Pale imitation: when does a culinary tribute become a patronising pastiche?

Angela Hui's disparaging review of Gordon Ramsay's Lucky Cat pop-up has opened up a debate for restaurateurs when it comes to a white chef cooking the cuisine of another culture or country. Andy Lynes investigates

Gordon Ramsay is in hot water, again. If you've followed his career over the past quarter of a century, this will come as no surprise. You might be tempted to dismiss the latest controversy as just another in a long line of storms in teacups, that have included using Granny Smith apples at a demo to promote Bramleys and swearing too much on the telly. This time, however, Ramsay has become a lightning rod for something far more serious: the debate around cultural appropriation, an issue, it is becoming increasingly clear, that every chef and restaurateur needs to understand.