Ramsay confident Claridge's will win back Michelin star
Gordon Ramsay is confident his restaurant at Claridge's will win back its Michelin star next year and said losing it will give new chef de cuisine Steve Allen the chance to feel the triumph of winning the star himself.
The restaurant was among 13 to lose their only star in this year's Michelin Guide for the UK and Britain. Some, such as Ambassade de L'Ile and Richard Corrigan at Lindsay House, have closed since the last guide was published or, as in the case of Bath Priory, Seaham Hall, Foliage and Claridge's, have seen a change of head chef.
In a statement Ramsay said: "We are very disappointed to lose the Michelin star, but we are going to work harder than ever to try to earn it back.
"Last year was a very tough one for everyone. To suit the mood of the times we simplified our offering at Claridge's, perhaps this explains the change in the restaurant's Michelin status."
Steve Allen, Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's former head chef and a finalist in the Knorr Chef of the Year 2008 competition, was promoted to chef de cuisine in May to replace Mark Sargeant.
Speaking on the Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 this morning, Ramsay said one of the postives of losing the star meant Allen could earn it back himself, giving him a greater sense of achievement.
He said inspections by Michelin had taken place 'many months ago' when the situation at the restaurant was very different.
"We have an incredibly strong team in the kitchen and front of house and with consumer confidence returning - demonstrated by the restaurant being fully booked for lunch today and on Monday - we believe we're better placed than ever to recover and retain the status that we believe the restaurant deserves," he said.
Despite the loss of the Michelin star at Claridge's, Gordon Ramsay still retains stars at Maze and Murano and his eponymous restaurant in Chelsea is one of only four in the UK to be awarded three stars.
One star deletions from this year's Michelin Guide:
Bath Priory, Bath, Somerset
Le Poussin at Whitley Ridge, Brockenhurst, Hampshire
Christophe, Guernsey, Channel Islands
Nathan Outlaw, Fowey, Cornwall
Seaham Hall, Seaham, Durham
Aubergine, Chelsea, London
Ambassade de l'Ile, South Kensington, Lodnon
Assaggi, Bayswater, London
Foliage, Knightsbridge, London
Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's, Mayfair, London
Richard Corrigan at Lindsay House, Soho, London
Ballachulish House, Ballachulish, Highland
Mint, Ranelagh, Dublin
Two star deletions from this year's Michelin Guide:
The Capital, Chelsea, London
The Vineyard at Stockcross, Newbury, Berkshire
