Posted by The Telegraph, UK on October 21, 2008 at 11:51:26:
Gordon Ramsay plans to open his own cooking academy for aspiring chefs.
By Nick Allen
Mr Ramsay said he is looking for the next generation of top chefs. The school for apprentice chefs will aim to find the future stars of the culinary world and top students could be fast-tracked to run some of Mr Ramsay's restaurants.
Mr Ramsay, 41, said: "We will launch our academy next year. We have bought the Tante Marie cooking school, the first ever cooking school in this country.
"I'll bring back apprentice training on a national scale and if anyone proves good enough at 25 they'll be running my kitchens"
In 2002 his television rival Jamie Oliver started his Fifteen restaurants which gave disadvantaged youngsters the chance to train in professional kitchens.
Mr Ramsay said the Tante Marie would be relaunched in a bigger space as an academy for food and wine as he looks for the next generation of top chefs.
He said: "But it doesn't come easy and they are not all going to be the next Jamie Oliver or Nigella Lawson, so they must master their craft first."
Mr Ramsay revealed his plans as he prepared for his new series of Cookalong for Channel 4, and he also hit back at claims he rarely cooks anymore.
He said: "People say that I don't cook anymore. Rubbish. I run hot plates where you bring it all together. I am not going to stop for a long time."
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