The Legendary Chef Who Mentored Gordon Ramsay

With nearly 100 restaurants around the world, a slew of TV shows, and seemingly endless amounts of cooking tips, Gordon Ramsay is undoubtedly one of the most well-known celebrity chefs in the world. But Ramsay earned his stripes under the tutelage of Marco Pierre White, who's touted as the original celebrity chef.

Described as a man who "put food on a plate like Picasso" by Ramsay, Marco Pierre White mentored many famous chefs during a cooking career that spanned more than 30 years. His start began at 16 when he studied French cuisine under chefs at Le Gavroche. At age 24 in 1987, he became a part owner and head chef at Harveys in London and went on to win two Michelin stars. It was here that he first crossed paths with a young Gordon Ramsay.

White earned a third Michelin star in 1995 at age 33 while working at The Restaurant Marco Pierre White in the Hyde Park Hotel London, becoming the youngest chef to earn that distinction. He retired from the kitchen in 1999 and has stayed in the public eye with roles on cooking shows such as Hell's Kitchen, and has created a food empire that includes brands like Marco's New Italian and Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill.

In his early 20s, Gordon Ramsay went to work for White at Harveys, working there for nearly three years and enduring grueling 16-hour days. While the fast-paced atmosphere was relentless, Ramsay said he gained drive, structure, and knowledge. "He pushed you to the extreme because he drummed it in 'If you're going to do it, do it to your best,'" Ramsay said of his mentor.

Ramsay said he admired White's level of discipline, which even made Ramsay supposedly cry once in the kitchen. But White's pursuit of perfection later influenced Ramsay's own management style, and he later worked at Le Gavroche as White once had on White's recommendation.

White's influence on Ramsay can be seen in his drive to continuously be the best. "Gordon is one of the most competitive people I've ever met in my life. Whatever he does, it must be a competition," White said. White's tutelage also extends to Ramsay's attention to detail and high standards in his own restaurants. "When Gordon worked for me, he realized that the standards were the most important. He's adopted that and in his kitchen...he doesn't let anything go which doesn't meet the standard that's required," White said of his then apprentice.

Despite working together in various capacities for more than a decade, the two chefs had a falling out that lasted nearly three decades and included Ramsay crashing White's wedding with a film crew. In recent years, however, they seem to have buried the hatchet and worked together on "Next Level Chef." Nonetheless, Ramsay has continued to stay busy with his many ventures, including working with his daughter Tilly on "MasterChef Junior."