Neil Rankin hits back at Gordon Ramsay over drug abuse comments

The Staff Canteen

Neil Rankin, chef owner of Temper in Soho, has responded on social media to Gordon Ramsay's comments about drug abuse in the industry.

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay said earlier this week: "Coke’s everywhere. It’s spiralling out of control."

This quote was reported on the ITV website, taken from his upcoming two-part documentary, Gordon Ramsay on Cocaine which starts this Thursday, October 19 at 9PM. In the programme, he visits different drug cartels and cocaine dealers, before swabbing the toilets in his own restaurants for the drug. He also talks about losing a close friend and colleague to a cocaine overdose in 2013.

Gordon's comments were soon a hot topic of conversation on social media. Our own chef audience had a lot to say on the subject. 

Jose Morales pointed out the working conditions of the job, rather poignantly commenting:

"Maybe we can move into the new century and treat our employees properly so they do not need narcotics to make it through a shift."

Stuart MacGarvie added that there is a problem with the industry as a whole - but wasn't sure what a solution would be. He said: "There is a problem with catering as a whole and it's use of drugs, be they nicotine, caffeine, alcohol or recreational but it takes more than highlighting it to address it. 

I have no solution, just agree that it's an issue."

But it was Soho chef Neil Rankin's Facebook response that has really caught chefs' attention. Last Saturday, Neil posted a status in response to the article on FOODBEAST, personally addressing Gordon Ramsay and his comments.

Neil said:

"Drugs are a problem in every industry and if customers are doing that much coke in your restaurants you might want to look at your menus cause they ain’t eating the food. And if it’s your staff you might want to look at their rotas and give them a good night’s sleep..."

He signed off with:

"You were a great chef but you’re a terrible fucking ambassador for our industry."

So far, Neil's status has had 571 shares and over 170 comments, many of which are from professional chefs in agreement with him and criticising Ramsay.

By Jenna Lloyd
@canteenjenna

What do you think - does the industry have a problem with drug abuse? What should be done about it?

Join the debate on our Facebook page or let us know in the comments below.

In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall  – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.

The Staff Canteen

The Staff Canteen

Editor 17th October 2017

Neil Rankin hits back at Gordon Ramsay over drug abuse comments