Celebrity chefs branded 'divas'

Ramsay, Aikens and the like branded 'spoilt divas' by top chef

Celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Tom Aikens have been branded 'spoilt divas' by top chef Herbert Berger.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Berger – who works as an executive chef at 1 Lombard Street – said: 'I am tired of hearing about bickering among the capital's chefs in order to raise their profile and celebrity status. It is time for the profession to return to the kitchen and decide between food or fame, or at least fame gained by cooking.'

Although not naming names, it's fairly obvious who Berger's talking about when he says: 'A number of high profile chefs are behaving like spoilt divas who have lost sight of why they began to cook in the first place.

'Their behaviour detracts terribly from what they should be doing: concentrating on giving value for money to their customers, preparing the best food and training and looking after the young chefs.

'Petulant children do not ordinarily make the best chefs. We need positive role models, not attention seekers who manipulate the public's outlook.'

'Let's return some dignity to what is - for some of us at least - a civilised profession.'

The plea comes days after Ramsay's former protégée, Marcus Wareing, told a reporter, 'If I never speak to that guy again in my life it wouldn't bother me one bit.'

Now Berger wants his peers to get back to what they do best: cooking.

'This is counter-productive behaviour and can only damage the chances of us finding the talent of the future, which the industry so badly needs,' he concludes.

'Scores of potential stars will be put off the prospect of entering this industry by the thought of being subjected to what is, in truth, farcical behaviour.'