Ramsay told to clean up

When inspecting other chefs' kitchens, Gordon Ramsay's standards could not be higher.

The discovery of a speck of dirt can send the celebrity restaurateur into a trademark rant, and he famously branded the kitchen of one hapless cook 'a dirty, filthy mess'.

But Michelin-starred Ramsay has now been told to practise what he preaches after health inspectors visited his own restaurants.

Reports released under the Freedom of Information Act catalogue a list of minor hygiene problems at two of his London restaurants.

One inspector who visited the three Michelin- starred Gordon Ramsay restaurant in Chelsea last March told the chef to clean the freezer 'thoroughly'.

The inspector from Kensington and Chelsea council also ordered him to mend broken kitchen tiles where scraps could build up, replace split door seals and stop storing cleaning materials next to food.

Across London at the renowned Claridge's hotel, Westminster council inspectors found more problems during a September visit.

Their report cited a washing up sink which was too close to where food was prepared, leading to a risk of 'contamination'.

Officials also noticed chefs wiping their hands on dirty cloths. The inspector remarked: 'More frequent hand washing required.'

Butane gas canisters were stored next to food and wine was put in an electrical cupboard - but then quickly removed.

The ladies' toilets were reported to be missing soap.

The revelations will embarrass the chef who has delivered tirades about hygiene in his Channel 4 programme Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. When visiting the Lanterna Italian Restaurant in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, he told chef Alex Scott his kitchen was filthy. The restaurant subsequently shut down.

Yesterday, Ramsay was in America preparing for the opening of his first U.S. restaurant and unavailable for comment.