Top restaurant critic Jay Rayner has revived his long-running feud with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, explaining the rule behind his brutal reviews. In a new interview, Rayner told the i newspaper: "I cut up rough only on the hugely expensive restaurants, the ones that promise much and deliver little."
Feud reignited over 'bullying' claims
Rayner had previously slammed the Hell's Kitchen star for "glamourising bullying." He highlighted a clip from a Channel 4 production showing one of the chef's "top meltdowns", where he yelled insults such as: "you stuck up, precious little b****", "you bulls***ing little f***er" and "you're a f***ing joke" at stressed-out kitchen staff.
In response to Rayner calling him a "sad, inadequate man", Ramsay took a jab at the restaurant critic's appearance on The Weakest Link.
'Punch up, not down' rule
Rayner, known for his appearances on programmes including MasterChef, Saturday Kitchen and Eating With The Enemy, says he avoids criticising smaller restaurants, telling the Irish News: "I live by a single rule: punch up, not down," adding: "There's no point in kicking 10 tonnes of crap out of a small, family-run restaurant that's failing - they're going to fail all by themselves."
This strategy contrasts sharply with Ramsay's method. The celebrity chef's Kitchen Nightmares programme highlights the shortcomings of troubled restaurants but seldom manages to rescue them. Around 75% of restaurants featured on the show go on to fail.
Bread Street Kitchen savaged
Even Ramsay's own ventures haven't escaped Rayner's critical eye. During a visit to the TV chef's Bread Street Kitchen near Fleet Street in London, he condemned both the cuisine and the pricing structure.
Following a trip to Ramsay's new restaurant back in 2011, Rayner wrote: "Sticky tamarind chicken wings had the thrill of being dirty food served up by the classy Ramsay, until we realised they were no better than the sort you'd buy when completely bladdered from some gnarly KFC knock-off joint in Dalston. And the mark-up! Five small second joints for £8."
Rayner went on to reveal that his research uncovered Ramsay's "KFC knock-off" chicken wings carried a markup approaching 90%, considerably higher than the industry norm of 70%.
In contrast to many establishments featured on Kitchen Nightmares, Bread Street Kitchen & Bar continues to thrive across several sites, including its landmark 100th restaurant for the Gordon Ramsay empire at 22 Bishopsgate. Though Rayner hinted he might return to Bread Street to witness how the venue he branded "adolescent" had matured "when it grows up", he's yet to make that journey back.
Family influence
Rayner's direct approach may well stem from his late mother, renowned agony aunt Claire Rayner. Shortly before she died from a kidney infection following intestinal surgery in 2010, Rayner asked what her final words might be.
He recalled: "I ended up in the hospital room with her on what turned out to be her last afternoon," he says. "She asked, 'Am I dying?' I said, 'Well, it's not looking great'."
After making light of King George V's final words, which included some sharp comments about the Sussex seaside town of Bognor Regis, Claire declared her dying words would be: "Tell David Cameron that if he screws up my beloved NHS, I'll come back and bloody haunt you."
Rayner noted with pride that his mum's parting words featured on the evening news. "It made her death a news story," he said. "It felt like a successful sentence. It was quoted in the House of Commons and David Cameron had to respond."
