Gordon Ramsay plans two Italian openings in July

Gordon Ramsay Holdings (GRH) is to launch two new international ventures, with the opening of two restaurants in Italy next month.

GRH is set to launch a restaurant at the Castel Monastero hotel in Tuscany, as well as a second eaterie at the Forte Village resort in Sardinia.

The venture at the 75-bedroom Castel Monastero hotel will be a fine dining restaurant located in the property's courtyard. It will showcase "the best of Tuscan cuisine" and will be managed by GRH on a consultancy basis.

Castel Monastero, which is located 23km from Sienna, will also feature the Cantina Tuscan restaurant, housed in the 13th century cellar of the castle, as well as two bars and a tearoom.

Gordon Ramsay said: "Tuscany is world renowned for its food culture and it is a privilege to be a part of it. At Castel Monastero we will use the best produce the region has to offer, from its white truffles to its exceptional olive oil."

GRH's second Italian restaurant at Forte Village will also serve an Italian menu. The resort in southern Sardinia is set within 55 acres of pine forest and subtropical gardens near Cagliari.

Earlier this month, Ramsay publicly admitted for the first time that his restaurant business came close to collapse earlier this year.

The chef revealed that auditors at KPMG, who were called in by the Royal Bank of Scotland, had recommended putting GRH into administration after discovering that the business was losing millions of pounds on its overseas expansion plans.

The revelations highlight the motivation for GRH giving up control of its restaurants in Paris, Los Angeles and Prague to the hotels they are housed in.

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By Kerstin Kühn

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