Nature, Legacy and Elevation: A conversation with Executive Head Chef James Goodyear, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay High
- James Massoud
- Oct 9
- 6 min read
At the UK’s highest Chef’s Table, Executive Head Chef James Goodyear brings a fresh vision to the Gordon Ramsay legacy, one rooted in nature, simplicity and respect for the land. Drawing on his early years in the Warwickshire countryside and a remarkable career spanning Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Mugaritz and Maaemo, Goodyear’s menu at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay High is both grounded and ethereal; classic French foundations reimagined through Nordic and Japanese lenses. The Knife sat down with him to discuss nature’s role in his cooking, honouring one of Britain’s most iconic restaurant legacies, and finding creative freedom above the London skyline.
Growing up surrounded by farmland clearly shaped your relationship with ingredients. How do those early connections to nature continue to influence the way you cook today at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay High?
I’ve always had a real passion for nature and wildlife, and just being outside. That’s where my connection to food comes from. My inspiration often comes while I’m out in the woods, fishing, or by the coast. For me, that’s how I stay grounded and creative. Every chef connects to food differently: some love the act of feeding people, others thrive on community. For me, it’s always been about nature; the produce itself and the respect it deserves. That passion has been there since I was young.
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay High carries an incredible legacy while introducing a new chapter for the brand. How do you balance honouring that heritage while also weaving in your own influences?
It’s an incredible opportunity – and a privilege – to carry that legacy forward. I’ve followed Gordon’s career for years, and before stepping into this role, I spent six months training at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay on Hospital Road with Matt Abé and Gordon himself. Everything we do here stems from that foundation: the recipes, the suppliers, the discipline. But Gordon’s given me the freedom to express myself and bring in influences from my own experiences abroad. So while everything remains rooted in the DNA of Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, there’s room for evolution and that’s very special.
There’s an undeniable theatrical element to this restaurant, even before a plate is served. How does the physical setting influence the way you design and present your dishes?
The location is extraordinary. Honestly, we’ve already won before the guests sit down: they step out of the lift, see the view, and it’s "wow." What’s unique here is that, unlike most Chef’s Tables where guests face the kitchen, ours face the London skyline. Their chairs swivel so they can look back at us cooking, but the main view is the city itself. That means they get the best of both worlds: the spectacle of the skyline and the performance of the kitchen. Our job is to make sure the food and service live up to that view, that the memory people take home isn’t just of the height, but of the experience.
You’ve spoken about celebrating ingredients in their purest form. Which dish on the current menu best embodies that philosophy?
We’ve just been serving a beautiful fig dessert that really captures that idea. Figs are at their peak right now, so we’re gently poaching and candying them to bring out their natural sweetness, then pairing them with a light parfait made with fermented rice to add a subtle savoury balance. We finish it simply with a sauce made from the fig leaves – a full-circle expression of the fruit and tree. It’s about purity, restraint, and allowing the ingredient to shine.
Your time at Maaemo exposed you to foraging and preservation techniques. Which of those traditions have stayed with you, and how do they show up on the menu today?
Those experiences gave me flexibility. Over the summer, for example, we’ve been preserving berries and buds to use later in the year – techniques I picked up in Scandinavia. Right now, we’re working on some fermentations inspired by my time in Korea. I wouldn’t say my food is defined by any one tradition, but I’m able to call on different influences when they make sense. It’s about knowing which techniques to use, when, and why.
How do you integrate that Nordic precision and Japanese subtlety into a restaurant so deeply rooted in French tradition?
The beauty of this kitchen is that we’re not bound by strict rules. In Scandinavia, for example, everything must be local, which breeds creativity, but also limits you. Here, we’re rooted in modern French cuisine, but it’s lighter and more open. I can draw from Nordic, Japanese, or other influences where they genuinely enhance a dish. The key is delicacy – knowing when to use something to elevate rather than distract.
At Evelyn’s Table, intimacy and performance were central to the experience. How has that shaped your approach to leading the team at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay High?
Working in such an open kitchen at Evelyn’s Table completely changed how I approach service. When you’re on show 100% of the time, you have to prepare differently; not to make things easier, but to create space for connection. Here, we prepare meticulously so that during service we can focus on engaging with guests, presenting dishes, and sharing the story behind them. Not every chef is comfortable being in front of people, so part of my role has been guiding the team to feel at ease in that environment. It’s performance, but it’s genuine – it’s hospitality in its purest form.
You’ve trained under some of the world’s most influential chefs. Which philosophies from those kitchens do you carry with you today?
Le Manoir was a massive influence. I started there young and became sous chef at 21, managing people much older and more experienced than me. That early leadership experience was invaluable. It taught me that cooking is just one part of being a chef: managing, nurturing, and guiding your team is just as important. Since then, I’ve observed every head chef I’ve worked under not just for their food, but for how they lead. You take the best parts from each of them and build your own approach from that.
Do you still bring foraging into your work today, and how does the British landscape inspire your creativity?
Being in central London makes hands-on foraging tricky, but I still find inspiration outdoors: walking through Richmond Park or visiting the coast. We also work closely with foragers like The Wild Room, who source incredible produce for us. I think foraging can be overdone if it’s used for the sake of it, but when it’s authentic and adds value, it’s wonderful. It’s all about balance – understanding when a foraged ingredient genuinely enhances a dish rather than limiting it.
Your cooking blends French roots with Nordic and Japanese influences. How do you find harmony between such different culinary philosophies?
It’s about shared values. French and Japanese cuisines both revolve around respect for product and balance of flavour. The methods might differ – one uses reductions, the other infusions – but the goal is the same: purity and flavour. So rather than clashing, they actually complement one another beautifully when applied with understanding.
How are you addressing sustainability in your sourcing, and do you feel fine dining has a responsibility to lead the way?
Absolutely. Chefs at this level care deeply about their produce, their suppliers, and the environment. We work with trusted suppliers who share that mindset, people who care about how animals are raised and how ingredients are grown. Sustainability isn’t a box-tick; it’s part of how we cook now. I think the industry as a whole is naturally moving in the right direction, which is really encouraging.
You’ve had an extraordinary journey across cuisines and continents. What do you see as the next evolution for your cooking at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay High?
We’re still a young restaurant – we opened in February – but the team’s in a great place. There’s a real sense of collaboration, with everyone contributing ideas and creativity. Serving just twelve guests a night gives us time to refine, experiment and evolve. Gordon’s incredibly involved too, always checking in, sharing thoughts and inspiration from his travels. It’s a continuous journey of progression. I don’t know exactly where we’ll be in a year’s time, but that’s the exciting part – it’s all about growth.
