Gordon Ramsay on Knife Edge, MasterChef and why India deserves Michelin stars
From MasterChef kitchens to restaurants chasing the ultimate culinary accolade, Gordon Ramsay has spent decades turning the pressure of professional cooking into prime-time television. His latest venture, Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars, takes that intensity behind the scenes, following chefs and restaurants navigating the high-stakes world of Michelin recognition.
But while the Apple TV+ series puts the spotlight on restaurants chasing stars, Ramsay also has his eyes on a country that has yet to get its own Michelin Guide: India. And, according to the chef, restaurateur and executive producer of Knife Edge, there is little debate over whether the country deserves one.
“Does it deserve the guide? 100% it deserves the guide,” Ramsay said during a global roundtable of Apple TV's docuseries Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars Season 2, where India Today was present.
Ramsay’s own relationship with Indian food goes back years. He recalled travelling to Rajasthan to better understand the country’s cuisine and its regional diversity, an experience that left a lasting impression on him. “I fell in love with India years ago,” Ramsay recalled, describing his pursuit of understanding the “true, proper breakdown” of Indian cuisine.
His belief in India’s Michelin potential is also informed by the recognition Indian restaurants have received internationally. Ramsay pointed to Dubai, which now has Michelin-starred Indian restaurants, including Trsind Studio, the first Indian restaurant to receive three Michelin stars. The achievement was recognised by the Michelin Guide in 2025.
“It was such an exciting announcement a couple of years back when Dubai produced its first Indian three-star Michelin restaurant,” Ramsay noted.
He also highlighted the strength of Indian cuisine in the UK, where Indian restaurants have long been part of the Michelin landscape. The current Michelin Guide listings include several Indian restaurants across London and the wider UK. “I have every confidence that the guide will make it to India, and soon,” Ramsay said. “It’d be wonderful to see that guide in India, definitely.”Gordon Ramsay on Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars
Ramsay serves as executive producer on Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars, which returned for its second season on Apple TV on September 25, 2026. The eight-part season is hosted by food and travel expert Jesse Burgess and follows 16 restaurants as they navigate the pressure of pursuing, retaining or potentially losing Michelin recognition.
The series offers behind-the-scenes access to restaurants at pivotal points in their Michelin journeys, documenting everything from chefs chasing additional stars to establishments attempting to retain the recognition they already have.
Social media has changed how restaurants are discovered and reviewed, but Ramsay does not believe it has diminished Michelin’s relevance. Instead, he pointed to the guide’s consistency and the anonymity of its inspectors as factors that continue to distinguish it from other forms of restaurant criticism.
“Michelin has a unique level of consistency when they award stars,” Ramsay explained. He also acknowledged the importance of other established guides, including Gault & Millau and the UK’s Good Food Guide, while arguing that online reviews can offer restaurants something equally useful: immediate feedback.
“Everyone’s a critic when they walk into your restaurant,” Ramsay observed. For him, the value of online criticism lies in identifying patterns rather than reacting to every individual complaint. If several diners independently flag the same issue with a particular dish, he believes chefs should pay attention.
“When they’re saying the same thing three or four times, and it is consistent with that particular dish, then you know you’ve got a problem,” he pointed out. That immediacy, Ramsay suggested, can ultimately benefit restaurants by allowing chefs and teams to respond quickly rather than waiting for a formal review or inspection.
The restaurant industry’s biggest challenge? Economics
The pursuit of culinary innovation may dominate conversations around fine dining, but Ramsay believes the biggest challenge facing restaurants today is less glamorous: economics. “The biggest risk is the economy,” he said.
Rising ingredient and labour costs are putting pressure on restaurants, making business management almost as important as culinary ability. “You could be one of the most talented chefs in the world, but if you can’t run a business, then you just become a busy idiot,” Ramsay said.
His advice to young chefs looking to open their own restaurants is straightforward: don’t start too big.
“Start slowly,” he advised, adding, “Become a talented neighbourhood restaurant and then become the best in the neighbourhood.” Only after establishing a local following, Ramsay suggested, should chefs begin expanding their teams, menus and ambitions. For him, the fundamentals remain simple: stay cash-positive, build a dependable customer base and make sure the restaurant works beyond its busiest nights.
“Everybody can fill a restaurant on Friday, Saturday, but it’s the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday that’s the important one,” he stressed.
In Ramsay’s view, the Michelin dream cannot come at the expense of the restaurant’s basic economics. Rising costs, labour expenses, and ambitious expansion plans must be balanced against the realities of running a sustainable business.
“It’s a very tough gig out there, it’s a very tough world,” Ramsay concluded.- EndsALSO READ | Who is MasterChef Pankaj Bhadouria? India's recipe queen battling breast cancer
Bhavna is passionate about dramas and films and loves writing about them. Currently oscillating between K-content, BTS and Bollywood, Bhavna dreams of an epic crossover between both the worlds.
