In Conversation With Gordon Ramsay

and today we are very fortunate to have with us a multi Michelin star chef author restaurant and host of many critically acclaimed television shows he's going to take us into his fascinating world and tell us what inspires him the struggles he's faced along the way to success and how they've shaped him to become the person who he is today so ladies and gentlemen please help me welcome mr. Gordon Ramsay so nice to see you welcome how are we that sounded pathetic I've been 13 and a half hours on a plane to come and see you guys you think you're the reason I'm here good afternoon that's why I'm here to come and talk to you do you know why hey I heard you guys kept it real B there's not one spoil individual in this room and we share something very similar right we're all dying to do well in life even you pull good to see but good to see you that's exactly the worker we needed later children so thank you very much now Gordon you know you you have an amazing career you you've done pretty much everything but you've come from humble beginnings and we need to know could you provide us a glimpse of your early years and your early aspirations God's humble tough shitty awkward I was embarrassed I had a sort of tiny little house I grew up in stratford-upon-avon and when thinks that's a very posh place to grow up it's not it's the council estate I don't know what the equivalent is here is like a funded by the government six of us in a tiny house I shared a bedroom about I'd say from like here all the way down here is like a bunk bed with my little brother I see on the top he's to go on the bottom he used to detach it lift it up and put me on the floor and then sort of witnessing mum and dad's shitty divorce I wanted to get out you know I wanted to focus at the time I thought I was gonna be a footballer and I was you know keen determined but just desperate to get in the house because the situation was a little bit sad so I plowed into this amazing football career and then at the age of 18 you know got taken out with a horrific injury I tore my crucially game and smashed my cartilage naturally left-footed and then got released from the club or did I do you know I went I was on my ass I was down I was upset and angry so I decided I'm gonna cook because if I cook for a living I can travel the world to get away from the hurt that was you know everyday in front of me based on the upset of not wanting to do what I was setting out to do so couldn't afford a full-time course enrolled in a part-time college course going to college one day a week and then having six days a week at work and then my dream was to get to London and at 19 I went down to London got a job as a second call me chef grade 2 I don't know what that meant great too and it was the banqueting-hall cooking five six hundred guests every night and then from there I started getting that bug about cooking for a different set of sort of standards and getting to a restaurant to get out of the banquet but I had to spend time with the banking and sweet to get up to the restaurant and then that's where it all kicked off that's when I realized look if I'm gonna be a chef I can travel the world and get away from the hurts and I can come back to the fold a few years later which I did do because I went to France I became French I fell in love with France and I'd lost myself I was struggling to speak English on the phone to my mum every other Sunday we didn't have iPhones or we just didn't exist and then I lied to my boss because I I took a little job in a cafe on my day off to help pay for their lodgings so you know sometimes you have to do that too I suppose to focus but then I was on my own in an amazing country couldn't speak the language became fluent in six months got my first big promotion from a sort of commie to a line cook to a chef to party and then literally anyone asked me in that kitchen in French they wanted to know which area in France was i from I became that good at French and then I fell in love with cooking I mean I literally fell in love with it within within minutes of being in Paris amazing yeah I loved it and also it was it wasn't a job it was a passion it wasn't about money because we had no money you didn't get paid well and you don't start cooking because you want to become rich and famous I say to all my young girls and guys get the knowledge turn that knowledge into something unique spend that time studying a doctor will read medicine for ten years a lawyer will read you know bascule law for 15 years it's the same as food you know you need to study and that studying is you know having enough money just to get by on and knowledge dishes concepts visualization you know and then that that magical moment of drawing that line you know it's saying that's it you've hit that level of perfection so I opened up in France recently and just won our second Michelin star and Bordeaux and I can't wait to go back and put a stake in the ground and hopefully win three stars and then I think the country that taught me everything I know well not quite everything I know because about five years ago I came to Singapore because I fell in love with Singapore food back in 1998 and I i I went in the ring with the hawkers markets I wanted to know how to make a perfect chilli crab I wanted to know understand Alaska and my god did they kick my HUS I swear to God I walked into this hawkers market and there was all these boys and girls there and there we gonna beat him beat him beat him and they did they beat me I won one dish which was extraordinary but I suppose for me understanding that melting pot that multicultural phenomenon we don't have markets like that in England we don't go and select frogs legs and shrimp and it's just it's too commercial yet here it was so important for me and man these guys kick my ass but I tell you what there's no one in England now that can teach me how to make a chilli crab and when all my mase a flippin egg that tastes incredible where'd you get that from I said I went to hell and back to get that they say give me the recipe say get lost so it's safe to say that chilli crab is one of your favorite dishes here from Singapore yeah and also it's just it's down and dirty you know you've got the crunches you know and covered in this plastic apron like you've just come out an operation and you're covered in and it's just not the perfect way to go on a romantic date with a new girl or guys just like holy you're a messy eater actually on the contrary it's a perfect first day because I like a test they can eat a chilli crab that's it yeah forward look in the morning and just everybody was buzzing around because this incredible one dish can bring so many good things together and that was the that was the important part you know after Paris I went to Geisel are durable Xiang and then went down to the south of France to spend of stars stars when you go into somebody's kitchen and they don't pay you and you stand there chopping schlotz but you're watching and learning and I would put the doilies from the plate coming back into my pocket and then write all the recipes down these doilies and then stick them in my pocket and they get home and put them in my notebook it's the only way I could memorize all those dishes and then at the age of 26 you know I was burnt out I was fatigued I was absolutely shattered because I'd done nothing since sort of 19 to 26 just six seven days a week so I took a job as a young chef on a boat and and and met this boat in the South of France and travelled around the world as a private chef cooking for the owners so I came out of these amazing fine-dining restaurants and all of a sudden on this boat and I loved it because it got my they got my focus back I got to get my sort of life back I got fits there was a few days a week that are spending more time underwater diving there was in the galley and it it was an amazing time to reflect where was what I needed to do and how desperate I was to come back to London and all that knowledge that I'd been given from amazing chefs I wanted to put my spin on it and I think the better you become the less you use your Mentors so at the beginning with Marco Geeta hua Robuchon you know I had 25% of them on the plate and the better I got the more I took away from their influence and put my influence on their and I made mistakes like there was no tomorrow and I say to my young Chefs that I did this morning with Sabrina and her team and this young guy had made a mistake silly little mistake and I said look you just made a mistake give me the solution and think about what you've just done I've done that 15 times don't worry about it mistakes happen so that's the important part of learning I started this industry poor with nothing and I and I mean nothing and look at these guys in the front row now and your whites are amazing they're so spotless and I had to go to a charity my mum and dad had to go to an auction to get funds to get my first pair of whites so I got this horrendous pair of trousers a hat that looked ridiculous and I look like the biggest sack of and a pair of chef why's you've ever seen it's almost like I was at a fancy dress party because nothing fit it and in those days you just grew into them you didn't go and get sizes I got size 15 feet is about what shoes fit me as opposed to what looked the best so you know it's important to get on that journey and move and travel and then study and don't worry about comparing where your mates are I was in kitchens where I thought you know how am I going to survive these guys are so much better than me it's not about that situation there it has you adapt in life and you change every six months you get stronger you get better no one tells you that no one's that I can give you a certificate and say just so much better than you were last month so you have to self edit self promote and then visualize climbing that ladder and don't worry about sharing that with anybody you are climbing that ladder tell yourself convince yourself and more importantly you know stay on it because for me now it's still a passion it's not a job and look at the hours we work you know I'd have a girlfriend for 10 years after my French girl dropped me yo so all your mates are out enjoying themselves you're working I had a really bizarre moment on Saturday night just gone because there's our twins 18th birthday and Jack said to me dad how did you spend your 18th birthday I said May it's a really good question I started it about 7:30 said Wow he said what time did finish I said about midnight at midnight the party finish at bidden I said no Jack I started freaking work at 7:30 in the morning and finished at midnight I had no party okay he said well you've just made me feel like now my birthday I said no you asked the question but he I'm gonna give you an answer with no BS and I think that was the important part and I get a lot of criticism for being blunt you know brutal yes brutal honesty because I've never forgotten to this day Paul where I've come from how hard I worked and you know someone said to me disease of you you go to work in Ferrari no I don't I'm embarrassed to go to work in a Ferrari I'm embarrassed to drive them it's just something that I absolutely love the perfection of it because everything I see on that steering wheel on that wheel on that leather I put on a plate so I'm embarrassed about them and it makes me feel you know I Drive my cars at night where no one sees me and I'll take it out at 2:30 in the morning on the freeway and I'll blast on the motorway and no police can catch me and no cameras because I blank I wrap my my number plays with with Klim film it's a great thing for a chef when you get your own Ferrari just wrap the front with clingfilm because they won't can't they won't it won't photograph it reflects brilliant so you know it's just it's a great tip I'm trying to help you to cook and perfect so get roles at Klimt on when you get your Ferrari you wrap the front so you don't get caught speeding lifehacks with Gordon Ramsay ladies and gentlemen Gordon you I mean we could sit here for hours on end just look - yeah I would love that - I'm sure everyone here would love I'm supposed to go to Australia tonight to fill Master Chef Season ten today do they not watch me on television and they lost their mind I mean but you just you just Gordon Ramsay I mean everyone wants a piece of you and it shows it shows in your enthusiasm it shows in in everything you've done and everything that you are today that you just don't stop you like you said you've flown here you here for literally a day and you're off to Australia I mean yeah does it does it ever stop for you um really good question it's hard because when you're not super busy and super successful you work to get there then when you are there you have to maintain it so what so as kids we arrived last night went straight down to the teams hello give Sabrina a big kiss made sure she wasn't married and run off with kids and she still was the work before me nobody stands tonight I've liked a Sydney big promotion tomorrow shoot meet and greets and then Melbourne three days filming and then from Melbourne we fly back to Las Vegas 25th next Friday with the opening the first-ever Hell's Kitchen in Las Vegas tasting opening meeting with Fox on Monday fly back to London Monday night and then I start the schlep in London and then we're there for two weeks and then the 12th of February we go back into production for MasterChef junior in LA now if anyone like to join me these next couple weeks it'll be a busy time you're more welcome just to say that ass any volunteers to join Gordon the next 3-4 weeks anyone like to come and follow me for six months are you guys mad yeah you start tomorrow okay oh Gordon cool would you like some of your copy well I'll well I next question no no you go ahead I'm ready you sure okay you mentioned quite a few chefs just earlier that uh that you've you've had the opportunity of working under so my next question is what are your thoughts that you know that one of the what's the hallmark of a great chef that's a really good question you know first of all takes years I a lot of people see me on TV that light-hearted documentary on Kitchen Nightmares or hotel ol and so scrapple that okay forget all that I won three Michelin stars in six years and the first thing I did when I learned that craft wasn't handed it over to the team that standing by side of me and ironically 20:18 sees restaurant Gordon Ramsay 20 years open the same maitre d 12 tables 38 seats yeah we cook 35 lunch 40 dinner at monday-friday and to this day we've never opened on a Saturday or Sunday so one dynamic team one dream and a young lady by they were at less had in the kitchen for 10 years who's now set up her own business which we helped to put her in the kitchens been run by Matt Abe over the last two years a young Australian guy who's at the helm so vision is a number one indicator of a great young chef and then I teach my guys how to taste before we teach them how to cook because too many chefs cook without tasting what they're cooking so we close our eyes and we sort of a you know a mock blindfold five items on the plate and need to identify what they are then we go to seven then we go to nine then we'll take four off and we'll go back to five each time need to understand what that is they're eating and then when they know what it tastes I'll teach him how to cook so it's a little bit unorthodox but it works because there's an extraordinary lady three years ago in the US and we produce master chef across America who was blind and she said to me I can't I can't put food on the plate like you so I said look let's do this so I closed my eyes I had the raw ingredients she had her greens the plate and we dressed the plate so we visualized the finished product of this plate with raw ingredients so right let's go and cook them now so then we coat and then literally 60 minutes later she could put the dishes together based on what she did 59 minutes prior to that beauty but her palate was extraordinary we had all the close our eyes now and started tasting two or three things the level of concentration when your eyes are closed and his dark it's extraordinary so you know there's a lady blind and an amazing an amazing chef she's now presenting the Vietnamese in Vietnam master chef as we speak so that's that's the important part the palate can you teach a palate yes you can I'm fed up we're saying it's all about natural talent it needs a touch of the inspirational natural talent but you can't teach a palate and if you'd seen where I grew up and with what kind of crap my mum cooked for my dinner trust me you'd understand you know I used to wake up the morning smelling my my father's tripe that was being poached in milk and onions that's worse than dog and I used to go to school with that sort of lingering smell I thinking shits my hair smell of tripe and it was gross so you can train a palate 100% categorically if you're focusing now determined enough you know you don't need to be academic you don't need to have qualifications from school in chemistry English or math I didn't and I tell he recently was stressing our youngest and she's saying dad you know I'm not gonna make this Latin I said let's put things into context when are you gonna use Latin after you finish school I'm not there's a stop panicking okay do your best forget the a star forget the a forget the B just do your best okay and that's the most important and let's be honest if we all had to look at where we're peaking we're gonna peak differently you're gonna peak differently I'm gonna pee you're gonna peak different to you and you young lady you're gonna peak differ he to the young lady sat next to you we're all gonna peak at different ages and different periods across our life always remember that have you peaked you I like to think not I like to think I'm still climbing that ladder and on the way up but I think I'm getting there move your ass well this leads to my next question Gordon then you you obviously you work with a lot of people but what do you look for when you're scouting young talent what are you looking for what are the attributes you're looking for and say you know we have a lot of aspiring young Chefs here what's that what's that x-factor or characteristics attributes that you you you want to see in someone he has a really good question honestly you know it's so hard to work with a chef that lies it's so much easier to Train something that can't cook and there's honest and someone that can cook that lies because when you have that critical moment of sending a mistake it's something that got drummed into me so early on from Marco to Albert to pick off but the geese have water Joel Robuchon never send a mistake customers rather wait ten minutes for something better than send a mistake so honesty that's the one thing just the whites their eyes honesty own up to it and I'll say it again I've made more mistakes and all be put together and I've had to sit there and take the flag and you know some some people say it's it's wrong to be that discipline but it's no different to sport and when you're cooking at that level and you've got their reputation in your hands and you screw up you can have to face the consequences it's like anything we do at that level so don't get to fifty and get frustrated you have made it as a chef if you're taking the easy route and stayed on the inside lane you've only got yourself to blame I'd say get out now if you don't go to the top and have a life because your life is your job your job is the passion and you know you've got to find that balance finding that balance is only based on the knowledge the more knowledge the better the balance the less knowledge the harder to find the balance there's no it's the same in anything you know that so finding that balance equates the knowledge dig deep for the knowledge work the balance out thank you very much I like honesty I think that's very important and I think it's a again a very valid characters to have and I see a lot of people here that obviously are looking to do something with their lives now moving forward so I think I'm gonna stop asking the questions now guys and I'm gonna open this up to the floor so if you have any questions for Gordon this is your time to shine guys okay so all you gotta do is put up your hand and we'll pass you the microphone and we'll you know I think you've been listening to go to speak for a while here I doesn't mess around you know what I came here for you that lady's got two questions number two so don't be afraid to ask anything right now pretty much if one is gonna answer it he's gonna answer it and he doesn't feel like answer it I think he'll let you know anyhow so do we do we have do we have our first question from the floor don't be shy guys come on we this is for you this is for you this is your opportunity there's got to be one all right in the front here here we are okay we're gonna pass you the microphone if you could please say your name and where you're from and your question to Gordon please like this oh hi Jeff my name is Chester stop there right young man far away first of all introduce self age ambition what is it let the room know who you are so Chester yes let us know who you are my name is Chester from the Culinary Institute of America I'm 24 this year and my question is you know with we are we're all very familiar with Kitchen Nightmares and all the other possible screw-ups that you have seen but what is your biggest screwup can't believe you asked I won't just sit down Chester that's a bloody good question by the way first of all congrats see a amazing amazing culinary school god the biggest screwup was in Paris and it was my second day behind the line and when you get into a new kitchen they give you very little room to maneuver so there was a beautifully whole baked Ghana that was seared rubbed in spices and putting this incredible copper pan the lid goes on and then I put the seal of the pastry around it goes into the oven 50 minutes and it rests for 25 minutes trust me I still know those timings five minutes before it comes out we send the fish or whatever the main course is on that table the duck gets presented to the table they carve the pace you around they open up and they present and they start slicing and then 30 seconds later all the dishes arrived remember this 50 25 five thirty seconds ten seconds served it was an eight top and the duck was for two I sealed it beautifully I put rock salt and all the little divots and I stuck rosemary in every little nisha of that pastry duck went out are so happy I heard this huge scream huge scream and rubbish Tom comes running back into the kitchen and he threw this copper pan in my direction I ducked but what happened they passed me the pan with no duck in it I didn't check under the lid I just sealed it straight away thinking that it was there and then at the end of service this little French mother butter piece of garlic turn round sit as he or one-nil I swear to God I said to him it easier said when I get you back I'm gonna pickle your bollocks I'm still looking form testa it's a very good question thank you give a round of applause please Chester thank you very much Chester that's the last time I'll put a pan in the oven without checking is the duck in there first amazing I'm still looking for his name was FA and he was from Leon wanted man yes yes we do the Internet all right that's a great question thank you very much Chester that's the way we want to start off this round of the open Q&A s do we have a second question from the floor ah okay that was a big shoot up over there thick and fast that's it same thing please tell us your name where you're from and your question to Gordon please wait wait wait wait I'll pair let's have a seat so we need to know who you are amazing the food looks like you got a blast one out there you want to see a rap song no looks like about to go this is the voice life Marina Bay Sands do you have the x-factor let's go gorgeous on how you become successful please take a seat so food and beverage is the cross sector of everything from room service to banquet into breakfast to the mazing lunch to dinner so when I was training to be a chef I never wanted to miss out on bakery patisserie and so my first big job at Gavroche was a night baker even though I didn't want to be a baker I knew one day if I was gonna be in the business I need to understand how to make perfect bread and it's the same in food and beverage I cannot tell you how important even spending six months in the bar and performing you know mixology in terms of what cocktails stand for today how restaurants are thriving a bars now are thriving on fantastic cocktails from a mixology program even to a service standing in the restaurant as a waiter for six months extraordinary and then a host male or female your first impression do you know what makes it really important for me food and beverage your telephone manner how inviting you are on that phone how comfortably make me feel and the spirit of the business you're working for transcends on that call that's really important happy go on give us an M&M come on you can do it thank you thank you dummy great question thank you amazing I'm not sure who's more excited than that now the person asking a question are the two people sitting on the left and the right of the person because I don't get to sit with those people as the questions being answered we have one hand over there yes please thank you very much wait wait wait let's go big boy let's go come on young man nice age hi in this year KY where's your 18th 14 August what are you doing what I'd like to treat you to dinner at breadstix in as my guess for your family for you 18 okay 14 of August okay rachel is my assistant she can be you in your family as my guess for your 18th participe one thank you okay that's a lot arrow pressure thanks you're welcome there are many ups and downs in your career in your life what was the lowest moment for you as a really good question lowest point um I got blamed for making a massive mistake for dropping the sea bass coming out of a steamer at Harveys once and my my chef at the time turn around and said you're more worried about the problem of your parents the yaar with your career and it really hurt me because what I was doing for him had known to do with my parents and my parents were going through a really bad horrible divorce and I just plowed my work my efforts into my work so I was trying to forget everything was going on at home and he reminded me of that hurt so that was a big blow for me but I picked myself up I dusted myself down and I came back twice as strong so you know when you're when you're down in the dumps like that the most important thing for me was the journey back because picking yourself up and dust yourself down no one can ever teach you that guy and more importantly to come back twice as strong next time someone said like that to me I just let it bounce off but I had to experience it and no matter how successful wherever you go in life it's the journey back that's the most exciting never forget that and I look forward to seeing you on the 14th of August as my guess okay thank you what a great birthday present thank you my birthday is coming up soon too Gordon [Laughter] thank you so much kai that's that's great but the president I hope you enjoy your night there with your family buddy another question please could we could we get one could we get one from this side and I'll come back to you I promise I'll come back to you but I want ya this young lady here yes wait wait wait wait wait let's go we got no you don't want to force you go on darling your name and your question please everything that's going on in your life you know how did you how did you gain your confidence do you know just be yourself you know you're brutally honest or you don't you're chosen you know P you usually get all these negative comments and everything how do you overcome those yeah it's good question um you know the bigger you are the bigger you get criticized and so [Music] you're up for scrutiny you know because you have a profile but when I had no profile and I was still down and made mistakes that's a really good question how did I dig deep to be brutally honest leaving the mess I was in at home already climbing that ladder I was doing better for myself so I was scared to go back to where I was so that fear of giving up and having to go back was way worse they're not making it and all this time I was climbing that ladder I I was getting stronger and confident and miles away from the sort of difficult semi dysfunctional setup that I left so I never looked for excuses you know I just looked for openings and so I used that little fear to remind myself look okay maybe tough now but Jesus you know even one foot in the right direction here helps to stop you from going backwards so there were tiny steps because this didn't happen overnight but there are important steps and it just almost was a quick reflection to where you come from what you didn't have to what you got now and there's only little things that keep you going not big things but ten little things made one big thing Sabrina good question thank you I spotted you earlier so we'll come back to you now for your question yep the gentleman here third in name and where you're from as well let's go sit down you already up but young man first name I'm from the Culinary Institute of America so 24 this year my question to you chef is nowadays we have a lot of people are saying like younger chefs in our generation day job hopping around thinking that they being in the restaurant for six months they learn all they can and they just jump off and get a new job like what's your view on the photometer please take a seat and that's a really good question you know I think the social media television books and sort of the celebrity chef culture has helped to Shawn a nice light in the industry the downside of course is they want to sprint there they want to get to the top by the time they're 25 and so the worry about being exposed so early on is that you won't have the knowledge to sustain it so they'll fall down twice as quick so you never see a 24 25 year-old make it and stay at the top because they get overtaken so my advice to all of you I said at the Bing of the conversation with Paul is that before any television for anything trust me I was locked in that that bubble of knowledge confidence palette studying and I got obsessed with it in a way that I'm a stirred my craft and God forbid any television if it will stop tomorrow I still have you know the thing that got me where I am today and that's my palate so it's the same in sport you know when you see these young sometimes that one hit wonders or they burn out and they can't sustain that level of you know fitness at such young age so don't jump too soon I tell you time and time again the knowledge and then we said earlier about coming out of that comfort zone getting a you know a couple of thousand dollars in the bank and get yourself a ticket to Spain to Italy and disappearing for six months understanding a different culture working in kitchens that just just pay your lodgings and learning and you come back changed open-minded and then once you've got that little bit between your teeth you don't stop I think of you know I'd had lunch at yeah bird you know and deviled eggs beautiful fried chicken and this amazing cobbler came out before I came here I said now I can't touch it I've got to go meet the girls and guys from college but I had a little little little mouthful it was so exciting I'll still learn from dinner last night and matzo to Yarber today Sydney tomorrow Mel but even though I'm working I'll still find that one little bit of magic that I'll take without telling anybody and steal it take it back to my den and then catapult it on my plate and make sure I tell her what it was me who thought of it good question thank you thank you and also let's be honest topping is lazy so getting inspired we can't reinvent the wheel I didn't reinvent reverie Lobster but it's my signature dish I did invent pig's Trotter but again signature dishes so as long as you put your stamp on it and remember you know what's your suit Marni boss Haggart it's Jeremy Hackett yeah so when you bought that you didn't say did Jeremy stitch it if I got a hugo bar I didn't ask for did Hugo you know make my jackets so it's like in your restaurant you know I get asked that question if you're such a hands-on chef who doesn't cook when you're not there the same people do when I am there it's passing that knowledge on and making sure you're consistent with everything you've done and like I said that level of vision and staying fresh and turning it up you know every three to four months every time I get comfortable I need to get uncomfortable because when you're comfortable you get complacent and when you get complacent you getting consistent where you getting consistent you get pulled down so whether it's Wolfgang Jaime Marco they're all amazing chefs amazing chefs but you've got to stay in front of the competition got to stay in front I love that I think you hit the other head there don't get complacent ladies and gentlemen don't don't think you've got what you've got already keep keep striving keep going keep moving forward and keep doing your best so I like that a lot I try to do that as well Gordon you've never spent a day in the kitchen trust me if I if I could say one thing to anyone in the food and beverage sector you know you go up you go down you go around you come back stronger and you've got got to stay on there there's no job outside this room that it's all just nice and easy and less stressed it's just life's not like that and you're young enough you may not be experienced enough we got to be determined to go and get it and it doesn't come on your lap it won't sit and land on your plate you can't just go and write a book I wrote my first book and there's a collection of all those doilies I told you you know the doilies are stealing that was my that was my first cookbook all those little bits and bobs all that scrapbook that was my first book passion for flavor because everything I found passionate from those chefs I work with so you are more advanced than me because you have access to the Internet the social media and you know it's such an amazing thing today you to learn from other people just online incredible so you don't need to go away for two years 18 months you go spend two months somewhere three months another place and the world's your oyster and if you can put it in you know get to the top because I'm bored up there and I need competition hurry up promise I have to add God and I am Singapore's food bachelor and the winner of hot guys who cooks oh yeah this was a while back though right but III told your parents you want hot guys that cook yeah yeah my mom's pretty proud of that it was legit it was legit I have to say I mean I'm all right I'm not the best but the food tasted yeah the fact that you came across good on camera that's all that's my winning edge yes thanks have you ever had a French girlfriend enough said right do we have any more questions from the floor you gotta save me here I'm thinking one mole one more we should take one should we take one on this side Gordon is oh yeah can we get one yeah go from the front here thank you hi my name is JT I'm from the Culinary Institute of America I'm 22 this year I just wanted to ask in the last 10 years you've opened many restaurants you've been on many shows and you've been so successful and you still have to juggle your family I just want to know what was their breaking point for you or a point where you got burned out or uninspired and how do you deal with it pretty good question um so this business is notorious as you know because it over consumes your life and all of a sudden you forget the most important foundation that's the family so we mentioned earlier 20 years today Russian gone Ramsay you know I had to convince my wife you know to sell the house to get the deposit to put down for the lease etc for the first restaurant and then I made a promise to her that we wouldn't work weekends so one of those two days so still this day that restaurants closed sati Sunday so the time we have now is little but its quality and there's no chef anywhere in the world who gets to spend seven nights a week you know with their family so I see what their lives are about football water polo diving swimming running exams and they come home from school and they're slumped over so sati Sunday's the quality time that's their balance and then morning school runs and then you know we have these little sneaky face times wherever I am but we've just spent the last three weeks together in London we went down to Cornwall for Christmas down on the south coast they're all studying for exams we swam in the morning exams and eight so it's finding that balance but if I could be brutally honest I don't have the pressure I had on me ten years ago because I've worked to wake up for a choice and if I could give you one parting advice you may not have a big choice at the moment in the current situation but what should drive you all is to get to my age and wake up and think do I want to do that didn't want to come to Singapore yes I did when I knew you guys were coming today yes I did so I say no to so much now because I've I've got so much on my plate I can pick and choose and that's the best position ever to be in as a chef to wake up in 30 40 years time and say yes or no you decide and that's that's really important and that didn't happen overnight and that's been like that now for about the last ten years so you know I have three daughters and a son Matilda Holly and Megan and I just say to them look you know find your passion none of them what you'd be a chef jaqen cooked brilliantly Tilly has her own show on CBBC's but she still wants to be a vet she thinks chefs Mel and she cooks brilliantly meg wants to work for forensic mi5 Holly wants to go into fashion Jan was to be a Marine some sat there with no chef in the family which is annoying however follow your dream follow your passion that's the most important so work for a choice that won't come quickly but persevere because this is a math on guys this is not a hundred meter sprint remember that and then break down the marathon into for 10k runs do the first 10k congratulate yourself to the second 10k congratulate yourself it's like life achieve something that's important to you and give yourself some some joy 13k 14k all of a sudden you've done a marathon thank you so much honestly thank you very much Gordon thank you thank you thank you very much an awesome session I hope you've learnt as much from Gordon as I have I mean sitting here this is for you guys but I learned a lot just listening to you as well you thank you

Channel: Marina Bay Sands

Views: 291,942

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Id: 21-h35twX6I

Length: 46min 13sec (2773 seconds)

Published: Wed Jan 17 2018