BURLINGTON, Ont. – Gordon Ramsay, the British chef known for his expletives and outbursts on his various television shows, says he is negotiating to open a restaurant in Toronto or Vancouver.
During an interview Sunday at an appearance promoting his cookbook “Gordon Ramsay’s Fast Food,” he said that “hopefully before I fly off Wednesday, I will get a chance to look at the property in Toronto, but it’s not in a hotel.”
Ramsay, 41, has opened a number of restaurants, many of which are in hotels around the world including Tokyo, New York, Ireland, Dubai and Paris. He has received nine Michelin stars for his culinary creations in three of the London restaurants.
The book signing in Burlington, a bedroom community west of Toronto, drew about 300 fans, including about 80 who arrived Saturday at noon outside the Indigo Bookstore to get in line to catch a glimpse of their favourite chef.
Punctual as befits his perfectionist personality, the six-foot-two Ramsay turned up dressed casually in blue jeans, a T-shirt and size 15 sneakers to meet a group of student chefs who had prepared appetizers for their idol.
“When you finish your training, contact me and I may be able to get you a job,” he said to the four students.
Then for the reporter he launched into a mini-tirade about how parents who allow their children to become obese should be fined accordingly.
“It is going to be a matter of time before it is passed by governments where parents will be held responsible for overweight children,” Ramsay said. “Parents must stop giving in to their children and stop feeding them crap.”
He praised his colleague Jamie Oliver for trying to change what British children were being served for their school lunches.
“Jamie was brilliant by making every parent feel guilty about what their children are eating at school,” he said.
On the subject of eating imported produce rather than consuming local, Ramsay said he “gets frustrated when I see chefs use asparagus 12 months a year.”
“My motto is if it isn’t in season, don’t cook it.”
He said one of his chefs made a strawberry cheesecake for last Valentine’s dinner and “I flipped my lid and asked where they came from. I was told Lebanon and I was livid.”
Ramsay admitted he is a perfectionist and “I want it right.”
“So whether you are spending $25 a plate or $50 a plate you will get a meal that is absolutely perfect.”
Infamous for his four-letter words when appearing on “Hell’s Kitchen,” and “Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares” on Food Network Canada, a new show “The F Word” will have its premiere this fall.
“My swearing is something I must cut back on,” he said, “but it’s an industry language.”
“If you were at a hockey match and were eavesdropping on the conversations by the players on the ice you would be horrified.”
He doubts that people watch his shows because he uses colourful language.
“Unfortunately, however, when you film for 10 hours you get edited to 45 minutes and it’s constant f, f, f.”
