Ramsay is top of the hospitality profits list
Gordon Ramsay Holdings (GRH) is Britain's fastest-growing hospitality company, according to the Sunday Times annual Profit Track league table.
The restaurant group lies at number nine in the list of the country's 100 private companies with the fastest-growing profits, showing an annual growth of 103%.
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The report revealed that the celebrity chef's business has benefited from both a high media profile on the back of two reality TV series, Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares, and the opening of five new restaurants since 2001.
Profits rose from £516,000 in 2001 to £4.3m in 2004, although the company suffered a loss of £586,000 in 2003.
The most profitable of GRH's seven London restaurants remains Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's, with profits of £1.4m last year.
Another notable entry in this year's list was Japanese noodle bar chain Wagamama, which clocked in at number 66. The chain has enjoyed average profit increases of 53% a year from £1.3m in 2001 to £4.6m in 2004. The business was founded by Alan Yau in 1992, and there are now 30 Wagamama restaurants in the UK and 11 overseas franchises.
Food and drink manufacturers also made their mark, with Quorn producer Marlow Foods coming in at number 14 with profit increases of 86% a year from £1.1m in 2000 to £6.9m in 2003.
British Seafood, the frozen-seafood supplier, ranked number 17, with annual profit growth of almost 85%, while fruit juice supplier United Foods International came in at number 68 with 52.6% annual growth.
