Gordon Ramsay Booted from Montreal's Laurier BBQ

Soft-spoken British chef and name-lending enthusiast Gordon Ramsay has been booted from Laurier BBQ, the historic Montreal restaurant he signed on to consult for in 2010. According to a report in the Montreal Gazette, the restaurant's owner Danny Lavy is severing all ties to the TV chef because Ramsay was "too busy to come to the restaurant" and hadn't been in since August. Lavy is in the process of removing all traces of Ramsay branding from the business, and the restaurant's website and Twitter account have been deleted.

Lavy says he originally wanted Ramsay to be a partner, but that the chef ended up just being a consultant after not putting up any money for the project. Despite that, Lavy claims that the Ramsay folk "acted as if they owned the restaurant."

He adds that Gordo didn't do much promotion for the business, that nothing he proposed "was ever a ‘wow’ dish," and that in general he didn't understand or respect the history of the restaurant. To Ramsay's credit, though, it must be tough to keep on top of your restaurant empire when you're probably in suburban Albany filming yourself screaming at the owners of a struggling Asian fusion restaurant.

From London, team Ramsay issued the shite-reeking statement that they were "mystified" by the decision. Says the rep, "Gordon and his team have provided significant support to all levels of the business above and beyond what was required by the agreement, and we are rightfully proud to have contributed to its success to date." Keep in mind that this place has been around since 1936 and that Ramsay didn't put any money into its recent rejuvenation. Looks like giving someone two words isn't always enough.

· Laurier BBQ cuts Ties with star chef Gordon Ramsay [Montreal Gazette]
· Kitchen nightmare as Gordon Ramsay 'ditched' by restaurant [Globe and Mail]
· All Gordon Ramsay Coverage on Eater [-E-]