“Hungry for Success" - Gordon Ramsay to cater for the Reds

Posted by Hinesy on April 1, 2005, 12:00:02 am

My dad works in wholesale vegetable sales and he showed me an article in the latest edition of “The Grocer” (reproduced below) - after the fiasco over prawn sandwiches, Man Utd fans are going to have a field day with this:

”Hungry for Success – Gordon Ramsay to cater for the Reds”

Michelin three star chef Gordon Ramsay’s company (Gordon Ramsay Holdings Limited) announced today that they were in advanced talks with Liverpool Football Club over the provision of catering at the Anfield Road Football Stadium.

Ramsay, an ex-professional footballer,  said in a brief statement “I can confirm that we have been aiming to join forces with a Premier League Club for a number of months. Delia Smith paved the way at Norwich in showing that fans will eat and pay for quality food on a regular matchday basis. Fast food and stodgy fare is no longer good enough.

"And name me a restauranteur who is going to turn down the opportunity of taking charge of a restaurant that has 40,000 customers every other week, all hungry and all wanting food."

“I have been in talks with Rick Parry over a suitable menu to serve at all the outlets in the ground. We would be looking to have some sort of theme that would celebrate the great history of Liverpool – we'll be looking to release a sample menu in due course.”

“Our research has also shown that there are increasing numbers of children attending matches these days and we will include a good variety of interesting sweet foods to pander to their palate complementing our more savoury adult menu.”

"Taking into account their favourite players we have come up with a kids menu that any proud young red fan would love to eat at half time.”

Liverpool's chief executive Rick Parry wasn’t available for comment but Liverpool spokesman Ian Cotton said: "We can confirm we are in talks with Gordon Ramsay. Liverpool Footbal Club have always been interested in the highest standards of catering at Anfield."

Liverpool issued later a possible menu, stating that Ramsay would finalise the choices once the deal to take over the catering franchise had been completed.

Sample Menu: ( I kid you not…)

Savoury
Nando’s Nachos with Fernando’s Fries - a spicy classic with Ramsay's famous salsa
Scouse Pie with Fried Red Cabbage - a modern twist on a great Liverpudlian tradition
Hotshot Riise Dog - a reindeer meat sausage with a hint of ginger served in a crusty baguette
The Milan Flan – bacon, egg and spinach quiche drizzled with olive oil, a Bohemian delight
Rafa-touie – Spanish tomato and Valencian pepper sauce served with crisp bread
Hamann Egg Sandwich - classic open sandwich: Munich ham topped with a fried egg on a toasted slice of Bavarian black bread
 
Sweet
Gerrard Gateaux – chocolate cake with whipped cream and red cherries
Kop Cup Cakes – traditional fairy cakes, quietly splendid
You’ll Never Bake A Scone – fruit scones with butter and strawberry jam
Anny Rd Apple Tart - shortcrust pastry encasing a piquant layer of sliced Red Royal apples which dart on the tongue
Carra-mel Toffee Pudding - always does the job, the Mr Reliable of the menu
Away fan fool – A raspberry fool with whipped cream.

Ramsay hopes to have the new menu in place for the new season and promises similar dishes should any of the players move on.

“Say for instance, Gerrard isn’t here, well we’ll still make our chocolate cake but we’ll just call it something else.”

This is Ramsay’s first foray into mass catering but if it’s a success he could spread the franchise to other clubs.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for us, and why couldn’t, and shouldn't, we improve on the nation’s half time pies? If Jamie Oliver can champion an improvement in school dinners, we can satisfy the stomachs of all Liverpool’s fans”.

It makes me weep for the old days .....

© hinesy 2005

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