(keep reading to learn what happened)
Season: UK | View All Season UK Episodes
Original Episode Air Date: April 27, 2004
Bonapartes Address: 46 Kirkgate, Silsden, Keighley BD20 0AL, United Kingdom
Episode Recap
Bonapartes was a Silsden, England restaurant that was the first restaurant ever featured on Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. Though the Bonapartes Kitchen Nightmares episode aired in April 2004, the actual filming and visit from Gordon Ramsay took place much earlier in 2004. It was Episode 1 of Season 1 on the UK version.
Bonapartes is located in Silsden, England, and is owned by Sue Ray. The executive chef is Tim Gray.
Sue has had many jobs, but she is new to the restaurant business.
The restaurant only opened one year ago, but it is already struggling and in need of help from Gordon Ramsay and his show.
Tim Gray was a dishwasher, but he begged Sue for the job after difficulty filling it.
Tim has very high ambitions. He thinks he is very close to making it big in London as Gordon has.
His goal is to be a famous TV chef.
Gordon sends out Tim to bring in customers to watch a dinner service.
Tim only manages to bring in eleven guests, even with the promise of a free meal. That is how bad the reputation of Bonapartes is at the time of Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares.
Gordon watches Tim as he cooks and quickly notices he has no respect for the kitchen.
Tim is very sloppy and throws food everywhere as he cooks.
It takes over thirty minutes for the starters to get to their customers.
The main course is served without vegetables, and the ravioli is burnt.
Sue lacks leadership skills, and the kitchen is a health hazard.
Gordon goes to inspect the kitchen and finds rotten scallops that were served. Tim says he served them because he doesn’t know when scallops go bad.
Gordon begins retching and gets food poisoning after tasting the rancid scallops.
The kitchen is in a disgusting state, as you probably could guess from the previous scene with Gordon’s food poisoning.
There is also no concept or theme to the restaurant. They have an odd blend of live entertainment options.
One of the staff members tells Gordon a wine bar opened up the block and has been booked every night since they opened.
Gordon goes to meet Sue at her home and tells her that she needs to change her attitude for the restaurant to succeed.
She promises to change and believes that Gordon Ramsay can help Bonapartes.
Tim and Gordon go out onto the street for a challenge.
Gordon’s beef and ale pie vs. Tim’s scallop and black pudding dish. The public loves Gordon’s pie. The locals also say they don’t eat in Bonapartes because it is too expensive.
Gordon challenges the chefs to cook omelets.
Omelets are the easiest dish to make and the first one they teach in cooking school.
Despite that, both chefs fail, which is obviously pretty embarrassing.
Gordon takes Tim to get fresh produce which is cheaper than where he buys it.
Gordon challenged Tim once more to cook a meal for four under 20 Pounds.
Tim fails miserably, but since the family, he cooked for is his, they’re very polite about it.
There are issues with the food getting out in time during the relaunch, but it overall was a success.
Tim’s grandparents were at Bonaparte’s for the relaunch celebrating their 44th anniversary.
Bonapartes Update - What Happened Next?
When Gordon revisits Bonapartes a couple of months later, he finds out that Tim has been written up twice. He is eventually fired by the end of the show.
Sue spoke out, saying she was very bitter about the experience. Gordon returns to Silsden to see her, but Sue declined an on-camera interview with Gordon.
The Bonapartes owners also wrote a lengthy diatribe against Gordon Ramsay alleging that he and the Kitchen Nightmares crew faked some scenes, most notably the dirty kitchen.
However, this turned out to backfire against them because they lost a libel lawsuit over their claims.
Gordon and his production crew received £75,000 in damages and an apology from the London Evening Standard, which is where the article was published.
Is Bonapartes from Kitchen Nightmares still open?
Bonapartes closed in 2005, shortly after the Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares episode aired. If you watched the episode, this is really no surprise given the sorry state of the food and hygiene.
As of 2022, the old Bonapartes location in Silsden seems to be occupied by residential apartments rather than a business. There’s also a hair salon next door to the location.
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Last updated: 2022-01-05 06:15
Great episode. Gordon Ramsay couldn’t spell it out any clearer for all of them to understand what needed to be done. No one was grateful for any of his help at all. The cleanliness and hygiene was horrifying.
Watching your program series has opened my eyes to dining out; I avoid it as much as possible.
Ugh, same. For a decade and a half now. I have my 3 trusted restaurants. If I travel it is a friend at the destination who knows the place. Sad but true. I cook better than 80% of restaurants due to Gordon.
Ave just watched the program and I think sue should ave sacked tim a long time ago and most of it was his doing so I think he should cough up some of the bill I really hope sue finds light at the end of the tunnel as for Tim and his sidekick should just stick to washing up or cleaning the street …Good luck to you sue
Sadly, Sue didn’t. Bonaparte’s failed over 15 years ago, buddy. This episode inspired me to take charge and cook for myself. I eat out occasionally but only at trusted restaurants. Look for the dirt… You will find it. I only trust the places I know who handle food properly.
I have just re-watched this episode and it’s painfully obvious the root cause of the restaurant’s demise was the owner, Sue. She was so far out of her depth with no leadership skills whatsoever, and should have been ashamed of herself for allowing her kitchen to get into the dangerous state it did. She effectively employed inexperienced kids and failed to supervise them. It’s all the more galling that she chose to blame everyone but herself and tried to sue Ramsay and the production team, I suspect more out of hope and desperation than reasoned thought. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.
I agree. For her to sue him is low. Especially when nobody else cared if she was successful or not.
The problem was that even though Tim begged for the head chef job and got it, he also stayed on as the dishwasher and was too busy doing both jobs.
Her kitchen and restaurant reflected her personal hygiene. She had no smarts to run a bath, much less a restaurant. She hired crappy people that saw what her vulnerabilities were (hygiene) and they did as little as possible to collect their checks. They all ran the place into the ground as a team effort. Lazy dirty people who had no love for their customers or their cooking arts.
If she was smart restaurant was a no go 🙂 kitchen was good for some fastfood more focus on drank and apatides was good… 🙂 doesnt need chefs on that degree
I’ve …just…rewatched…dis …n …that …Tim …was…useless…Neva …even …made …a …omelette…b4…wtf …he…aint…no…chief…dint…ay …a…clue…Neva …known …owt …like…it…wat…a…joke…he …is … loool ….a…Monkey…cud…do…beta…n …dat …manky…scollop…dam…lool n as …for …sue …she…was…obvs…embarrassed…n …ashamed…n so…she…should…be…felt …sorry …for…our …Gordon …. XxX…
No one ever listens to Ramsay. Though they are the ones who asked for his help
kids didn’t have Bascic skills crap food nice place me a chef 50 yrs
Here before Stendhal