Gordon Ramsay may have the reputation for being a really tough guy, but he has a soft side, and an intolerance for injustice and bias.
We can learn a lot from him and his actions recently after a 3ft 10in tall chef was banned from a college cooking course because of his height -- and Ramsay responded to the act of prejudice by offering the chef a job!
Louis Makepeace has dwarfism and that has nothing to do with his chef’s skills, of course, but he was refused a spot Heart of Worcestershire College even after he was initially conditionally accepted. The 18-year-old says he was told that he was a "health and safety risk" to students and would cause a "disruption" if he got under their feet.
Michelin-starred chef Ramsay heard about this and was outraged. He tweeted to his 6.8million followers: "Disgusting attitude, I’d offer him an Apprenticeship any day."
The chef was floored, saying he was "amazed" to receive Ramsay's support, and said it would be a "dream come true" to work the celebrity chef:
"It would be absolutely incredible if he is serious about it. I can't believe he has seen it and is supporting me as I am a huge fan of his. I watch all his videos on YouTube as well as his TV shows -- I really love his leek and tarragon pasta recipe and I cook his stuff all the time."
Louis, who has achondroplasia, which is a form of short-limbed dwarfism has faced prejudice before in the profession. Course leaders told his mother there was no point in her son doing the program as he would "never be allowed to work in a restaurant anyway".
The teenager suffered a major confidence blow as a result, but is doing better now.
"It was really upsetting as I had my heart set on this course. We are supposed to have equality of opportunity yet I'm not allowed to do something I love doing... They said I would be a health and safety risk and disruption to the other students and get in their way, which was really humiliating," he admitted.
Something tells us the support of a chef like Gordon Rasmay will reverse things in a big way for the young chef:
"It would be an honour to work with him. I really hope he means it as it would be a dream come true. It is just amazing to receive his backing. I can't believe it."
Surprisingly, that's not the first time Chef Ramsay has gone out of his way to use his name for good.
Earlier this year, he partnered with celebrities like Katy Perry and James Corden to work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. There, he vowed to grant 24 wishes to children with critical illnesses in just 24 hours.
It turns out, despite his at times terrifying "Kitchen Nightmares" persona, the celebrity chef has a soft side for helping kids in need.
