2008-05-21 Misleading.

Having just read Marco Pierre White's superb autobiography (Devil in the Kitchen)I thought it would be interesting to read GR's as a cross reference. The piece on the back was misleading. It inferred that this was a book that had soul/intimacy and insight. How far from the truth that is! GR seems to sneer at others whilst boasting at length and bigging himself up. He tries to come across as an everyman, for eg, he talks about leaving Aubergine and going for an interview taking his 'one suit from my sparse warddrobe' then goes on to say that at the time he was earning £75000... As a nurse on less than half than that it was irritating.
His anaolgy for common sense, using NASA's huge spend on finding a biro that worked in space whilst the Russians used a pencil is badly researched as that is a common urban myth. Pencils lead could break off in space and cause damage to delicate machinery. (Stephen Fry...)
The book describes basically the MacDonaldisation of 'Haute Cuisine' and GR makes it very clear that money is his God. Nowhere does a love of food come through, it's all about greed and being the biggest. He doesn't come across as someone who likes his customers, rather he manipulates them in order to make maximum profit. I will never eat in one of his restaurants as it is unpleasant to feel that all you are is a cash cow.
He sneers at Marco Pierre White very early on in the book, whilst in Marco's book he is gracious and gives Gordon his due as well as explaining why they fell out.
The difference between the two chefs from council houses is that Marco loves food and clearly has grace, humility and class, whilst Gordon comes across as a boastful, greedy, envious, materialistic, insecure man with no class or understanding of what's really important. His success is clearly due to the fact that he can jump on any band wagon and format it. I actually quite liked him before I read this book.