People evacuated after kitchen fire

Firefighters at the scene. Picture: John Grainger Source: The Daily Telegraph

Firefighters at the scene. Picture: John Grainger Source: NewsLocal

RESIDENTS sleeping in units above a restaurant had to be evacuated this morning after a fire broke out in the kitchen.

Fire crews were called to Albion St Surry Hills following reports of smoke coming from the ground floor about 6.25am.

The residents in the upper levels of the mixed occupancy building were evacuated immediately upon arrival.

Firefighters at the scene. Picture: John Grainger Source: The Daily Telegraph

Firefighters managed to contain the blaze to the restaurant's kitchen, but the fire caused extensive smoke and water damage.

Nobody was injured during the incident.

Fire at this Surry Hill's restaurant. Picture: John Grainger Source: The Daily Telegraph

A NSW Fire Brigade spokesman said it was too early to determine what sparked the fire.
Investigations are continuing.

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Ramsay loses restaurant in real kitchen nightmare

Gordon Ramsay's contract to run the restaurant at Claridge's hotel in London won't be renewed. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

BRITISH celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has suffered a blow after it was announced his restaurant at top London hotel Claridge's will be closing after more than a decade.

Ramsay, 46, was one of the first of a series of exciting new chefs to bring innovation and a sprinkling of stardust to the London hotel restaurant scene when he won the contract for Claridge's in 2001.

The restaurant received rave reviews when it opened, but in recent years the praise has been lukewarm and in 2010 it lost its Michelin star.

Last year, Claridge's hosted a pop-up version of Noma, the Danish restaurant currently ranked the world's best.

Thomas Kochs, general manager at Claridge's, said: "Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's was the first diversification venture for the chef who has since become an internationally known household name.

"It has undoubtedly made an exceptional contribution to Claridge's gastronomic history. We feel the time has come, however, for a new dining direction for Claridge's and we bid farewell to Gordon with best wishes for the many exciting projects he has around the world."

A spokeswoman for Gordon Ramsay Holdings said: "We have taken the decision to close Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's in June 2013 following a fantastic collaboration over the last 12 years.

"We would like to thank all our guests for the amazing support they have given for over a decade, however, we felt the time was right to move on to new opportunities and investments."

Despite the Claridge's setback, Ramsay insists his restaurant empire is back on track after a rocky few years when he had a public falling-out with his father-in-law and business partner.

After the Claridge's closure, the chef will still be operating 26 restaurants around the world including in Tokyo, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, the Qatari capital Doha and the Savoy in London.

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Bondi boys cool in the MKR kitchen

NSW's Luke Hines and Scott Gooding take some time out from My Kitchen Rulesat Bondi Beach. Picture: Bob Barker Source: The Daily Telegraph

MY Kitchen Rules' Bondi boys Luke Hines and Scott Gooding believe their cool, calm approach to the kitchen will help them overcome their fellow NSW rivals, hot-heads Ashlee Pham and Sophia Pou.

The best friends from Cabramatta have divided viewers' opinions, with many criticising them for being blunt to the point of rudeness around the dinner table.

And personal trainers Hines and Gooding believe that is a recipe for disaster in the pressure-cooker atmosphere of the Channel 7 show.

Gooding, 37, said: "Luke and I have respect for each other and I think that is key in pressure situations.

"They have shown that when the kitchen heats up they can blow up at each other. Ashlee and Sophia appear to be pretty handy in the kitchen and they are certainly confident, which is mildly intimidating, but our style is very different to theirs."

Hines, 29, said they were both up for the challenge of the competition.

"They (Pou and Pham) have made it no secret that they speak their mind when it comes to critiquing food. So let's hope now we have hit kitchen headquarters they can walk the walk to match the talk."

While Pham and Pou have ruffled feathers since arriving on the the show, the boys from Bondi have been a hit with viewers and the judges.

The personal trainers scored a perfect 10 from Pete Evans and Manu Feildel for their zesty prawn salad and spelt, berry and macaroon tart, which are the most viewed recipes on the My Kitchen Rules page.

Gooding said the popularity of their healthy dishes is a sign the country is on the brink of a fresh food revolution.

"People are becoming increasingly health-conscious," he said.

"People want to know where the food comes from, how it was treated and is it good for them. Luke and I wanted to get a message across about healthy eating and dispel some myths out there."

"I think generally that people are looking for healthier alternatives. Our tart is a classic example - by using spelt flour in the base as an alternative to plain flour highlights how easy it is to improve the nutritional value of a classic dish."

Hines said their recipes signal the start of a huge change in the way people eat their food; "I think we are going to see a massive shift, not only in home cooking, but restaurants as well, towards clean, lean, cuisine."

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