Recently, a new line of frozen meals began appearing on Walmart shelves: By Chef Ramsay. The “Chef Ramsay” in question is Gordon Ramsay, an acclaimed cook and TV personality who has earned a total of 17 Michelin stars in his lifetime.
This move was not without controversy. Some of the meals are to be cooked in the microwave, drawing ire from fans of his various TV shows in which he’s derided their use in the kitchen. Those aren’t his only thoughts on microwaves, either. According to Mashed, he has previously claimed that using a microwave is “lazy” and said that it was difficult to get flavor out of a dish cooked in the microwave.
Additionally, Ramsay frequently stresses the importance of fresh ingredients in his various media appearances. Advertising frozen food, his fans claim, goes directly against this directive.
Some of this could be shrugged away by fans if the flavor of the frozen dishes kept up with Chef Ramsay’s prestige. Unfortunately, according to TikTok user Luke (@lukefoods), they simply don’t.
Luke purchased all of the frozen meals and has begun reviewing them on his TikTok page, beginning with the Shepherd’s Pie and the Fish and Chips.
@lukefoods Gordon Ramsay Frozen Meal Review! Trying Gordon Ramsay Fish And Chips And Shepherds Pie! Let’s See How They Taste! #gordonramsay #gordonramsayfishandchips #foodreview #frozenfood #foodcritic #gordonramsayofficial #eating #eatingshow #mukbang #viral #trending #fyp #fypシ #foodtok #foodtiktok #foodie #fishandchips #shepherdspie #gordonramsey #cheframsey #cheframsay #waynedang #frozenmeals #food ♬ original sound – lukefoods
While Luke stresses that the dishes are occasionally better than what is typically expected of a TV dinner, he describes the flavor and texture of the dishes as lackluster, noting that many may expect more at the dish’s $6 price point.
“The texture and the consistency is kind of thick, and—I don’t know, it’s very mushy. Not really a fan, I’m going to be honest,” he says of the Shepherd’s Pie. “The beef is pretty bad tasting.”
@lukefoods Gordon Ramsay Frozen Meal Review Part 2! Trying Gordon Ramsay Slow Roasted Beef And Mac And Cheese! Let’s See How They Taste! #gordonramsay #foodreview #frozenfood #gordonramsayofficial #gordonramsey #cheframsay #foodcritic #foodtok #foodtiktok #foodie #eatingshow #eating #food #mukbang #cheframsey #viral #trending #fyp #fypシ #macandcheese #cheesy #frozenmeals ♬ original sound – lukefoods
Other meals from the range also failed to impress Luke. While he enjoyed the flavors of some of the other dishes, he noted that the Four Cheese Macaroni was no better than what can be bought from brands like Stouffer’s, which costs $3.27 at Walmart.
In the comments section, users expressed their dismay at Gordon Ramsay branching out into frozen meals.
“The king of nothing frozen has created frozen meals,” wrote a user. “Never thought I’d see this day!”
“I can’t believe he has frozen food now,” added another. “So funny. Guess if the check is big enough…”
“I can’t believe the shepards pie is made with beef (a cottage pie),” detailed a third. “Gordon yelled at someone for doing that on Kitchen Nightmares lol!”
The Daily Dot reached out to Luke via email and Golden West Food Group via website contact form.
Update 11:06 am CT August 31: In an email to the Daily Dot, Luke said that seeing Ramsay’s face on a frozen food container took him by surprise.
“Gordon Ramsay entering the world of frozen food is most certainly surprising, as he always gave the impression that cheap, processed food is sinful to him,” he explained. “Of course, Gordon understands that frozen food serves a purpose. It’s cheap, easy and quick to make. However, I never once thought that Gordon himself would touch it. I’m assuming the contract he formed with Walmart to slap his name on a set of frozen meals paid him well.”
The actual quality of the frozen food, he said, does not stack up to Ramsay’s restaurants.
“I’ve went to a few of Gordon Ramsay’s actual restaurants, and this frozen food tastes nothing like his restaurant’s,” he continued. “In fact, most of these frozen meals don’t taste very good at all. Which is a shame, because I’m personally a huge fan of Gordon Ramsay, so I hate to drag his name through the mud. But yeah, truthfully, most of these meals don’t taste good, even for the frozen meal standard.”
“I personally believe that six U.S. dollars is too expensive for them,” he stated.
