I have followed Gordon Ramsay since the early days, right through to now. Marco Pierre White and Heston Blumenthal too. So when the BBC announced Rise of the Rockstar Chef, a three part series on the chefs who changed British fine dining, it was always going to be must see television.
What I wanted most was to see them at the same table. The history between Marco and Gordon has been picked over for years, and watching them sit down together was intriguing in itself. It was also a reminder of how much these three gave to the food world.
Gordon won me over, bravado and all. Underneath it he is a perfectionist, and that is what drove him. Heston is the other one who stays with me. He showed what curiosity and a real love of food can do, and he has been inspiring for years. He has had his own personal challenges, which was hard to watch, so it was good to see him back and part of the show.
The part I keep coming back to is the chase for the stars. Winning them took everything, and keeping them took more. You could argue that pressure is what pushed Marco away from being a restaurateur. Reaching the top costs something, and staying there can cost more.
And I couldn’t help but wonder: was it worth it?
You could say chefs today aren’t quite doing what these three did. Maybe so, but that isn’t the point. This is about the work. We are talking about the 0.001% who reached the very top, and the dedication it took to get there. All three seem to be asking the same question, and all three gave up a lot.
It is something I think about when I sit down at my corner table and a plate arrives. Behind a great meal is someone who has given more than we will ever see.
