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Marco Pierre White has finally revealed the reason he went years without speaking to his former protegé, Gordon Ramsay.
The chefs had been close friends in the late 1980s, back when Ramsay was working at White’s Michelin-starred London restaurant, Harvey’s.
Their relationship later soured – though reasons for this had remained unconfirmed, with one rumour alleging that White made Ramsay cry during his final service in 1989 after the Kitchen Nightmares chose to leave Harvey’s to work at Le Gavroche.
Speaking to The Times, White denied rumours that he was angry at Ramsay for leaving Harvey’s. “Lies,” he told the publication. “I got Gordon his job at Le Gavroche. It was me who arranged it. Why would I f*** up his job if he was leaving? Tell the truth.”
The 64-year-old also disputed reports that their feud began over an overcooked red mullet that came in during Ramsay’s last day at Harvey’s. “No,” White said. “Me not speaking to Gordon has nothing to do with white fish.”
White also poured water on rumours that their friendship fell apart due to a scenario involving blocked access to a steamer, which reportedly ended with White saying to Ramsay: “You’re like dog s*** – always in the middle of the road.”
“Those words are not in my vocabulary,” White told The Times. He did, though, confirm Ramsay’s recollection of that final day at Harvey’s during which he “bawled” his eyes out. “That’s true,” he said. “Gordon cracked.”
The real reason White cut off contact with his former protegé is related to his wedding in 2000 to his ex-wife Mati Conejero.
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“Gordon bringing TV cameras to my wedding – that’s why I didn’t speak to him for years,” White said. “Would you be happy if I brought a camera crew to your wedding? Why bring it up? Let sleeping dogs lie. Not clever.”
The Independent has contacted a representative of Ramsay for comment.
Earlier this year, during an appearance on The Louis Theroux Podcast, White insisted that the pair had buried the hatched, saying: “I liked Gordon. He was kind. He worked hard for me.”
The former friends have reunited in a new BBC series titled The Rise of the Rockstar Chef, which also features Hestom Blumenthal. The series will see the trio delve into the “fights, fall-out and feuds” that characterised their early years in the restaurant world.
White initially said no to Ramsay’s request to star in the programme, which was made by Ramsay’s production company, after learning that Jamie Oliver was supposed to feature as well.
“[Gordon] called me back the next day and said, ‘If we get rid of Jamie Oliver, will you do it?’ And I said, ‘Yes,’” recalled White.
Asked why he did not want Oliver to participate, White cited the chef’s lack of Michelin stars, stating: “I understand why you’d want Jamie. He’s very good at what he does. “But how many Michelin stars did he win? How many did Heston and Gordon win? How many did I win?”
White, Ramsay and Blumenthal have each earned three Michelin stars. “Jamie has no stars. He belongs to a different jigsaw,” said White.