results from an ill timed expansion of his top end restaurant empire. But an awful lot of it appears to result from him having been turned over by the taxman. The media reports that the company has a large debt to the taxman and that GR is simultaneously guaranteeing company debt whilst personally owing money to the company. This is a situation that will almost never occur in a properly run concern. But it is commonplace in a company where the taxman has demonstrated that company income has been diverted into the directors' pockets and/or that personal expenses of the directors have been paid by the company. Looks like a good few million went down one or both of those routes. It takes ages for the statutory accounts to be signed off by auditors in these circumstances which may well be why they were filed so very late.

So GR's PR people are presenting it as a botched expansion plan ie something that is likely to elicit some sympathy. It does not work for me.

[Tim Hayward]

... I assume this "positive" story has no link to him deciding to employ a PR person...

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You're being ironic, right?

←

Of course not. Restaurant PR's are vital. How would we know where to go, and what to eat without them? How would I know which were the new openings worth visiting? How would all these bloggers be able to sample lots of restaurants without the largesse of the PR's?

Actually the last point does have a serious undertone. Lots of great bloggers retain an independent spirit and write about their personal food journey. But have the PR people now hooked into the blog world? Maybe I didn't notice it before but it is becoming increasingly prevelant. Two examples: I used to enjoy "World Foodie Guide", or "Gourmet Chick", quite fun, low key blogs written by passionate people finding their way around the food of London. But recently there are increasing numbers of posts about blogger gatherings arranged by restaurants, or books sent out for review. They strive to remain independent, but the sense of reality has been lost.

I understand readers will vote with their mice. For me the attraction of the blog world is that it was independent. The influx of PR's will change this. Hopefully, there is enough quality out there for discriminating readers to still find independent thought.

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What Gordo's new flack has done is classic damage limitation PR. It works best when the client is already desperate. First read him the riot act until he gets some kind of perspective. Next offer an exclusive interview to a major paper in which your principal 'spills his guts'. A single outlet guarantees maximum control, ideally the revelations should be just painful enough to register as honesty. Meanwhile, out the back, dig an enormous hole and start burying stuff.

Think how many politicians you've seen pull the same 'public apology' trick.

Sure, there's a possibility this is honest and that no PR is involved. I'm prepared to believe that Gordon's entirely changed character and wants to reinvent himself as an honest craftsman driven by a love of cooking. I also believe in unicorns.

[david goodfellow]

Very grim reading in the company accounts, but of course wholly expected never the less.

Surprised that there is a smidgen of profit, certainly enough for a new Ferrari

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11...ant-empire.html

[le singe qui rit]

Quote from Fox News

Speaking on US TV, Ramsay said he had been hit hard by the global recession as diners stayed away from his many restaurants and added that the threat to his business had taught him not to take customers for granted.

"Heading out of global economic downturn has been tough but for me it has also been a breath of fresh air,” Ramsay said on Fox News.

"The industry was getting far too arrogant, they weren’t respecting customers enough and they forgot the customers were king.

"Customers just disappeared. Those that were in the restaurants weren’t drinking wine. All were on tap water.”

Ramsay added that he it had been a learning curve for him that had taught him a lot about running a business.

"I’m not a businessman, but I certainly don’t walk around with my head tucked up my backside. For me, it was a learning curve,” he said.

Notice how he carefully deflects criticism from his own operations on to an industry-wide problem, it's 'the industry' that got too arrogant....

[food1]

Quote from Fox News

Speaking on US TV, Ramsay said he had been hit hard by the global recession as diners stayed away from his many restaurants and added that the threat to his business had taught him not to take customers for granted.

"Heading out of global economic downturn has been tough but for me it has also been a breath of fresh air,” Ramsay said on Fox News.

"The industry was getting far too arrogant, they weren’t respecting customers enough and they forgot the customers were king.

"Customers just disappeared. Those that were in the restaurants weren’t drinking wine. All were on tap water.”

Ramsay added that he it had been a learning curve for him that had taught him a lot about running a business.

"I’m not a businessman, but I certainly don’t walk around with my head tucked up my backside. For me, it was a learning curve,” he said.

Notice how he carefully deflects criticism from his own operations on to an industry-wide problem, it's 'the industry' that got too arrogant....

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Yeah, I saw that interview too. Who is he still trying to kid? He's in danger of losing all credibilty. He still doesn't seem to want to accept the fact that he's bit off far more than he can chew. As the report suggested, if he acts more of a diva then a chef etc, it was always going to catch up with him. This is what gets me R, he such a contrary bloke. I got slated by some of the celeb chef lovers on here when I started this thread, condonning all he did. Hmm.........

The downturn will have had an effect, like it has on pracitically everyone but I still firmly believe he only has himself to blame for the position he finds himself in.

I nearly pissed myself laughing when he said 'it was time chefs got back in their boxes'. I couldn't agree more, but again, talk about hipocrisy on his part.

I really do think it will be a shame, if R ends up being remembered as a total gobshite, rather than the fine chef he was (is?????)

[George Baugh]

Gordon Ramsay is the David Beckham of cooking.

[PhilD]

I really do think it will be a shame, if R ends up being remembered as a total gobshite, rather than the fine chef he was (is?????)

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Seconded.

[Polarbear]

I really do think it will be a shame, if R ends up being remembered as a total gobshite, rather than the fine chef he was (is?????)

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Seconded.

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I think he will be remembered as the gobshite that could cook.........! He should apply to go on Kitchen nightmares....

[alex chef]

I really do think it will be a shame, if R ends up being remembered as a total gobshite, rather than the fine chef he was (is?????)

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Seconded.

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I think he will be remembered as the gobshite that could cook.........! He should apply to go on Kitchen nightmares....

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Lol!, with Marco facing up the programme!!

[howardlong]

"The industry was getting far too arrogant, they weren’t respecting customers enough and they forgot the customers were king.

"Customers just disappeared. Those that were in the restaurants weren’t drinking wine. All were on tap water.”

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Well I think this snippet is right. Quite how you think your customers can consider a markup of 200-300% on a bottle of wine is right less than a rip off is beyond me. It used to be about 100-150%, but over the past eight years or so, it seems to be considered fair play by restaurants to up their gouge to astronomic proportions. Sadly I have yet to see the good old days return, but I live in hope if they see we're all drinking Thames tap instead.

H

[Infrasonic]

"The industry was getting far too arrogant, they weren’t respecting customers enough and they forgot the customers were king.

"Customers just disappeared. Those that were in the restaurants weren’t drinking wine. All were on tap water.”

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Well I think this snippet is right. Quite how you think your customers can consider a markup of 200-300% on a bottle of wine is right less than a rip off is beyond me. It used to be about 100-150%, but over the past eight years or so, it seems to be considered fair play by restaurants to up their gouge to astronomic proportions. Sadly I have yet to see the good old days return, but I live in hope if they see we're all drinking Thames tap instead.

H

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I wonder if this is some sort of deliberate marketing psychology. Keep the food prices "low" ( compared say to Paris) to get people in, and get the GP up from the wine?

[malcolmwilliamson]

Gordon Ramsay has abandoned this year's eponymous scholarship due to a lack of funding.http://www.caterersearch.com/blogs/guide-girl/

[Polarbear]

Poor Bastard, he's having a shit time of late, but a bit of me feels he will come back, like a phoenix....

P.S and how boring is it out there.........zzzzzzzzzzzzz.