Gordon Ramsay is so famed for his use of the F-word that one of his shows was named after it.
However when he took his latest series to a St Andrews restaurant not one obscenity passed his lips.
The chef was in town to film an episode of Ramsay’s Best Restaurants in Nahm-Jim.
The Market Street restaurant, owned by Sandy and Bee Mitchell, was selected from 2000 Thai eateries in the UK nominated to compete for the series crown.
It will receive its moment of fame next Tuesday when it goes head to head with another Thai restaurant, Mango Tree in London, on the Channel 4 show.
When the chef arrived with a bus-load of diners and a film crew during the summer, he had just returned from Thailand.
He told Bee and her Thai staff that, understanding of their culture, he would refrain from foul language during his visit and was apparently true to his word.
Bee (40) said, “I really liked him, he was very charming.”
Ramsay, who has earned 12 Michelin stars during his career, was equally charmed by head chef Bee’s Thai-style haggis.Filming was “great fun”Bee and husband Sandy who also own nearby restaurant The Grange and have fed the likes of Sir Sean Connery, Hugh Grant and Colin Montgomerie refused to reveal whether they had won a place in the semi-final of the show, which covers eight categories of cuisine.
But they are eager to see their episode screened.
Contrary to the frantic scenes of previous episodes where restaurants have struggled to cope with the pressure and chefs have felt the sharp edge of Ramsay’s tongue, the couple said their day went smoothly although Sandy (42) admitted, “It will be interesting to see how it is edited.”
He said, “Overall the experience was great fun.
“People have found it nerve-racking and stressful, I’ve seen that on TV, but for us it was the opposite.
“We got ticked off for serving up too quickly.” Bee and Sandy, who was front of house, had to serve up three courses for 30 people.
In the next round they cooked again at Ramsay’s restaurant in London Bee becoming the first female chef ever to use his kitchen.
The couple are confident that they were equal to Ramsay’s high standards.”Very proud” to featureSandy said, “Not one person complained, because the food was brilliant and everyone got served at the same time.
“If Gordon Ramsay ever came back to St Andrews I’m certain this is the place he would make a beeline for.”
While the real advantage of being selected for the show an anticipated deluge of new customers is yet to come, Sandy and Bee feel they have already benefited.
As well as a confidence boost they received a lesson in raising their standards further.
Bee said, “I’m very proud to be on his show.
“For me, for a chef like Gordon to say I can cook is amazing.”
Sandy said, “We know our food is excellent but we don’t get complacent.
“We continually try to improve and this programme has made us even better. I think we have stepped up.”