Already omnipresent on TV, Gordon Ramsay is soon to be as ubiquitous on the high street as he becomes the 'face' of Thresher.
The hard-swearing superchef, whose most recent show Hell's Kitchen is
watched with fascinated horror by millions on both sides of the Atlantic is now partnering the UK wine chain.
Poster-size mugshots of the Michelin-starred chef-turned-media star, with the strapline 'Wines You Can Swear By', will gaze at customers in about 1200 Thresher and Wine Rack stores across the UK.
Thresher CEO Roger Whiteside told decanter.com he was not worried that Ramsay's swearing could put customers off.
'Both men and women find him very appealing. He just happens to express himself in expletives,' he said, referring to Ramsay's extraordinarily aggressive TV persona.
Participants on the Threshers-sponsored Hell's Kitchen USA, in which teams of trainee chefs compete against each other, regularly break down in tears under torrents of lurid abuse.
Ramsay frequently gives customers the same treatment. 'I'll get you more pumpkin and I'll ram it up your f**king a*se,' he told one hapless diner. 'Would you like it whole or diced?'
'He's seen as no-nonsense, and demanding high standards. The message from us to our customers is: these are quality wines that people can rely on,' Whiteside said.
Stores will display recipe cards for dishes taken from Ramsay's Sunday Lunch cookery book. The cards also offer his personal wine recommendations and tie in with a series of country-themed promotions, commencing with Spain and Chile.
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I have watched most of Gordon Ramsay's shows and not once has he mentioned wine in any context with food or without. The man knows f**k all about wine. Brian Robson
I am highly unlikely to enter a Thresher's store with that man's face staring at me, but then again, I think I've only bought one bottle from Thresher's in the last twelve months so that won't be any great loss to them (come to think of it, it might have been from Bottoms Up!). DC, Brighton, UK
When you have a name like Ramsay its not a good ide to sell it. I have lost my respekt for him a long time ago. Edvard Skramstad, Grand Hotel, Oslo, Norway
Just what the wine industry needs is someone to tell them to "go f**k themselves! Soon the whole world will be in a rage. Bob Rohden, Chicago, USA
He's the man of the moment and if he can get even 5% more of the public to try a bottle of wine then that's a good thing. It's then up to independent merchants like myself to attract Thresher's new customers towards the more interesting wines I feel we stock. It's good for Gordon Ramsay, Threshers, the independent wine trade (down the line) and, ultimately, the customer – I really don't see what the problem is with this.
Paul Hillen, Ava Wines, Bangor, Wales, UK
Now we know where the well deserved staff and managers pay rise has gone. Yet again money is found for other things, but not to give incentives to the front line staff who earn Threshers their money! Ex Threshers assistant manager
Given recent rumors of Thresher`s difficulties, I have trouble understanding how a man, who in all the years that I have read and watched him abuse adoring fans, and never ONCE mention wine in any aspect whatsoever - add any value at all to the share price of this chain...a rethink may possibly be in order.... Robert Rees, Wine Exchange Asia Pte.Ltd
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I have watched most of Gordon Ramsay's shows and not once has he mentioned wine in any context with food or without. The man knows f**k all about wine. Brian Robson
