Another Gordon Ramsay Protege Leaves The Fold

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Apr 2nd 2010 at 8:01PM

Another of Gordon Ramsay's proteges has flown the coop. Bloomberg News reports that Jason Atherton, the chef behind London's Maze restaurant, is leaving the Gordon Ramsay group after nine years. Atherton ran Ramsay's Verre in Dubai before founding Maze in 2005. Atherton was quick to dismiss speculation that he had run afoul of the famously volatile chef and said that he is just ready to start his own restaurant.

On his Twitter Ramsay said: "jason's ready to fly the nest.Time for him to have his name above the door.Who doesn't want that? I wish him every success, an amazing guy." But rumors of discord continue. Atherton won't be moving straight from his Maze to his own venture. He plans to go overseas, most likely Spain, to get a little more experience in friends' kitchens. Atherton was the first U.K. chef to complete a stage at Ferran Adria's famous restaurant El Bulli.

Tags: celebrity chef, chef, gordon ramsay, jason atherton, london, maze restaurant