Another reason to hate Gordon Ramsay (as if we needed another!)

[Guest guest]

The Sunday Telegraph. 15 May 2005.

Ramsay's pizza joke outrages vegetarians

By Roya Nikkhah

 

Gordon Ramsay, a chef almost as famous for his four-letter

outbursts in the kitchen as for his food, has sparked outrage

after feeding meat to a vegetarian in his new television show.

The programme was filmed for the second series of Ramsay's

Kitchen Nightmares, which will be broadcast later this month on

Channel 4. In the first episode, which coincidentally will be

shown during National Vegetarian Week, Ramsay invites passers-by

to sample pizzas at La Lanterna, a struggling Italian

-restaurant in Letchworth, Hertfordshire.

One of the volunteers who agrees to take part says that he has

been a vegetarian for eight years. Ramsay replies that the

restaurant's chefs have prepared a vegetarian pizza and gives

him one to try. After the volunteer - identified only as " Bob " -

has eaten the pizza, Ramsay tells him: " Unfortunately, that

pizza has got a lot of mozzarella and tomatoes, but underneath

all that there is parma ham. " The vegetarian complains to Ramsay

that he has played a " mean " trick on him, but Ramsay jokes that

he " hasn't come out in a big rash " . He is then filmed laughing

at the man and asking him if he would like some more, while

telling the restaurant's chefs that they have " converted a

vegetarian " . As the volunteer hurries out of the restaurant,

Ramsay calls out after him, " Good luck with the Vegemite! "

The incident has infuriated vegetarians, who have denounced

Ramsay's actions as offensive and unethical. Tina Fox, the chief

executive of the Vegetarian Society, said: " I am amazed that

Gordon Ramsay can find the discomfort of a fellow human being so

amusing. " It can be deeply upsetting for vegetarians to find

they have eaten any part of an animal in error. Would Gordon

find it equally amusing if an anaphylactic customer died at the

table due to eating nuts? "

Rose Elliot, the award-winning vegetarian food writer, called

Ramsay's behaviour " outrageous " and said that she would no

longer visit his restaurants. Dave Spikey, the actor who stars

in Channel 4's comedy series Phoenix Nights, who has been a

vegetarian for more than 20 years, said: " I find it

extraordinary that anyone could have so little respect and

regard for other people's sincerely held moral beliefs and

ethical choices. " Leading chefs were also critical. Tom Aikens,

the chef-patron of the eponymous restaurant in Chelsea, said:

" People often choose to be vegetarians for serious dietary or

religious reasons. To feed them meat is unnecessary, unkind and

certainly not funny. "

Heston Blumenthal, the owner of the Fat Duck restaurant in Bray,

said: " If someone decides not to eat meat they have made that

decision for a reason and it should be respected. " Alex Scott,

the owner and head chef at La Lanterna, said that the vegetarian

in question appeared distressed after the incident: " I did feel

a bit sorry for the guy as he ran out of the restaurant looking

very sick and pale. Gordon fell about laughing and I think it

made his night, as he's not known for his liking of

-vegetarians. I think Gordon just forgot to tell him the pizza

had parma ham in it, but he definitely knew because he oversaw

us making it and discussed the ingredients with us. "

A Channel 4 spokesman said: " We believe this was a genuine

mistake and that Gordon Ramsay did not deliberately set out to

give meat to a vegetarian. " In an interview to promote the BBC's

Comic Relief programme in 2003, Ramsay was asked what had been

his most recent lie, to which he replied: " To a table of

vegetarians who had artichoke soup. I told them it was made with

vegetable stock when it was chicken stock. "

[Guest guest]

Ah, someone wanted their 15 minutes of fame cause there is no way you

wouldn't know you were eating Parma ham but " Bob " ate the whole thing!

Either that or " Bob " was a shill to get a rise out of the audience. They do

that frequently just to cause controversy which increases the ratings.

 

We don't watch the jerk chef. He is beyond obnoxious!

 

Lynda

-

Jo Cwazy <heartwork

 

Monday, May 16, 2005 11:45 AM

Another reason to hate Gordon Ramsay (as if we needed

another!)

 

 

> The Sunday Telegraph. 15 May 2005.

> Ramsay's pizza joke outrages vegetarians

> By Roya Nikkhah

>

> Gordon Ramsay, a chef almost as famous for his four-letter

> outbursts in the kitchen as for his food, has sparked outrage

> after feeding meat to a vegetarian in his new television show.

> The programme was filmed for the second series of Ramsay's

> Kitchen Nightmares, which will be broadcast later this month on

> Channel 4. In the first episode, which coincidentally will be

> shown during National Vegetarian Week, Ramsay invites passers-by

> to sample pizzas at La Lanterna, a struggling Italian

> -restaurant in Letchworth, Hertfordshire.

> One of the volunteers who agrees to take part says that he has

> been a vegetarian for eight years. Ramsay replies that the

> restaurant's chefs have prepared a vegetarian pizza and gives

> him one to try. After the volunteer - identified only as " Bob " -

> has eaten the pizza, Ramsay tells him: " Unfortunately, that

> pizza has got a lot of mozzarella and tomatoes, but underneath

> all that there is parma ham. " The vegetarian complains to Ramsay

> that he has played a " mean " trick on him, but Ramsay jokes that

> he " hasn't come out in a big rash " . He is then filmed laughing

> at the man and asking him if he would like some more, while

> telling the restaurant's chefs that they have " converted a

> vegetarian " . As the volunteer hurries out of the restaurant,

> Ramsay calls out after him, " Good luck with the Vegemite! "

> The incident has infuriated vegetarians, who have denounced

> Ramsay's actions as offensive and unethical. Tina Fox, the chief

> executive of the Vegetarian Society, said: " I am amazed that

> Gordon Ramsay can find the discomfort of a fellow human being so

> amusing. " It can be deeply upsetting for vegetarians to find

> they have eaten any part of an animal in error. Would Gordon

> find it equally amusing if an anaphylactic customer died at the

> table due to eating nuts? "

> Rose Elliot, the award-winning vegetarian food writer, called

> Ramsay's behaviour " outrageous " and said that she would no

> longer visit his restaurants. Dave Spikey, the actor who stars

> in Channel 4's comedy series Phoenix Nights, who has been a

> vegetarian for more than 20 years, said: " I find it

> extraordinary that anyone could have so little respect and

> regard for other people's sincerely held moral beliefs and

> ethical choices. " Leading chefs were also critical. Tom Aikens,

> the chef-patron of the eponymous restaurant in Chelsea, said:

> " People often choose to be vegetarians for serious dietary or

> religious reasons. To feed them meat is unnecessary, unkind and

> certainly not funny. "

> Heston Blumenthal, the owner of the Fat Duck restaurant in Bray,

> said: " If someone decides not to eat meat they have made that

> decision for a reason and it should be respected. " Alex Scott,

> the owner and head chef at La Lanterna, said that the vegetarian

> in question appeared distressed after the incident: " I did feel

> a bit sorry for the guy as he ran out of the restaurant looking

> very sick and pale. Gordon fell about laughing and I think it

> made his night, as he's not known for his liking of

> -vegetarians. I think Gordon just forgot to tell him the pizza

> had parma ham in it, but he definitely knew because he oversaw

> us making it and discussed the ingredients with us. "

> A Channel 4 spokesman said: " We believe this was a genuine

> mistake and that Gordon Ramsay did not deliberately set out to

> give meat to a vegetarian. " In an interview to promote the BBC's

> Comic Relief programme in 2003, Ramsay was asked what had been

> his most recent lie, to which he replied: " To a table of

> vegetarians who had artichoke soup. I told them it was made with

> vegetable stock when it was chicken stock. "

>

>

>

>

> To send an email to -

>

[Guest guest]

> Gordon Ramsay, a chef almost as famous for his four-letter

> outbursts in the kitchen as for his food, has sparked outrage

> after feeding meat to a vegetarian in his new television show.

 

It's a shame the person wasn't allergic to the meat... presumably knowingly

fooling someone into eating food that they've said they can't eat could be

considered attempted murder.

 

BB

Peter

[Guest guest]

It certainly was disgraceful behaviour, and not the first time he's

done that sort of thing.

 

At the back of my mind I am planning a writing campaign.

 

BB

Jo

 

, " Peter " <metalscarab@c...> wrote:

> > Gordon Ramsay, a chef almost as famous for his four-letter

> > outbursts in the kitchen as for his food, has sparked outrage

> > after feeding meat to a vegetarian in his new television show.

>

> It's a shame the person wasn't allergic to the meat... presumably

knowingly

> fooling someone into eating food that they've said they can't eat

could be

> considered attempted murder.

>

> BB

> Peter