Gordon Ramsay has spoken of his passion and respect for Liverpool on a recent trip to the city.
The chef was in Liverpool ONE earlier this week visiting his new Bread Street Kitchen & Bar restaurant which opened in February at the former Jamie’s Italian site.
Despite it being a Wednesday lunchtime, Gordon’s new restaurant was bustling with people when the ECHO arrived to chat with the man himself in the upstairs seating area.
READ MORE: Inside Gordon Ramsay's Liverpool restaurant as it welcomes first customers
Gordon’s trip to Liverpool came a few days after his return from LA where he was filming seasons 21 and 22 of Hell’s Kitchen, but there were no signs he was feeling jet-lagged, as his passion for our city began to flow the moment we sat down.
He said: “Liverpool has a happy culture, but it is almost like the Ugly Sister. The city has never had the respect it deserves and it never gets a look in - it’s always about Manchester or Leeds.
"Liverpool is an amazing city and you just think of what’s going on now with the museums, the theatre, the waterfront, the football - there’s a lot going on.
“I think Liverpool will see a flurry of restaurants over the next three to five years. And then there’s the demand - it’s an active, buoyant city that is stripped of arrogance. There’s just an amazing passion and a DNA of culture here.”
Despite growing up in Glasgow and Stratford-upon-Avon, Gordon can relate to Liverpudlians. He continued: “I’ve got a lot of Scouse friends - football players, artists and actors. I’m a passionate guy, not a southern snob, so I’m cut from the same cloth.
“Underneath, I’m half Scottish, half Scouse. I think that’s pretty evident when I get things off my chest and I get straight to the point. I don’t tolerate b******t - life’s too f*****g short.
“Growing up and watching my mum work three jobs to put clothes on our back, and then sending us to school to get food stamps because we had no money - trust me, we’re not label slapping. I feel at home here in Liverpool.”
Liverpool Bread Street Kitchen & Bar is Gordon’s 35th restaurant. He explained: “Everyone thought we were crazy for putting restaurants back on the map so close to coming out of the pandemic, but we need to come back strong.
“There’s a lot riding on this restaurant and there are a lot of families involved in running it. We need to put the pandemic behind us and move on. What everyone has been through the last few years mentally, it’s devastating.
“This may be our 35th venue, but I treat each one as though it’s our first one. I did the tasting earlier today and it’s on par with London. Now I just want to see a little bit of Scouse on the menu!”
With Gordon being a passionate football fan and Liverpool currently sitting second in the Premier League table, it’s no surprise the conversation soon turned to football: “Growing up, I was always a Liverpool fan.”
Speaking again about his Liverpool Bread Street Kitchen & Bar. He said: “It’s sad that Jamie [Oliver] didn’t make it here - the site is amazing. Liverpool is no longer just a weekend venue, just look at it here today.
“It was never my intention to take over Jamie’s Italian. Jamie and I are mates, everyone thinks we’re not, but we are. Two summers ago we sat in the garden with our kids and had an amazing evening talking, drinking, laughing, crying and just having a proper heart-to-heart.
“It had nothing to do with it being his old site. Whether it was Marco Pierre White or Jamie Oliver, it didn’t matter who had the house beforehand. The location was absolutely spot on. Where Jamie failed, there’s a big learning curve for all of us. One man’s failure is the next man’s success.”
Despite having many restaurants, Gordon admits he still gets nervous ahead of a new opening. He explained: “Every f*****g time, because we’re a target. Everyone thinks it’s easy because we’ve had success and we’ve got money, but I never started cooking for money. I suppose it’s like playing at Anfield - 65,000 people watching you every week, you’ve got to be s**t hot.
“I get anxious when chefs stick their name above the door, but there’s a strength here. It’s not just the food, but the atmosphere created. The service is equally as important as the food. It’s split into three - food, service, setting. Get those three right, and the lights will stay on.
“At night time, this place is buzzing. We had 420 guests last Saturday with a queue out the door. It’s an all day thing, and I’m not interested in the numbers, it’s making sure that quality is there. We launch our breakfast soon, we’re doing a Scouse version of a full English.”
It may not come as a surprise that Gordon finds eating out at other people’s restaurants quite an awkward experience: “I’m a f*****g nightmare! I love chefs dearly, but they send food out to our table constantly and ask for feedback, but I’m just happy to be there enjoying myself.
“The big issue is that no one charges me! Please, charge me, it’s embarrassing. Whatever we would have spent, we leave double as a tip. We very rarely experience the customers’ perspective, so when I am out and I’m sitting in the corner, I always take my shoes off under the table to relax. I’ve got up and gone to the bathroom in my socks before. The first thing chefs do when they get home is take their shoes off, because all you’re doing all day is standing.”
As our chat came to a close, the topic turned to our favourite Scousers. Of course, LFC legend Steven Gerrard received a mention: “I really got to understand Stevie G when he moved to LA Galaxy and I watched him play out there. Also, to see what he did at Rangers, a team which means a lot to me.
“Everyone thinks that I don’t like vegans or vegetarians - I break out in a rash when I’m with them for too long - but there’s one out there who’s a f*****g solid guy… John Bishop! I play Soccer Aid with him and when the chips are down and s**t has hit the fan, you just want him sitting on the sofa with you. He’s a passionate guy, and he’s a man who’s rearing pigs - the opposite of what you’d expect from a vegetarian or vegan.”
Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen & Bar is at 45 Paradise St, Liverpool, L1 3EU. You can book a table here.
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