Gordon Ramsay has struck gold. Back for a second season, Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars is bringing in some reinforcements: Lisa Vanderpump. Both internationally renowned restaurateurs are here to guide business-savvy entrepreneurs through a series of tests as they try to earn a $250,000 investment to build their business. Mixing the OG days of The Apprentice and Shark Tank with a little bit of MasterChef, Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars helps make people’s products a reality, but unlike Shark Tank, the journey features a bit more hands-on guidance. It’s not just about an investment at the end. It’s putting practical business experiences into actual business practice. Shark Tank is about the Sharks. Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars is about the contestants. Unlike Season 1, the second season began with a pitch, but from there, the contestants will engage in a cutthroat competition to make it to the top. Shark Tank could benefit from an on-camera business boot camp for some of their entrepreneurs.
Based on the British series of a similar name, Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars follows a group of contestants, with food product aspirations, as Gordon Ramsay puts them through a series of grueling challenges as he tests their business skills. Whether it’s selling beach food in the middle of a busy beach, hosting dueling charity events, creating and branding a new wine, or blending an iconic Las Vegas show with the titular hosts’ restaurant, Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars is one of the best and underrated series currently on TV. Each week, the winning team earns safety as the losing team gets grilled by Gordon Ramsay before he cuts someone from the competition. With $250,000 on the line and an investment on the line, the contestants are there to fight for the projects they believe in. Slightly twisted for its second season, Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars takes influences from other programs and does it exponentially better.
‘Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars’ Focuses on the Future
Premiering in May 2023, the 10-episode first season of Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars was the pre-summer show that should have been watched by everyone. Led by Gordon Ramsay in one of his many television projects, this series lacked a lot of the gusto that viewers are used to from the British celebrity chef. He’s not yelling to break someone down. Instead, he’s focusing on helping his group of entrepreneurs as they build their skills in the world of food and wine. Partially due to his investment being tied to the final prize, Gordon Ramsay took fans on an incredible journey of what his contestant’s lives could be should they earn his investment.
Borrowing elements from The Apprentice, Gordon splits the cast into teams as they tackle an assortment of practical tests that allow them each to learn things that may not be a part of their already established skill set. With the stakes exuberantly high, Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars is cutthroat. It mirrors reality. Sure, the individuals have been given a platform to get their name and their product out into the world, but knowing how much their future depends on this experience, expect some yelling, screaming, and finger pointing. No matter if they’re married with children or a young buck at the ripe age of 20, their desire to win was ever present. The fight was incredible to watch.
In its first season, Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars, which is an urgent binge-watch, the cast was pre-selected, jumping right into the heat of the competition. Week after week, the contestants would be randomly split up into teams to endure the daily task. How they were split up was never quite clear, but the show certainly exceeded the expectations in the drama department. Nothing was quite as juicy as the rivalry between Lan Ho and Caroline D’Amore, or Ashley Davies and her giant eyelashes. Gordon would bring them to various locales surrounding the base camp in Los Angeles in order for them to test the skills necessary for a successful business. He also brought in experts in the field to serve as secret shoppers in the various tasks. While some of the contestants may have had a background in the specific task, Gordon was longing for someone who could be well-rounded. In a way, the product was almost secondary. While Gordon Ramsay is the star of the show, his presence is seen only when necessary. By focusing on the contestants, the show focuses on the future.
Throughout the series, each contestant had a moment to highlight their product. What Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars shows is that you could have the most brilliant product or idea, but if you are not ready for the big leagues, Gordon will chop you — his name is attached to the winner and the product after all. The season ended with a gut-wrenching final challenge where the top three were off on their own, not only showcasing their product, but with the help of Gordon, expanding their company’s potential. For Chris Kanik, the ultimate winner of the season, he was tasked to improve the marketing element of Smart Cups as the product was already quite strong. For Caroline D’Amore, the former Los Angeles socialite, her Pizza Girl organic sauces were given a new edition in the form of frozen pizzas. Lan Ho’s Vietnamese coffee beans, Fat Milk, were given a bottled version. Each individual fought to win, but this final challenge allowed them to utilize every skill they learned and put it into practice. If Shark Tank wanted to invest this much in the individuals and products seen on their show, it could be even better, helping to invest audiences in the brands they invest in.
‘Shark Tank’ Could Learn Some Things From ‘Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars’
Shark Tank has been around since 2009, and it’s shown no signs of slowing down. In its 15 seasons, the show has essentially remained the same. The Sharks, led historically by some combination of Daymond John, Barbara Corcoran, Robert Herjavec, Kevin O’Leary, Mark Cuban, and Lori Greiner — with exciting additions like Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions appearing in later seasons — competing against one another as entrepreneurs pitch their product in hopes that one of the Sharks will invest in them. But fans are always excited when the Sharks say, “I’m out.” Portraying the real world pitch meeting, Shark Tank is straight to the point. The entrepreneurs either get the investment or they don’t. It becomes a revolving door of quick faces. There is no investment following the handshake.
For Season 2 of Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars, the beginning of the adventure has slightly changed. In addition to Gordon having a new rival, the season began with entrepreneurs having to pitch — just like Shark Tank. Hundreds of the best and brightest in the food and wine industry have to pitch to Gordon and Lisa for one of the seven spots on their team. They grill the entrepreneurs as they would on Shark Tank. For Lisa, she was very much a push-over, accepting individuals based on her heart. Meanwhile, Gordon took a more stringent approach. Like Shark Tank and The Voice, it’s then up to the contestant to pick which team they want to join if both Gordon and Lisa desire them.
In this new format, the products get their moment to shine before the entrepreneur is put through the gauntlet. While it’s yet to be seen officially, Season 2 should be expected to follow the team challenge format. The enjoyment of seeing Team Gordon and Team Vanderpump compete will maintain the high stakes, but also allow the individuals to grow and learn as a set team. Could you imagine Kevin O’Leary or Barbara Corcoran getting into the nitty-gritty, extending their knowledge into a format like this? Fans probably would love it, but as it stands now, Shark Tank is just not that program. Instead, Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars is doing what Shark Tank could have done from the start.
There is a sense of joy and excitement in the hope that Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars naturally has. Sure, some fans may be tuning in to see Gordon Ramsay rail on someone, causing them to break down. But that’s not this show; having real people fight for their dreams is at the core of this show. As much as Shark Tank has landed a place in reality television history and launched products we use today, it’s never going to quite hit the same now that Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars has occupied the slot they always needed. Shark Tank could create a spin-off that puts their investments to the test, maybe even branching out into a new generation of Sharks. Beyond the Tank is great and all, but it’s not quite the same. For now, Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars is must-see TV. Brava Gordon. You’ve done well.
Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars Season 2 airs every Wednesday at 9:00pm on Fox and is available to stream the next day on Hulu in the U.S.
