Blanc unhappy with TV's bullying chefs

Celebrity chef Raymond Blanc has warned his rivals to stop promoting bullying on their TV shows.

Blanc, who is about to star in a new BBC Two series called The Restaurant, claimed that some fiery TV stars could soon end up behind bars if they do not start treating their staff members with respect.

"I don't like to jump on the face of someone who is already down. Those chefs who glorify violence are living in the past," Blanc told Radio Times. "What's more, soon they will go to prison, because new employment laws now give staff much more protection against bullying than before."

Asked if he was referring to Gordon Ramsay and new Hell's Kitchen chef Marco Pierre White, Raymond replied: "I do not like to speak about the people, but the culture they represent, which has a terrible influence on how people see this industry.

"When Marco takes over Hell's Kitchen, will he promote food craft, careful man-management, or just this unfortunate aspect of behaviour, which involves the degradation of people? I think he will respect what I am telling him."

Blanc added that his show, which follows nine couples as they try to run a successful eaterie, will be a refreshing change for viewers.

"The reason I am doing this programme is because I want to bring respect back to our industry," he said. "I want to challenge the crazy macho culture you see on TV: of which chef has the biggest burn marks, which chef can suffer the most, which chef can abuse the most."