The UK arm of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants empire remained in the red last year despite sales topping £۱۰۰m for the first time after a string of openings in a London tower.
The celebrity chef’s UK business, which has ۳۴ outlets including the Savoy Grill, Pétrus and several Lucky Cat restaurants, narrowed losses to £۵.۸m from £۹.۴m the year before. Sales rose ۳% to almost £۱۰۱m.
Andy Wenlock, the chief executive of Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, said that despite what the company called a “challenging macro environment” around the world, the group had begun ۲۰۲۶ “with strong momentum and clear priorities”. Those aims include improving profitability and “maintaining disciplined investment in our owned estate, and accelerating international growth through experienced partners”.
He said trading had been helped by the airing of the Netflix documentary Being Gordon Ramsay in February and the opening of the group’s ۱۰۰th restaurant, at Bread Street Kitchen & Bar in Bishopsgate in the City of London. It is one of several restaurants on the upper levels of the ۲۲ Bishopsgate tower.
“We remain positive about the UK market which is home for us,” he said. “Regionally and [in] London it is still full of opportunity, creativity and amazing talent.”
Globally, the company which operates ۱۰۳ restaurants including the UK group, increased sales by ۷% year on year to a record £۱۵۱.۸m as it wrapped in Ramsay’s US business, which is now co-owned with the investment group Lion Capital, and it reported “resilient” growth at established outlets.
Underlying group profits rose ۱۲% to £۱۴.۴m as it opened a mix of owned restaurants and licensed partnerships including Gordon Ramsay Steak in Vancouver, Hell’s Kitchen in Ibiza and restaurants openings in the Middle East and Asia. However, the group – which does not include Ramsay’s TV production company – did not pay a dividend to shareholders.
“It has been an incredible year for the business and it’s testament to the dedication of the whole team to make it such a success,” Wenlock said.
“While ۲۲ Bishopsgate has been the star performer, with five restaurant experiences in one venue, the strength of the performance of the group as a whole has been phenomenal, with openings across new and existing markets and a relentless focus on the guest experience throughout the brand portfolio.”
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The group has signed new licence deals in the US and it said licensing partnerships, franchise and management agreements were expected to play an increasingly important role in growth.
Ramsay, who opened his first solo venture Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road in Chelsea in ۱۹۹۸, has struggled to make a profit at his empire for several years. However, the group has bounced back since the pandemic which brought Ramsay’s business operations to a halt and forced him to cut almost ۳۰۰ jobs amid £۱۲m in losses.
