TV chef Gordon Ramsay says pandemic has cost him €66 million

TV chef Gordon Ramsay says the pandemic has cost him €66 million.

THE celebrity chef has revealed that his UK restaurants have lost a staggering £57 million (€66 million) in turnover during the pandemic.

The 54-year-old, who has 35 restaurants worldwide, told The Sun lockdowns in the UK have “devastated” business with the hospitality industry the hardest hit.

His empire includes 18 restaurants in London, and despite a tough year in which he claims €11.5 million worth of bookings were wiped out overnight in December, plans to open a further five this year.

“The impact of the pandemic has been “incredibly costly,” he told the newspaper, adding that having been through so much with the 2008 financial crash, terrorist attacks and 9/11, “when Covid first hit we all thought it would be over and done with in a couple of weeks. But it’s been long-haul.”

The controversial chef and restaurateur admitted he had no alternative but to use the government’s furlough scheme to try to save hundreds of jobs at his eateries across England.

He said he felt under pressure to give hope to his employees that “we can get out of this,” particularly the younger members of staff.

“There have been so many tears, people at their wits’ end,” said Ramsay, while adding that he has “always put money back into the business” and has always been “very, very generous..

In response to reported criticism for being wealthy he stressed “the responsibility is on my shoulders….livelihoods are at stake.”

The Hell’s Kitchen star founded the Gordon Ramsay Restaurants group in 1997, and it is now one of the biggest privately-owned restaurant group in the UK, with a further 10 in the US.

Thank you for taking the time to read this news article “TV chef Gordon Ramsay says pandemic has cost him €66 million”. For more UK daily news, Spanish daily news and Global news stories, visit the Euro Weekly News home page.