Instagram/@gordongram
Gordon Ramsay, the celebrity chef, made a stopover at the Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, to check on the restaurants he endorses, among which are his burger and pizza outlets. The big-name chef informed his audience about the happenings in his busy outlets, which evoked a wide range of reactions, including skull invitations and funny cooking competitions among the responses from his international audience.
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Gordon Ramsay is known for creating empires and not only in the realm of Michelin-starred fine dining but also in the fast and simple world of airports. His recent trip to Doha was not a secret tasting menu. It was a check-in visit to the people’s food – burgers and pizzas. He posted a video with a cheerful song in the background and showed the chef surrounded by chaos in a well-organized way in his @gordonramsayburger and @gordonramsaystreetpizza shops at @hiaqatar. It was a moment of a moving brand that was lively and full of energy. For Ramsay, this is the other side of the coin that shows the global impact of a name that guarantees a certain level of quality that satisfies one’s desire whether you are a traveler with a layover or a local looking for a reliable bite.
The reaction was prompt and, as usual, reflected his exclusive position in the culture. One person pointed out the huge size of his power impressively saying, ‘When you become a brand, everybody likes you.’ It is a straightforward statement, but it still has a meaning. The Ramsay image—a fiery perfectionist from TV—has cemented its place as a quality stamp that consumers look for in almost every mall and airport around the globe. The comment section then transformed into a mini-United Nations where requests for food were negotiated. A person from Peru, for instance, greeted the chef and in a very particular way told, ‘How I would love to cook you a carapulcra,’ referring to the traditional Peruvian stew. Another person asked whether he knew of ‘African cake with nyama choma,’ being the grilled meat and the dense bread Kenyan combination mentioned. And there came another one from Mexico who challenged Ramsay saying, ‘Okay but can he make Chilaquiles?’
Such is the curious domain of Ramsay. To some degree, he is a god who cannot be reached. At the same time, people take it as if they can challenge him or ask him to dinner right away. The requests point to his global culinary credibility. They are not just seeking a shout-out, but a cultural exchange, a validation of their own dish by one of the most famous chefs on the planet. The more intimate and, at the same time, slightly sadistic, communications are from another source. One person wanted to demonstrate such loyalty in a characteristic and devoted manner stating, ‘I wish I could meet Mr. Ramsey so that he could say one thing to my face: “Fck off”. I would die happily after that.’ It is a somewhat strange and yet very honest emotion that perfectly captures the affection for his tough, no-nonsense, television character.
Amidst the global discussion, devotion from fans, and even games, there were comments that might have come from actual customers expressing their satisfaction. A traveler recounted, ‘I had a burger just before my flight home to Australia and it was wonderful and the staff were wonderful!’ Feedback like this one is probably the most gratifying to the business-minded chef as it is evidence that his hypothesis holds, the standard is maintained, and even the experience at 30,000 feet is of the same quality as that of the customer. Another person, perhaps joking about the chef’s notorious dislike of overcooked meat, questioned, ‘What would your reaction be if I asked for well done?’— This probably made Ramsay cringe at the thought.
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Moreover, the visits led to an increase in demand for new locations. ‘I wish your restaurant will be someday here in Riyadh!! I’m a huge fan,’ one user said while another was saying, ‘Hopefully soon in Oman.’ The demand is clearly there stretching not only in the Gulf region but also beyond. It reminds one that despite all the drama on screen and hard cooking contests, Gordon Ramsay’s daily impact is often through airport burgers and the smiles of happy customers catching their flights. He has developed a system that serves the entire world with food one layover at a time, and the world is certainly ready. The Doha visit was just another day in the life of a chef, which, however, is hard to tell where his office is located since it covers the entire globe. Recently, Gordon Ramsay announced a pasta bar pop-up, and he also unveiled a festive cherry and amaretto trifle for the holidays. On the competitive side, he announced a Next Level Baker holiday competition. His television persona was on full display when he delivered a brutal leadership verdict on Hell’s Kitchen. Away from the kitchen, Gordon Ramsay celebrated an amazing Las Vegas weekend with his restaurant teams.