Watch: MasterChef Malta Judge Recounts Intense Experience Working For Gordon Ramsay In London
Victor Borg’s no-nonsense attitude on MasterChef Malta has drawn comparisons with Gordon Ramsay, and it turns out he used to actually worked for the world-famous chef himself.
As a novice 20-year-old chef, Borg travelled to London to seek his fortune and met a younger Ramsay while watching the UK’s National Chef of the Year at the Hotel Olympia.
Back then, Ramsay owned the Michelin-starred Aubergine restraint in Chelsea but he was still making a name for himself and hadn’t yet properly branched out into television.
Borg said he asked Ramsay for a stage (an unpaid internship) at his restaurant and had to wait nine months for a work permit before finally landing the position.
View this post on Instagram
At Aubergine, Borg realised just how high Ramsay’s standards were and how stressful the conditions were.
“We used to work from 7am till 1am without a break because the restaurant was fully booked for lunch and dinner. Of course the pressure is high,” he said.
“With Gordon, what you see on TV is the reality. He will not accept anything less than perfection. This is how I was brought up, this is what my training was like.”
“I have a thick skin, and thank God for that, because I wouldn’t be here today otherwise.”
Photo: MasterChef Malta
He recounted a time where fresh scallops had come in from Scotland and Ramsay asked him what was wrong with them.
“I told him they were perfect in my eyes but he responded that he already told me that he wants them bigger etcetera. So they weren’t good for him while they were perfect for me.”
Borg said he wants MasterChef Malta to reach this international level of attention to culinary detail and that contestants shouldn’t expect an easy ride.
“It is a very high international standard and we want to push the contestants to reach that level. We are nothing less than any other country, so we will lead them as we go along but nothing is personal. If you take things personally, don’t come and just watch Masterchef from home.”
Are you following MasterChef Malta?
READ NEXT: 'Toroq Imħarbtin Għalik': Swieqi Residents Erect Parody Sign Shedding Light On Shoddy Roads
