Gordon Ramsay Wants You To Have These 5 Items In Your Pantry
And he‘s always down for a TikTok
When world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay isn’t telling his Hell’s Kitchen contestants to ‘piss off,’ he’s really just your normal, everyday dad. If he’s not at home teaching his family how to cook a delicious scampi, he’s trying out the latest TikTok trends with his daughter, Tilly. But one thing that remains unchanged is his love for cooking.
I had a chance to sit down with Gordon and ask him everything from his favorite dishes to make his family to his biggest failures in his 30+ years of cooking.
What’s your #1 favorite dish to make for yourself or your family?
Great question. I’m so busy that a lot of the time it’s Tana who does the cooking. I’m a big fan of her Bolognese, which is so good. But it depends on if I have the whole family or it’s just Tana, Oscar, and I. If it’s the three of us, it’s a delicious pasta like a scampi, but if all of the Ramsay’s are together, there’s nothing like a Sunday Roast.
Do your kids like to cook? If so, how do you teach them?
Absolutely! Tilly, when she isn’t dancing up a storm on Strictly or TikTok, can make some incredible dishes. I’ve always said that learning to cook should be universal to anyone, just like learning English, and the kids have always been around mine or Tana’s cooking from a young age. I’ve also always been their encyclopedia when they have food questions! I mean, I was tangling off a cliff in Northern England when I was giving Tilly tips on a curry!
You kick your chefs out of the kitchen a lot on Hell’s Kitchen. Has that ever happened to you in your career? How did you learn from it?
Coming up through the kitchens when I was young wasn’t easy at all. There were a lot of long days, sweat, and thick skin. I took everything that happened to me in the kitchen as a learning experience to help get me where I am today.
What 5 items must be in your refrigerator/pantry at all times? Why?
Salt, olive oil, vinegar, spices, and pasta. They’re versatile starter ingredients that are perfect to elevate any protein or dish you’re creating.
What is one thing fans don’t know about you but you wish they did?
I’m a great dancer. I’m joking! Only when Tilly teaches me for TikToks.
What advice would you give yourself as a young chef?
That’s a tough one….the industry is a lot different now, but I’d say just make sure you keep your head down and work towards that dream.
What was your biggest accomplishment in the kitchen? Biggest failure?
Biggest accomplishment had to be when I got 3-Stars at my flagship Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea. It was my goal from when I started my journey to get to that point with my name above the door. We’ve now held it for 20 plus years, it’s truly extraordinary.
Failure? I’m definitely not perfect and there have been many bumps in my career, but I’d have to say closing in NY. I loved everything we did there and it was a shame we had to leave that site. But I always try to stay positive and see the incredible growth we have in the US now and hope to be back in NY soon.
Gordon is also currently starring in a campaign with Tide about turning to cold when doing laundry, highlighting how it can save you money, salvage your clothes and help the planet.
What made you want to partner with Tide?
I’m quite the perfectionist and take pride in keeping things clean, especially my chef whites. When I saw how Tide was able to deliver a superior clean even in cold water, I was convinced — this was a standard I could get behind. After being “Cold Called” by Matt Ryan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Ice-T, if these American icons are on board, then so am I!
Working in a kitchen, your chef’s coat must get filthy. What’s your go-to laundry method?
It really depends on the type of night you’re having in service. When my coat gets filthy, I always go for a deep cleaning detergent like Tide Hygienic Clean since it works great in cold water. It cleans fabrics down to the microscopic level and removes both visible and invisible dirt. If I have any stains that I need to quickly clean, I’ll go for Tide To Go Wipes. They are great for my little one Oscar on the go, and convenient for emergency stains on me.
