Who has got the recipe for success for Gordon?
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO IMPRESS A MICHELIN-STARRED CHEF? MARION MCMULLEN FINDS OUT WHAT GORDON RAMSAY WILL BE LOOKING FOR IN HIS NEW TV CONTEST
GORDON RAMSAY will be putting on the pressure in Future Food Star as he hunts for the next generation restaurant entrepreneur.
It’s a bit like a foodie version of The Apprentice as 12 of the UK’S best up-and-coming food and drink stars compete to earn Gordon’s investment – a whopping £150,000 of his own cash.
“Putting the contenders through their paces was crucial for me,” says Gordon. “How do they react under pressure, in a difficult situation, a challenge outside their comfort zone? It’s no different to being in business, being up against it – and when the chips are down, then you dig deep.”
Gordon can be a scary person to impress, but he says he has faced his own challenges in the past.
“The scariest thing I’ve ever done was leaping out of a helicopter at 300 feet, in the depth of the Amazon jungle that was laden with crocodiles,” he reveals.
“Halfway through the descent, I was hoping these things were going to move and jump back into the water, but they stayed there till I was about 10 feet away.
“As soon as I unclipped and dropped down onto the sand, in the middle of Guyana on the northwest tip of the Amazon jungle, I think they got slightly spooked and dived back into the water.
“So yeah, you couldn’t stop halfway down or ask the helicopter to move on. Once you’ve committed, you’re doing it, no going back!”
Future Food Stars will see Gordon driving the contenders through a series of relentless challenges designed to test their character and showcase their business skills because, according to Gordon, an idea is only as good as the person who’s had it.
But it’s going to take more than a good idea to win his support.
The contenders will also need to prove they possess the raw ingredients required to succeed: determination, dedication, passion and talent.
The 55-year-old says: “Future Food Stars is about finding some of the most exciting, emerging food and drinks businesses that have been created in the UK.
“Especially on the back of the devastating two years with the pandemic, Future Food Stars will give someone the chance to focus and develop some exciting business ideas that have the potential to absolutely explode over the next 18 months.
“I’ve spent the last two decades investing in talent and restaurants, it’s in my blood. To expand beyond restaurants and be in that food and drink lifestyle space, looking at what we’ve got in the competition, and how talented these individuals are, I’m equally as excited to invest in them as I would in any restaurant or hotel, anywhere in the country.”
Gordon heads a global business empire and knows what he is looking for in an investment partner.
“The first big key to securing my investment is, how are they in business? How good is the idea? I need to invest in the person. And obviously, the idea is crucial, but it’s all
about that relationship.
“And I’ve always said there’s three key things in business: first of all, do you like each other; secondly, respect each other; and thirdly, does that business have scope? If those three boxes are ticked off, then it’s the start of a successful relationship.”
The contenders are put through their paces on the TV show and face a number of challenges to stay in the competition.
One challenge involved coming up with a new non-alcoholic brand and another a food app.
Among those vying for the £150,000 are Londoner Valentina, who has developed a range of vegan cake mixes; bottled Indian sauce-creator Amit from Worcestershire; Yorkshire lass Jen, who has launched a selection of bottled cocktails; ex-navy chef Jamie from Macclesfield, who is mad about mussels, and Welshman Asher, whose mum inspired him to create homemade jams, chutneys and marmalades with a twist.
Future Food Stars was filmed in some stunning locations across the UK and Gordon says it all added to the look of the series.
“The UK has got such beauty when it comes to filming and it lends itself to such amazing photography. We open up the show in Newquay – that place has been my family’s exciting little haven over the last 10 years since we fell in love with Cornwall a decade ago.
“Filming out in the Lake District and doing the challenge designed for the first responders, the Moun- tain Rescue Team, was breathtaking, absolutely breathtaking.
“We also filmed down in Devon and Somerset’s Cheddar Gorge, doing a challenge locating cheese in these amazing caves which was beautiful, really beautiful.
“And then of course, London. We’re spoilt for choice when it comes to stunning architecture and locations in London. The power and energy of the city just helps drive the contestants to push even harder.”
Experts like Seedlip creator Ben Branson, Will Shu, one of the founders of Deliveroo and the Taco Boys all appear on the show.
Gordon says: “Love the Taco Boys and the humble approach that these two kids have.
“They were young chefs who set up a taco shack on the beach at 21 and 22 years of age, with a product that is there and then gone – these things were sold out before the end of the queue finished.
“I believe it really helped Future Food Stars come to life working with those experts because it gave the show so much gravitas.”
So what advice would Gordon give to any future food stars wanting to get investment?
“My advice is, to ask yourself if your business is at the forefront of the competition. What can you do to change it? Are you ready to take a quantum leap and get this business catapulted?” he says.
“The secret behind any great success is the art of delegation.
“Are they willing to let go of some of the independence and control in their brand in order to take on that help?
“And if they can accept that and maintain their quality and focus then the sky’s the limit!”
The secret behind any great success is the art of delegation
Gordon Ramsay
Future Food Stars begins on BBC1 on Thursday at 9pm