Now Gordon feels the heat ...from vegan Twitter mob
HIS foul-mouthed rants and straighttalking style have earned him a reputation as one of the toughest television chefs.
But it appears Gordon Ramsay has bitten off more than he can chew after mocking an animal rights group while poking fun at vegan cooking.
For more than a year, Ramsay, 51, who has more than six million followers on Twitter, has been harshly reviewing meals made by amateur chefs who put photographs of them on the social media site.
But he drew a barrage of abuse when he mentioned animal rights organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), writing: ‘I’m a member of PETA! People eating tasty animals...’
The Renfrewshire-born star of the TV show Hell’s Kitchen was responding to one fan’s attempt at a vegan lasagne.
A Twitter user, known as Raymond, had sent an image of the pasta dish to the father of four with the caption: ‘How does my vegan lasagna [sic] look?’
The chef’s response prompted a barrage of abuse from social media users. One wrote: ‘Too bad that whoever is managing @GordonRamsay is gonna be fired for making this ridiculous comment.’
Another said: ‘Alright. I love you, but you hating on vegans is getting out of hand’, while one comment read: ‘You’re despicable’.
PETA director Elisa Allen said: ‘Oh, dear, Gordon. We’ve heard that old line before. But while he’s spending his time mocking the future vegan that we’re betting he one day becomes, most chefs are exploring healthy, animal and environmentfriendly plant-based dishes.’
She recommended Ramsay try the vegan menu at Michelin-starred Pollen Street Social restaurant, saying it would ‘open both his mouth and his mind’. Ramsay’s cutting remarks have encouraged cooks to tweet deliberately stomach-churning photos so they can receive a put-down.
Some followers found Ramsay’s message amusing.
One wrote: ‘Absolute ripper of a response. I’m a member of this PETA too then!’ Another said: ‘Gordon always on point!’