There is not one person in the whole of the United Kingdom and most of the world who has not heard of Gordon Ramsay. His culinary exploits are known to everyone and his television shows inspire many chefs and many novice cooks around the world. His recipes are much sought after and some hotel management institutes even offer courses on them. His books on cooking are best sellers and are quite popular. So what is so special about this man?

Well, this master chef, an officer of the Order of the British Empire, was born on 8 November 1966 in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland. According to Gordon himself, his father was an ambitious person, but alcohol steered him away from all activities. Gordon still feels that he did not have a happy childhood. His mother and sister were nurses at a hospital close to his house. Neglected by his father, Gordon found solace in football and was selected to play for teams like Warwickshire. However, a recurrent knee injury forced him to quit the game at a time when he was offered a trial with Rangers F.C.
He aggravated his injury when he played with an injured knee, and this resulted in a ligament tear. That was the end of his football career.

Not to be let down by the disappointing and abrupt end to his football career, Gordon joined a local Hotel Management institute and enrolled for a catering course. This helped him earn a great deal. He then joined as an apprentice at the Wroxton House Hotel, and later became the chef at the Wickham Arms. Gordon then shifted base to London and worked under the famous chef Marco Pierre White at Harveys. Having mastered English cuisine, Gordon set out to learn French cuisine. This foray into French culture and cuisine helped him to meet people like Albert Roux and Jean Claude Breton. He then made a decision to move to France and worked under Joel Robuchon and Guy Savoy. This experience proved to be invaluable, as he was made head chef at Aubergine with a little help from Marco Pierre White. He helped the restaurant gain two Michelin stars in less than four years.

Gordon started writing books and recipes and published his first book ‘Passion for Flavour’ in 1996. He left Aubergine in 1997 and soon opened his own restaurant ‘Gordon Ramsay’ in Chelsea in 1998. That the restaurant won three Michelin stars in as many years stands testimony to Gordon’s efficiency and talent. He went on to open many restaurants in other places, both inside and outside of the United Kingdom.

Gordon Ramsay has also appeared on many television shows. Notable among these are two of his shows viz. Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares and The F-Word. He has also appeared on reality shows like Hell’s Kitchen, both in the United Kingdom and the United States. He has made guest appearances on various shows like Top Gear and Quest. Gordon has won numerous awards for his culinary skills. He has won three Catey awards, and his restaurants have won top awards.

Gordon is happily married to Tana and they have four children together. Gordon and Tana have participated in various charity events and they conduct frequent fund raising programmes for HIV AIDS, women empowerment and other social causes.