Talk about a chip off the ol’ butcher block. Having grown up with one of TV’s top chefs, Tilly Ramsay is carving herself a path a bit sweeter than her notoriously salty father Gordon Ramsay, by way of Dish It Out, a delightfully approachable cooking show-slash-class. “With something like cooking, you’re never done learning, as my dad says,” notes the recent culinary school grad and TikTok fave. “There are so many cuisines and techniques, and it’s also about finding your own style within that.”
Earlier this year, the elder Ramsay told TV Guide Magazine that he was bursting with pride that his “powerhouse” offspring had begun her formal training. “Finally, out of six kids, we have one that’s desperate to follow my footsteps,” he said of Tilly, who has previously popped up on his shows as a guest judge. “I think it’s important she find her own way first. She’s just come back from culinary school in Ireland, studying like mad. But it is a bit of a kick in the bollocks when she doesn’t want to be trained by me, though.”
“Growing up around food has been the best thing in terms of just constantly learning,” notes Tilly, who admits that her homegrown experiences only added to her studies. “I don’t feel like I had to unlearn anything, [but] there were a few things that I’ve learned that can’t really be short-cut. Spending the time to prep is really important. And I think everyone has their own style…I went home just before I had my six-week exams — they were technique exams — and I was showing my dad the technique. He was like, ‘No, no, no, that’s all wrong!’ And I was like, ‘No, no, no, there’s no wrong. There’s just different ways.’ And I think that comes through on the show as well.”
Jeannie Mai and Tilly Ramsay (Prime Video)
Mixing an infectious ebullience with a dash of surprise, each episode finds Ramsay guiding celeb guests like Gillian Jacobs (Community), Jeannie Mai (Raid the Cage), beauty influencer Patricia Bright, and, yes, even her own parents through themed dishes served with a side of indispensable tips (you will never boil potatoes the same way!). And not everything turns out perfectly, which is sort of the idea, Ramsay admits. “That was what was so nice, having so many different, incredibly talented people in the kitchen with me. And some were amazing chefs who were teaching me and I was teaching them the little things I know. And that was really cool because I hope it shows everyone that nothing is too scary or too challenging. I mean, I’m guilty of looking at recipes online and being like, ‘Oooh, that looks hard.’ But actually being able to watch it being broken down and watching people teach each other, I think, is a really special thing.”
Gillian Jacobs and Tilly Ramsay (Prime Video)
So what advice would she dish out to an apprehensive home cook? “I would say just go for it. The style of food that I love cooking is fun and family orientated. I love when it’s relatable and when people feel like ‘I can do that as well.’”
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As for her dad’s wishes to work together, the effervescent chef wants to make sure she can make the cut. “I absolutely love what he does. I think he does it so incredibly well….but it’s important that I get experience before. He’s got some amazing restaurants where I would only dream to be a part of the kitchen, but I’d love to find my feet and get that experience in the industry before that.”
Dish It Out, Premiere, Friday, September 5, Prime Video
