There will soon be nowhere on earth safe from Gordon Ramsay. He's now eyeing up the new Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 as a suitable location for a restaurant. The food is going to be 'fine dining with a New York twist'. As if going to the airport wasn't stressful enough already ...
On the other hand it is nice to think of something giving those Caviar House stands a run for their money. (You know, the £12 for a slice of salmon bars that attract the thinnest and most over dressed of passengers). But there is a flaw. And that's the fact that most seasoned travellers won't eat anything more than a slice of salmon, or maybe a Pret sandwich, before they get on a long haul flight. When I was in the Virgin Upper Class Lounge recently (every bit as good as it sounds) it was notable that while people like me got a bit carried away with the supply of delicious food on offer, the passengers who looked most like they were serious international jet-set types would have a shower, a quick massage and a light morsel or two of sushi before lying down in preparation for the journey.
So Gordon may be misjudging the market here. Maybe he should stick to Chelsea, Mayfair and Knightsbridge.
However, his ambition makes me wonder: what other places, previously considered totally unsuitable to the 'fine dining experience' will see Gordon or his rivals trying to squeeze in?
- Marco Pierre White at Camden Town Underground Station?
- Tom Aikens at Glastonbury 2008?
- Alain Ducasse at Stonehenge?
