Chef Gordon Ramsay has confessed to the “stupid” mistake he resolved to get on the property ladder as a young man after his father-in-law knocked him back for a loan.
The celebrity restaurateur and TV host explains on the High Performance Podcast that he was driving a luxury sportscar in those days and yet was “skint”, unable to muster a deposit for a flat for him and wife Tana.
In a chat littered with his signature colourful language, Ramsay, 56, describes how his “clever” father-in-law Chris Hutcheson refused to acquiesce. It turned out to be the “best advice”, Ramsay says.
He took Hutcheson out for lunch to ask him for £20,000 – half of the deposit needed – but because he was getting around in a 911 Porsche at the time, his plea fell on deaf ears.
“We were young, we were stupid, and we were skint,” he tells podcast host Jake Humphrey.
“I remember going to ask her father if I could borrow twenty grand for the deposit for a flat that we fell in love with.
“And I thought this was all going well, and lunch was good, I’ll pay for lunch, and I said ‘oh, by the way, about that deposit, you know, Tana and I, we’ve got half, we need the other twenty grand. I will pay you back in a year.
“He said, ‘okay, here is what I’ll do – I’ll have another lunch with you when you sell your Porsche.
“Here I am, driving around in a flash … 911 and we didn’t even have a …. house, we didn’t have a flat, we didn’t have a roof over our heads.
“It was the best advice he ever gave me – sell your … Porsche.”
Ramsay says he did sell the car and ten years later, he bought it back. The very same one.
He and Tana, a teacher, cookbook author and broadcaster, wed in 1996 and have five children. They met at a New Years’ Eve party in London.
Ramsay is hosting an Australian version of his UK show Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars, coming soon to Channel 9 and 9Now.
He will be joined by Boost Juice’s Janine Allis, the Aussie founder of the world’s largest juice bar chain, mentoring and guiding the next batch of entrepreneur foodies.
Fourteen teams with potentially game-changing food business ideas will compete for the chance to see their concept become a reality.
