Thu 2 Apr 2026
What We’re Watching: Being Gordon Ramsay
Every now and then something pops up on our screens that feels like more than just entertainment. It becomes a bit of a masterclass.
Recently, that’s been Being Gordon Ramsay, which follows Chef Gordon Ramsay as he prepares to open his 100th restaurant inside 22 Bishopsgate. Five restaurants under one roof. A £20 million investment. And a six-month race to make it happen. What could possibly go wrong?!
It’s intense viewing – construction deadlines, operational pressure, menus being tested and retested. But what caught our attention wasn’t just the scale of the project. It was the way the entire build became part of the marketing.
Instead of holding everything back for a big reveal, the process was opened up early. Creators and food voices were invited onto the construction site months before opening – hard hats on, concrete floors still drying – sharing glimpses of the space as it slowly took shape. Rather than a finished product, audiences were introduced to the journey. People weren’t just waiting for opening night; they were already invested in the story.
The documentary itself becomes another layer of that build-up. Across six episodes, the audience sees the reality behind launching something at this scale: the delays, the last-minute decisions, the pressure on the team to deliver something exceptional. It’s not a perfectly polished narrative, and that’s exactly what makes it work. When people see the graft behind the scenes, the finished experience carries far more weight.
It also highlights something we see time and again in hospitality: momentum starts long before the doors open. Too often, the focus lands on launch week – the first Friday night, the opening party, the initial burst of attention. But the projects that really land are the ones that start building curiosity months earlier. When the story begins before the opening, demand follows naturally.
There’s also something powerful in how the series leans into the operational intensity of it all. Opening five venues at once inside one of London’s biggest buildings isn’t framed as effortless. Quite the opposite. The scale, discipline and complexity become part of the narrative. It reinforces authority, and quietly reminds the audience that quality doesn’t appear overnight.
Watching it play out is a reminder that the most successful launches rarely start on opening day. They begin months earlier – with stories unfolding, curiosity building, and people slowly being invited into the process.
It’s something we think about a lot at Meor. Whether it’s a new restaurant, a refreshed brand or an entirely new concept, the most exciting part is often shaping the story before the public ever walks through the door.
Because when that story is told well, opening night becomes the next chapter – not the beginning.