HE is as infamous for his fiery temper as for being the first British chef to gain three Michelin stars, only to hand them back in protest.
He also taught a young Gordon Ramsay everything he knew.
Now Marco Pierre White, aka the Godfather of modern cooking, has made his first trip to his protege's home town of Glasgow to formally launch his new restaurant and to announce that the city - which has languished without a star since Ramsay closed Amaryllis in 2003 - should forget about chasing the Michelin honour.
"The future of eating out is casual dining, good food at affordable prices," said Mr White. "Most Michelin-starred restaurants are the most boring places on earth. They're trying too hard to be posh, and they are so precious they end up being only for special occasions. Just look at the number that go bust, and the chefs who can't stand the pressure of keeping their star year after year."
Echoing the words of Gordon Ramsay, who 10 years ago claimed the lack of appetite for fine-dining in the city was the reason he closed the Michelin-starred Amaryllis, Mr White added that "affordable glamour" is what the people of Glasgow look for on a night out.
"The people of Glasgow vote with their feet. They want affordable glamour, not Michelin stars. They don't want to be on the edge of their seats, eating 10 courses of fluff and constantly asked if they're enjoying their food. Glasgow is one of the best cities in Britain, because it's got real soul. It is a beautiful industrial city, full of honesty and integrity. I reckon Glasgow is what Edinburgh wants to be."
His comments come at a time when Glasgow's eating out scene is seeing something of a revival after years in the doldrums. The city gained two new Bib Gourmands in the Michelin Guide 2015, bringing its total to three; the fine-dining Western Club Restaurant in the financial quarter recently opened its doors, and next week sees the opening of Martin Wishart's mid-priced brasserie The Honours. MPW Steakhouse at Hotel Indigo offers a mid-priced menu of locally sourced ingredients under head chef Liam Kerr, although it has so far not garnered much praise from the critics.
The editor of the Michelin Guide recently stated that there has been a new focus on value-for-money this year, reflecting the continuing trend for competitively priced, less structured and more flexible dining as diners become more cost-conscious.
Mr White, 52, from Leeds, trained with Albert and Michel Roux at the three-Michelin starred Le Gavroche in London and gained three stars for his eponymous restaurant at the Hyde Park Hotel (now Mandarin Oriental). He said: "The Michelin Guide is losing the power it once had. Michelin stars are not that important, because you're being given them by people who have less knowledge than you.
"When I had three stars, I questioned what they were really worth. I gave the inspectors too much respect. I had three options: I could be a prisoner of my world and continue to work six days a week. I could live a lie and charge high prices and not be behind the stove. Or I could give my stars back and re-invent myself."
He is now a restaurateur with an expanding empire of MPW Steakhouses, and runs a hotel in Wiltshire. "Glasgow is full of great talent. I say to all young and aspiring Scottish chefs to follow your dream, fight for what you believe in and if the establishment wants to condemn you for it, so be it. The people who never make a difference are the ones who never upset anybody."
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