Series 1 Get women back in the kitchen campaign

Date Published:

06/09/2007

Tana Ramsay

Woman on top

They say that behind every great man there's a great woman. And behind Gordon Ramsay there's a woman who thinks that her husband's new campaign is giving some ladies a raw deal. Food writer, mum of four and Gordon's wife, Tana Ramsay speaks out...

How do you feel about Gordon's campaign to get women back in the kitchen?

I think it's fantastic. I think it was taken the wrong way to begin with though. People thought Gordon was telling women they were rubbish in the kitchen. But what Gordon confesses to me in private is that there seems to him to be a whole generation of women out there who never cooked, and then started to panic when they found themselves with husbands and children they had to cater for.

A lot of women have responded to the campaign by saying that it's all very well to say cooking is enjoyable, but when you have to cook for the kids three times a day it really can be a chore. Are women getting a bit of a raw deal here?

That's very true. I had the luxury of not having to work when I had my children and because of that I had a lot of time to teach myself to cook. But a lot of women are trying to juggle work and cooking for the kids. There's a strong argument to say that Gordon's campaign has overlooked that fact.

Why do you think women are cooking less?

I think they're obsessed with their careers. I was the same. All I thought about was work and success. When I was first married I didn't have to cook for my husband because he wouldn't be home from the restaurant until one in the morning. So it was when I had my first baby that I stopped and thought oh my God, what am I going to do?

If you could launch your own food-themed campaign what would it be?

I'd like to get kids back in the kitchen! When you're a busy mum doing the cooking it's so tempting just to send the kids into another room. But I think it's so important for them to get involved with peeling vegetables, and seeing the ingredients. I was never interested when I was young but I'm glad my kids seem to be. Part of the reason we started growing our own veg and fattening up the turkeys was that we wanted the kids to realise food doesn't come from supermarkets. I want them to realise the importance of buying food from a butcher and veg from a market.

How about a campaign to get men back in the kitchen to clean up after themselves once in a while?

Fantastic idea! Gordon is a complete nightmare. And not just in the kitchen, but in the house in general. He just dumps things everywhere. He might cook a lovely meal, but afterwards the kitchen looks like a bomb has hit it. Men definitely need to be shown how to clear up. And another thing: men, Gordon in particular, need to be taught how to cook whilst doing other tasks! When men go into the kitchen, the whole world stops.

The media has given lots of attention to the fact that sit-down family mealtimes are dwindling. Do you sit down together as a family to eat in your house?

Absolutely. I think that's so important. If Gordon's not home I always make sure I sit down with the kids for tea. The television isn't allowed to be on, and I ban books and toys from the table. Part of it is about learning what we've all been up to that day, and part of it is to do with table manners and enjoying food.

It's been reported that you have two kitchens at home because you and Gordon can't cook together. What's all that about?

That's very true. But it's not because we can't or won't cook together. It's because Gordon is so often working on a recipe book or has hundreds of people around. So it's easier if I have my own kitchen to cook family meals.

So would you say that it's you that controls how, when and what the family eats, rather than Gordon?

Absolutely!

Women on the F-word website forum have declared you one of the luckiest women alive owing to the fact you have an amazing chef to cook for you whenever you please. Is it like that in reality?

Oh please! If he fancies cooking, great. But if your husband's a plumber you've probably got the worst pipes on the street because he's never got time to fix them. Actually, it would be really handy to be married to a plumber. Gordon's crap at DIY!

How are you going to bring yourself to kill and cook those lovely turkeys living in your garden at the moment?

They're not lovely, they're horrid and they smell! It would be one thing if they were cuddly little lambs but they're actually revolting.

You were recently commissioned to create a new salad. How did that come about?

The executive chef at the brasserie in Peter Jones asked me to come up with a really simple salad that they could throw together and that people can make at home. It was a lot of fun. It's called the Chelsea salad and it has really tasty leaves, a naughty cheese twist and grilled apricots.

Will we be hearing more from you as a chef then?

Well I'm currently writing a recipe book for busy mums like me. It's going to be full of really simplified recipes, with down to earth ingredients. It's not Gordon food. I don't see why I should have to make my own stock, for example, when I can get some that's readymade and I've got better things to be getting on with. Unless Gordon wants to bring some home for me from his restaurant...