Now we’re cooking


GORDON RAMSAY’S RESPECT FOR THE OCEAN, AND THE PRIME RIBEYE STAKING A CLAIM ON HIS TIME WORDS: JAMES EVANS


I


n pursuit of culinary perfection, Gordon Ramsay has frequently found himself treading a route towards sea-swept expanses. This is the person who once described seafood as the ultimate meeting of minds between a talented chef and a refined palate; and is the man whose globally renowned skills have him as synonymous with the opulence, serenity and windswept wonder of coastal cuisine, be that cooking on a yacht or being welcomed aboard one as a guest.


“I’ve been on yachts where word has got through to the chef that I am about,” he begins. “I think the expectation is that I’m going to start critiquing every vol-au-vent, or querying the consistency of the pancetta; but forget it – I’m having a day off! When I get the chance to relax that’s all I’m going to do.”


The 54-year-old Scot certainly isn’t yet anywhere near the point in his life when he can take a permanent step back to begin to enjoy the fruits of his labour, but when time


to slow down does present itself, the idea of stepping on board a vessel is appealing.


“Obviously over the years I’ve been called upon to cook, to plan, to configure dining experiences on yachts and boats, and it’s a pressured environment, as you can imagine,” he says.


“You are usually dealing with minimal kitchen space, you have to bring everything with you, and there’s invariably a tight deadline to hit. There’s also the fact you are servicing clientele who expect and demand everything to be on point and perfect. Of course that’s exactly how I run a kitchen anyway, but there are no second chances.”


While his professional engagements have often been pressurised, one of his earliest experiences on board was relatively stress-free, and yet it paved the way – both mentally and financially – for him to begin his restaurant empire.


22 | WINTER 2021 | ONBOARD


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