by Natasha Sheldon

Created on: January 19, 2009   Last Updated: November 23, 2010

Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver are two of Britain's top celebrity chefs. With a string of restaurants, awards and media credits to their names, they demonstrate how a successful career can be forged whatever your age or education. All you need is the drive and determination to succeed.

Gordon Ramsay

Gordon Ramsay's irascible kitchen style has made him a household name on both sides of the Atlantic in TV shows such as 'Hell's

Kitchen' and 'The F Word'. He is also the head of a successful culinary business with a string of successful restaurants world wide. Ramsey is also one of  only three chefs in Britain to maintain a 3 star Michelin rating for his restaurants,

Cooking was not Ramsay's initial career choice. At 15, he was chosen to play for Glasgow Rangers but his promising football career was cut short at 19 by a knee injury. Undeterred, he redirected his energies into cookery. He successfully completed a course in hotel management before serving his culinary apprenticeship in the kitchens of Marco Pierre White and Albert Roux in London.

Key to Ramsay's success is his dedication to perfection. This could account for his often foul mouthed intolerance for those who do not meet his standards. But there is no doubt that Ramsay's approach has brought him success. With a clutch of best selling books to his name and his eponymous named 'Gordon Ramsay's' celebrating 10 successful years, Ramsay's business is booming.

Jamie Oliver

At 33, Jamie Oliver is a multi millionaire restaurateur, food writer and popular celebrity chef, well known in fifty countries. He is also the philanthropic mouthpiece for various campaigns aiming to improve food standards and promote cookery in the UK.

Jamie left school with few formal qualifications because of his struggle with dyslexia. This did not hinder his ambitions for a career in catering. After attending Westminster College, he served his apprenticeship in the kitchens of Antonio Carluccio and the River Cafe in London. It was here that his TV potential was discovered. Filmed giving a brief demonstration for a documentary, his enthusiasm brought him to the attention of producers and his first TV show The Naked Chef' quickly followed

Jamie's success is not only down to the easygoing charm that has led him to be associated with cool cookery. Good ingredients and high food standards are his driving passions, which lead him to inspire others. He has invested his own money in projects such as The Fifteen Foundation, a London based charity which aims to give disadvantaged young people the chance to become professional chefs. He is also at the forefront of campaigns to improve the general diets of the population. In Britain , he has led a controversial campaign to improve the meals offered by schools. He also tries to encourage the populace in general that a good home cooked meal is within everyone's reach.

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