London, June 9 : Michelin-starred chef Gordon Ramsay has hired a specialist team of Brexit negotiators to tackle rising food costs at his restaurant empire, the media reported on Friday.
The restaurateur, who runs some of Britain's top dining destinations including London's Savoy Grill and Petrus, is concerned about the fastest rise in food prices in three years, reports te Guardian.
Accounts filed at Companies House for the chef's subsidiary firm, Gordon Ramsay Holdings, sets out urgent action taken by the chain to cap food costs. It has recruited a buying team to negotiate cheaper prices across the group as the cost of imported ingredients spirals because of a weak pound.
The firm also blamed concerns over recruiting staff and is worried about uncertainty over the economy.
The small group of buyers will haggle with suppliers to drive down the cost of ingredients across the group's chain of 31 restaurants.
A spokesperson for Ramsay said the arrival of the new buying team was aimed at preventing prices from rising for customers.
"The business model is aimed at avoiding regular and reactionary price changes to customers (to avoid) passing on inflationary and currency pressures," the Guardian quoted the spokesperson as saying.
"For example, the biggest currency exposure is on buying wine so we are working on our supply chain in order to mitigate the impact of fluctuations in sterling. This includes sourcing wines from around the world and using purchasing power better."
According to the British Retail Consortium, food prices rose 1 per cent over the past 12 months to March - the fastest rise in three years. The price of everyday goods rose by 2.3 per cent.
The pound has fallen 13 per cent against the dollar since the Brexit vote last June.
