Gordon Ramsay graciously helps short-staffed lunch lady feed 300 hungry kids

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has gained a reputation for his temper on his reality television shows. However, off-screen, it turns out that he is quite the sweetheart. When a short-staffed lunch lady called into a radio show while he was being interviewed and requested his aid, the 16 Michelin star chef sprung into action. With his help, kitchen manager Tina Clarke was able to feed 300 hungry children at her school. The news of Ramsay's gesture of kindness caused a "buzz" at the Edward Peake Middle School in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom, with more children visiting the cafeteria than ever before, BBC News reports.

The celebrity chef was on the newest BBC TV show, "Future Food Stars" and on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show. Clarke phoned in and told the presenter, Vernon Kay, that she was "cooking on her own here" at Edward Peake Middle School in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire.

She asked, "I'm cooking here on my own, I work in a school kitchen and my chef has gone off sick and I have another one off with COVID, and I just wondered if Gordon would help me today and give me a hand?" Unfortunately, Ramsay could not make it to the town in time. But despite his tight schedule, he lent a helping hand.

He responded: "If I did have the time I would be in Bedfordshire, I promise you in a heartbeat, I can send a chef if you wish?" The kitchen manager was a tad surprised but took Ramsay up on the "lovely" offer almost instantly. As per Ramsay's instructions, one of his cooks, Rob Roy Cameron, went to the school to support the culinary team.

Clarke wasn't expecting him to send in one of his chefs, and she became concerned she may get in trouble. "When I got a message saying your chef will be with you in an hour, I thought, 'Oh my God, I'm going to have to fess up to the head and I hope she doesn't give me detention or lines,'" she explained. "Everyone went, 'What have you done?'"

Lucky for her, headteacher Linington allowed the chef into the kitchen, which "sent a huge buzz around the school, it was brilliant," she noted. Chef Cameron was put to work straight away, making some delicious cauliflower cheese for the school. "I'm sure he was terrified by having three menopausal women around him in the kitchen all day," the headteacher joked. "The kids were so excited."

To Cameron's shock, he was not allowed to use salt. Despite that setback, Linington confirmed that his food tasted "amazing." Kitchen manager Clarke stated, "We've never had so many visitors [in the kitchen]." In addition to thanking him and chef Ramsay, she expressed her gratitude toward her loyal staff Andrea, Mandy, Sharon and Louise. As it turns out, Ramsay is not just king of the kitchen, but indeed he is the king of kindness as well.