Chefs drag Ramsay over hot coals

DJ Tommy Vance (left) was only in Hell's Kitchen 24 hours

Foul-mouthed celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has sacrificed the reputation of his profession in his quest for stardom, fellow chefs have said.

The criticism follows the release of his new show, Hell's Kitchen, in which he tries to mould 10 stars into cooks.

Fellow chefs said the show did not reflect life in most kitchens and would deter young people from becoming cooks.

David Foskett of the London School of Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure, said: "It's a poor shop window for catering."

DJ Tommy Vance and athlete Dwain Chambers left the show after receiving verbal abuse from the explosive chef.

Professor Foskett said the show left him speechless: "Words fail me, it's so awful.

'Not real'

"I was speaking to a number of chefs recently and they are all saying the same - this doesn't do the image of the industry any good at all.

The programme bears as much relation to a real kitchen as Wacky Races does to Formula One Peter Harden Harden's UK Restaurant Guide

"I have parents phoning me up saying they won't put their son or daughter in the business.

"People are asking, 'Is it really like that?' and it's not like that at all."

Chris Galvin, head chef of The Wolseley in London, agreed: "People being sworn at all day is far from the truth.

"I would love to see people concentrating on the positive aspects of being a chef because you can travel the world, meet people you wouldn't dream of and have a fantastic time".

Peter Harden, editor of Harden's UK Restaurant Guide, said: "The programme bears as much relation to a real kitchen as Wacky Races does to Formula One.

"It seems all Gordon Ramsay is dishing out is humiliation of celebrities and confrontation."

Example

But a spokeswoman for Gordon Ramsay said: "You could never compare the celebrities in the show with real chefs and they have never pretended to be that, but it is an example of what it can be like.

Mr Ramsay's spokesperson said the show's celebrity chefs were not real chefs

"Some people are going to love the show and some people aren't.

"There are those in the catering industry who think it's fantastic."

Hell's Kitchen started on 23 May. It lasts for two weeks and forces celebrities to cook for diners at a Ramsay-run restaurant.

The celebrity chefs are voted for by the public and the least popular will be evicted.

The celebrities taking part include former Brookside actress Jennifer Ellison, Gimme Gimme Gimme actor James Dreyfus and Coronation Street's Amanda Barrie.