The Priory Kitchen Nightmares Update – Gordon Ramsay – Open or Closed?

Episode Recap

The Priory was a Haywards Heath, West Sussex restaurant featured on Season 5 of Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares in the UK. Though the The Priory Kitchen Nightmares episode aired in November 2007, the actual filming and visit from Gordon Ramsay took place much earlier in 2007. It was Episode 5 of Season 5 on the UK version.

The Priory is a restaurant located in Haywards Heath, West Sussex. The owner is Scott, who bought the restaurant only three weeks prior.

He was impressed with the beautiful building, which is a converted nineteenth-century convent.

However, Scott has no experience running a restaurant, which is why The Priory ended up on Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares.

When Gordon Ramsay arrives, he is amazed by the beauty of The Priory. The building really is fabulous and it’s such a unique space for a restaurant. Very cool.

However, the rest of the experience at The Priory doesn’t quite match the beautiful building.

The customers are of an older generation and use the half-off dining coupon.

To get the “normal” experience, Gordon uses a coupon and eats off the buffet line.

The potatoes he eats are burnt, and the turkey is dry.

Gordon then meets the general manager, Matt, who is also trained as a chef. 

Gordon finds spoiled meat and warm meat wrapped in cling film in the kitchen, which is a breeding ground for bacteria. If that meat were to be served, the customer could get very sick.

The Priory uses lots of frozen food. For example, their Yorkshire pudding sauces are all frozen.

Scott is clueless as to what is happening in the kitchen. Gordon wraps the kitchen in hazard tape to show Scott how poor the conditions are. 

Gordon uses the confessional to speak with the staff to find out what the real issues of the restaurant are.

The master chef has an idea to turn the restaurant into a grill with steaks and leave the carvery behind.

He also wants to ditch the coupons, as it’s just not a good long-term solution for attracting customers.

The staff is taken to a local farm and tested on cuts of beef. However, Scott is worried about the changes Gordon wants to make to The Priory. 

Dinner service includes local clergy members and the bishop of Sussex. They bless the meal before it begins.

Orders begin piling up, and customers are waiting hours for their meal.

Gordon closes the kitchen at midnight and leaves the kitchen feedback. He reminds them that they are a team and need to work together to ensure success. 

Gordon and the staff give out samples of steak sandwiches that the locals love as a marketing strategy.

The re-launch night has a much younger crowd and over 80 reservations.

Toby, the head chef, throws a tantrum, and Matt steps up as the head chef.

Gordon lets Matt know he was the key to the restaurant’s success at the end of the night. It’s always good to recognize hard work, so I’m glad that Gordon took the time to do this.