Earlier this year, the talk at Ramsay towers was all about girl power. The heroines of the hour were Angela Hartnett (who, coincidentally, opens Murano for Ramsay in Mayfair tonight), Clare Smyth (head chef at Royal Hospital Road)… and Gemma Tuley.
The reason for all the early-2008 girl hype was the launch of Foxtrot Oscar SW3, which marked Tuley’s début as a head chef. She may not have been quite such a ‘household’ name as the others, but she had at that point worked for the Ramsay empire for seven years, during which she had even been sent off to spend 18 months with Guy Savoy in Paris. Ramsay told the Daily Telegraph that she had a single-mindedness that was “almost unnerving”.
And where is she now? Well, not employed by Gordon Ramsay Holdings. One may only surmise that the chorus of critical derision which greeted the opening of FO – so bad Ramsay muttered something about a relaunch – might have something to do with it.
Ms Tuley, however, has not gone away, and we hear she’s to be chef when Arch One – a South Bank bar/restaurant never before on the critical map – is relaunched on 1 September.
The precedents for the ‘newcomer’ are more encouraging than you might think. Head chef Neil Ferguson, who had worked for Ramsay for a decade, was encouraged to leave Ramsay’s New York Midtown restaurant after its lacklustre début. And what did Thompson do? He dusted himself down and went off Downtown to create what’s now become a considerable success – Allen & Delancey.
Arch One must be one to watch.
Arch One
1 Mepham Street
London SE1 8RL
Tel 020 7401 2329
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