Gordon Ramsay in front of a blue-gray background.

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Gordon Ramsay is known for many things, but gently relaying his opinion is not one of them. He once called a sweet pizza named the chocolate pig the most unappetizing dessert he had ever seen. Ramsay gained worldwide fame through his numerous television shows, including "Kitchen Nightmares" and "Hell's Kitchen," but some fans may be unaware of the fine dining background that molded him into the passionate — albeit highly critical — chef and mentor he is today. Ramsay recently shed light on part of the journey that's shaped him, divulging that the most challenging role in his career was his time working at Harveys restaurant in London.

In the first episode of the Netflix documentary series "Being Gordon Ramsay," Ramsay is shown driving and conversing with his adult daughter, Tilly, who asks him about the hardest kitchen job he has ever had. Ramsay answers that working at Harveys under the direction of its owner at the time, Marco Pierre White, was his toughest career experience. "I'll be honest, Marco's was brutal," Ramsay says, "but in an incredible way. The hardest 'cause I was learning the most."

Gordon Ramsay's mentor at Harveys was brilliant and brutal

Marco Pierre White prepping in Harveys restaurant kitchen

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As the scene in "Being Gordon Ramsay" unfolds, the chef, speaking with his daughter, Tilly, shares more insight into his time at Harveys, a Michelin-starred restaurant in London. He describes Chef Marco Pierre White as an artist when it came to preparing food, which made him an inspiring yet intimidating mentor to learn from. "He put food on a plate like no other," Ramsay said. "And so your fingers had to become so disciplined, and you had to follow quickly."

Ramsay then recalls the biggest error he made at Harveys. He improperly used a pasta machine and thus produced raviolis that were "too thick" for White's standard. He said White made him pay for the raviolis out of his own pocket. "I never made that mistake again," Ramsay said.

Ramsay's relationship with White eventually deteriorated (details from White's perspective are among the more negative words other chefs have to say about Gordon Ramsay). Bad blood aside, as was demonstrated in "Being Gordon Ramsay," his time spent at Harveys left a lasting impression.