In a new interview, Michelin star chef Gordon Ramsay has admitted to receiving a warning from the coastguard after embarking on 100km cycle rides along the Cornish coastline during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Ramsay, who is known for his aggressive kitchen manner, didn’t take kindly to the warning, claiming that the coastguard’s priority should be to “look after the coastline” and not worry about where he takes his bike.
Although lockdown restrictions across the UK have been significantly eased in recent weeks, Ramsay was cautioned about his cycling route in May, at a time when people in England were told to only partake in essential travel and just one hour of outdoor exercise per day. However, Prime Minister Boris Johnson did amend rules during May to allow for ‘unlimited exercise’, but it is unknown whether Ramsay’s long bike rides took place before or after this change.
The Lucky Cat chef was the inaugural guest on the new podcast from online fitness guru Joe Wicks, who has been offering free ‘PE with Joe’ workouts for children on YouTube throughout the lockdown.
Ramsay, who has five children with wife Tana, explained: “There was no law to say that you had to cycle for an hour and an hour only. They were encouraging you to cycle so I did sneak off on some massive 90km and 100km bike rides.”
He continued: “So what are the coastguard going to do? Think about it. Look after the coastline, let me ride my bike.” The coastguard should not be telling me what to do in the middle of the forest on my fricking bike should they? There was no one on the roads so how the f*** you complain about me and my little bike when there’s no one on the f***ing roads. Come on.”
Ramsay isn’t the only famous chef expressing his frustration lately. Check out the shocking message Tom Kerridge has for ‘no-show’ diners.