Gordon Ramsay hits back over Harden's guide criticism

Gordon Ramsay Holdings has hit back at the authors of Harden's restaurant guides after they claimed the chef's huge international reputation has started to look "very shaky".

In Harden's London Restaurants 2008, which questioned more than 8,000 regular restaurant-goers, Ramsay failed to pick up the top three accolades of "top gastronomic experience", "highest food rating" and "highest overall rating" for the first time in seven years.

Peter Harden, co-editor of the guide, said Ramsay's reputation was looking "very shaky", while co-editor Richard Harden added: "Failing some major redirection of Ramsay's energies back to his London restaurants - and away from America, TV studios and pubs - this is beginning to look like the end of the era of Ramsay's unchallenged dominance of the high-end culinary scene."

However, Chris Hutcheson, chief executive of Gordon Ramsay Holdings, suggested the criticism was a PR stunt.

"Harden's has to sell a lot of copies, so there has to be an element of sensationalism," he said. "They like to destroy, rather than construct."

While Ramsay retained the title for top gastronomic experience in the capital, it was his protégé, Marcus Wareing, chef-patron of the two-Michelin-starred Pétrus, who picked up the highest overall rating.

The highest rating for food went to south London restaurant Chez Bruce, which, for the third consecutive year, also retained its title as London's favourite restaurant.

Gordon Ramsay fails to pick up Harden's top accolades >>

Despite 'golden age' of restaurant openings, its still a tough market >>

Gordon Ramsay eyes up Chiswick for site of third pub >>

Read more on Gordon Ramsay here >>

E-mail your comments to Kerstin Kühn here.