It seems that Gordo has licked his wounds after his restaurant empire nearly imploded and is now ready to rise like the proverbial phoenix. The restaurateur believes he has identified two brands that have the potential for London and nationwide roll-out, according to Big Hospitality.

And the brands he has alighted on as his ‘next big thing’? Maze and Street Kitchen. The former Ramsay believes will export well to other London neighbourhoods, the latter to large regional towns and cities.

Certainly on our early days visit to Heddon Street Kitchen (just off Regent Street) in October last year we found perfectly competent food, but with prices seemingly inflated by its association with the Ramsay name. We’re not sure that will play well in the regions. And Bread Street Kitchen (near St Paul’s) has its attractions for expense-accounters, not least for “power breakfasts”; but the sweary one’s involvement “has led to inflated prices for some pretty basic fare”, according to our 2015 survey.

As for Maze (Mayfair), well, it has its fans who say the food is “first rate”. Some however find this upmarket steak and sushi spot “haphazard” and cost is again a sticking point with our reporters saying the pricing “just doesn’t make sense”. A sensible decision then to keep this particular brand within the confines of the M25.

This move towards expansion from the Ramsay restaurant group comes hot on the heels of a double launch for his maze Grill offering. Two new outposts opened in Chelsea within weeks of each other – one on the former site of Foxtrot Oscar at Royal Hospital Road on 12 May and the other at the one-time home of Aubergine in Park Walk on 22 April.