Gordon Ramsay slammed after laying off 500 staff members due to coronavirus (Picture: Getty)

Gordon Ramsay has been slammed for laying off more than 500 staff members amid the coronavirus crisis.

The celebrity chef was forced to briefly shut down a string of his restaurants due to the global health scare, after pubs and restaurants were ordered to close.

And the 53-year-old summoned his staff to a meeting where they learned their contracts would be terminated – reportedly leaving many in tears.

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They were later sent an email explaining they would be paid up to 17 April, giving them the option to appeal the decision.

After the dad-of-five – who is thought to be worth around £140million – failed to guarantee they would retain their jobs when the restrictions lift, chef Anca Toropu has blasted his decision.

Gordon’s staff members were fuming over his decision (Picture: PA)

‘All of us have worked so hard for Gordon Ramsay and he has just got rid of us when we needed his support the most,’ she told MailOnline.



‘Many of the staff were left in tears at the way he has treated us. There was no warning. We were summoned to a meeting and told our contracts were being terminated. It was so brutal.

‘Staff from each of the restaurants were summoned to the Heddon Street restaurant where they were given the news. It was so awful and so many were in tears.’

Anca also lashed out at her former boss on social media, claiming he treated staff like ‘pieces of s**t’.

Gordon is thought to be worth around £140million (Picture: Getty)

‘Such a shame to see how the company that you worked for and gave everything you had for 2 years throw you away like you are nothing but a little piece of s***, specially in difficult times like this even though they have absolutely nothing to lose by keeping you,’ the chef de partie fumed.

‘And I’m not taking about one person here, over 500 people lost their jobs yesterday so all I can say is thank you @gordongram @gordonramsayrestaurants I hope you sleep well at night knowing that so many people doesn’t have a job in this difficult time because of you.’

Gordon has yet to speak publicly over the claims, which come just hours after he confirmed the closures on Instagram.

Heaping praise on his staff, he shared a statement on Instagram, which read: ‘To all our Gordon Ramsay family, friends and colleagues. In this time of great uncertainty, we hope that you all are looking out for each other and staying as safe as possible.

‘As the situation changes daily our focus has to be on the health and safety of our employees, guests and community and to do our part in slowing the spread of the virus, from Saturday 21 March 2020, all our restaurants will temporarily close.

‘Whilst we don’t know when we will re-open, what we do know is by supporting each other through this terribly challenging time, we will come through this stronger than ever!

‘Huge love and thanks to our amazing staff across the restaurants for all their passion and support,’ he concluded.

‘I truly hope we are all back together very soon.’

A spokesman for Gordon Ramsay Restaurants added to the publication: ‘Gordon Ramsay Restaurants is continuing to work tirelessly in exceptional, unprecedented, global circumstances to ensure that as many employees as possible are being retained by the business.



‘We are no different from any other restaurant/retail business large and small in the UK and around the world responding to the current crisis.

‘We welcome greatly and fully support all the initiatives introduced by Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak in particular the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme which is still being refined.

‘We continue to work closely with our landlords, government agencies and all third party suppliers associated with the business through these very challenging times.’

Metro.co.uk has contacted Gordon’s reps for a comment.

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