A Biggleswade, U.K. middle school that was short on cooks was half joking when they called on celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay for help. Boy, were they surprised when Ramsay actually came through!
Tina Clarke, the kitchen manager at Edward Peake Middle school, was struggling when two of her employees called out sick. She was left to feed hundreds of children alone.
Ramsay was being interviewed on the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show that day and Clarke called in to ask for help.
“I’m cooking here on my own. I’m working here in a school kitchen and my chef has gone off sick. I’ve got another one off with COVID and just wondered if Gordon would help me today, give me a hand after this interview,” Clarke asked half joking.
She was startled to find that Ramsay, who is usually known as somewhat of a curmudgeon, was willing to help.
Even though he wasn’t available, he offered to dispatch one of his chefs to the school.
“When I phoned in, I really did not expect for him to send a chef,” Clarke revealed. “When I finally got a message saying, ‘Your chef will be with you in an hour’, I thought, ‘On my God. I’m going to have to fess up to the head (teacher) and I hope she doesn’t get me detention’.”
The chef Ramsay sent was Rob Roy Cameron of Ramsay’s Lucky Cat restaurant. He immediately went to work preparing cauliflower cheese for the students.
“I’m sure he was terrified by having three menopausal women around him in the kitchen all day,” Clarke joked.
The school thanked both chefs on social media and through recorded messages one of which was played for Ramsay on BBC’s The One Show the following day. “It sent a huge buzz around the school. So, thank you,” Clarke told Ramsey.
“Anytime Tina,” Ramsey responded.
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Anytime Ramsey? Careful what you promise because the staff and students may just take you up on that!
