Philip Lee, who was head chef of Morgan’s restaurant in Liverpool, was filmed rowing with the celebrity chef in an episode of the Channel 4 show broadcast this week.

The 30-year-old, who was described as a "self-taught", was criticised for burning sausages and eventually replaced by his kitchen assistant.

It emerged that he was jailed last week for stealing cheques from a former employer - the trendy Viper Lounge bar in Warrington, Cheshire - and cashing them at a pawnbrokers.

Lee, from Anfield, admitted three charges of stealing cheques and three charges of obtaining a money transfer by deception.

He was sentenced at Liverpool Magistrates to three months imprisonment for each charge, to run concurrently.

John Carsfield, owner of the Viper Lounge, said: "We took him on as head chef but he started stealing cheques from the company book.

"He did small amounts at first but then he got bolder and we noticed something was wrong. He took about three and a half thousand pounds in total."

Mr Carsfield said he never wanted to see Lee again but did defend his cooking ability.

He said: "I haven’t seen the show yet but I’m surprised to hear that Gordon Ramsay criticised him for being a bad chef, because if there’s one thing he could do it was cook.

"But he’s still a thief and I’ll be happy if I never clap eyes on him again."

Gordon’s NY nightmare - Nov 23 2006
Gordon Ramsay has admitted the legendary impatience of New Yorkers is testing his new restaurant in the city.

The fiery Scot said staff at his first US establishment were finding it difficult to keep up with diners who wanted to finish their meals more swiftly than the British customers he is used to.

"I don’t think there’s the level of patience here as in London," Gordon told the New York Post.

"Last night we had customers in the bar who said they had to be out in 90 minutes, and we’re finding it difficult to get up to speed on that.

"Everyone arrived at 5.45 and they wanted to go somewhere else right away."

He said it was tough coming to a city with such exacting culinary standards where he was known only for his TV show Hell’s Kitchen, for which he revealed he was paid "a million dollars for three weeks".

With New York’s notoriously brutal food writers poised to give their verdict on the restaurant, Gordon Ramsay at the London, it is a nerve-wracking time for the chef.

"When I came through JFK, I buttoned up my bulletproof jacket," Gordon, 40, joked.

"I’m a serious chef, so the hard part is being known in New York before I actually run a restaurant.

He said he had told his kitchen staff before the restaurant opened: "All anyone wants to see you do is fail."

Gordon bites into Big Apple - Nov 18 2006
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s hotly-awaited first US restaurant finally opens to the public in New York.

The cook’s latest venture, at Manhattan’s new London NYC hotel, is already booked solid for dinner until the end of the year.

At Gordon Ramsay at The London just 45 diners at a time will be able to feast on dishes like lobster ravioli and langoustine carpaccio, while The London Bar will provide a more casual experience for 92 customers.

A three-course lunch at the restaurant will cost between 35 and 40 dollars for food, with dinner costing an average of 60 to 80 dollars - a relative bargain for fine dining in New York.

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