Gordon Ramsay hits diners with 20 per cent service charge

• Gordon Ramsay's Lucky Cat restaurant added a 20 per cent discretionary service charge to diners' bills for its New Year's Eve menu.
• This charge is higher than the 15 per cent typically applied at most of Ramsay's establishments and exceeds those of other renowned UK chefs.
• The move reflects a growing trend in Britain towards a US-style tipping culture, where 20 per cent tips are common and often supplement staff wages.
• The hospitality sector is facing significant financial pressures, including rising business rates, energy costs, and minimum wage increases, with many businesses fearing collapse.
• While industry bodies state that 100 per cent of such charges go to staff, the practice has drawn criticism on social media, with calls for restaurants to pay employees proper wages.

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Gordon Ramsay one of the first celebrity chefs to bring US-style 20% service charge to London