Gordon Ramsay Opening Two London Restaurants Amidst Tax Fraud Accusations

Shouty UK chef Gordon Ramsay is opening two new London restaurants amid accusations of tax fraud. First, the restaurants: Union Street Cafe, a joint project with handsome soccerman David Beckham, is slated for a September open and will focus on seasonal/Mediterranean foods. Bloomberg reports fewer details about London House other than the fact that it's "scheduled to open before the end of the year."

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail says an anonymous whistleblower has leaked an internal memo to authorities that "detailed how the restaurant empire had slashed its tax and National Insurance bill by hiding the facts." Some of the "hidden facts" involved tip sharing. Anyway, there's allegedly a seven-figure unpaid tax bill, but Ramsay denies all and has "five senior partners trawling through 30,000 emails in an attempt to clear the chef's name." Caterer and Hotel Keeper spoke to a Ramsay rep who says he turned in the memo himself: "This investigation was triggered by Gordon when he became aware of certain actions and conduct of some employees when the business was run under previous management. Gordon voluntarily approached the HMRC when a note detailing these actions came to light." Stay tuned.

· Ramsay Plans Two London Restaurants as Influence Spreads [Bloomberg]
· Chef faces fraud probe over 'seven-figure unpaid bill' [Daily Mail]
· Gordon Ramsay disputes "serious fraud" allegations [CHK]
· All Gordon Ramsay Coverage on Eater [-E-]