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Soccer legend Christine Sinclair joins Chef Gordon Ramsay to celebrate the Grand Opening

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RICHMOND, British Columbia — Culinary icon and multi-Michelin-starred chef Gordon Ramsay made a grand entrance into Vancouver’s dining scene with the official opening of Gordon Ramsay Steak at River Rock Casino Resort Friday night. The waterfront restaurant welcomed approximately 200 VIP guests to an unforgettable evening, marking the official Grand Opening of Chef Ramsay’s first fine dining restaurant in Canada. The partnership with Great Canadian Entertainment was announced in 2023, with the popular and more casual Gordon Ramsay Burger opening at Great Canadian Vancouver in December 2023, before construction on the highly anticipated steakhouse was complete.

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Since taking its first reservations just a few short weeks ago, the 266-seat Gordon Ramsay Steak – the centrepiece of a reimagined lobby at River Rock Casino Resort – has been met with rave reviews. With a dining experience that seamlessly blends Ramsay’s culinary excellence with breathtaking waterfront views, it has quickly become a must-visit destination for delighted diners.

Great Canadian Entertainment CEO Matthew Anfinson and Canadian soccer legend Christine Sinclair joined Chef Ramsay for a ribbon-cutting ceremony prior to the red carpet. During a champagne toast, which included welcome remarks from Anfinson and Chief Wayne Sparrow of the Musqueam Indian Band, Sinclair presented Ramsay with a Team Canada soccer jersey and a scarf from the brand-new Vancouver Rise women’s soccer team of the Northern Super League.

He immediately endeared himself to the 200 invited guests, acknowledging Canada’s Four Nations Cup overtime win, and praising his entire local 150-person team. “Getting to spend time with the chefs, the front of house, back of house, receptionists, waiters… the passion and the desire that’s running this restaurant is just extraordinary,” said Ramsay. “Chefs depend on their brigades, we’re only as good as our brigades, so thank you.”

“I’m blessed to confirm that 85% of our ingredients are sourced locally,” said Ramsay to massive applause. “That’s quite rare. I fell in love with Richmond and Vancouver BC over 20 years ago, and this whole area blew my mind. So, on behalf of the entire Gordon Ramsay team, from Vegas to London to Richmond, it’s very special to be here, and now it’s my turn to help continue this legacy and respect the ground it’s been built on.”

The evening began when Chef Ramsay, alongside Anfinson and Sinclair hosted a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony. After entering the party, he graciously spent time meeting the guests, taking photos and encouraging them to try the restaurant’s specialties.

Guests indulged in an exquisite menu featuring Ramsay’s signature dishes, including Beef Wellington, Miso Glazed Sablefish and Tuna Tartare, a tower of fresh seafood including lobster, crab and oysters displayed in a massive ice sculpture, alongside expertly crafted cocktails. Among the highlights was the cheekily named “Notes from Gordon”, a cocktail served with a rolled-up note featuring a punchy message from Chef Ramsay. Dessert naturally included his signature Sticky Toffee Pudding.

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During a brief ceremony to officially inaugurate the restaurant, Ramsay led a champagne toast and was joined by Chief Sparrow, City of Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie, Anfinson and Sinclair.

“This process started about three years ago. Gordon Ramsay has 88 restaurants around the world, and we thought, “why not give Canada a shot? And here we are today,” said Anfinson.

“As a kid growing up just 15 minutes from here, kicking a soccer ball around, this was definitely not on my bingo card,” said Sinclair. “I am a very proud Canadian. My Canadian roots, my Vancouver roots run deep. So, Gordon, thank you for choosing to open your first fine dining restaurant here in my backyard in Richmond. Welcome to the lower mainland of BC.”

While presenting a Team Canada soccer jersey to Ramsay, she quipped, “I’m sorry that it’s not Chelsea Blue, it’s more of a Liverpool red,” teasing him about his well-known reverence for the Chelsea Football Team.

She went on to proudly remind everyone that Canada is about to launch its first ever women’s professional soccer league, and after presenting him with one of the first official team scarves, invited Ramsay to join her for the opening match on April 16, and promised she would bring the team for dinner at Gordon Ramsay Steak afterwards.

Earlier in the day, Chef Ramsay made a memorable journey on the Canada Line and praised the ease of travel between downtown Vancouver and River Rock, with the Bridgeport Station conveniently located on-site. At lunchtime, Ramsay hosted a fun and interactive burger making competition for eight lucky guests at Great Canadian Casino Vancouver.

Throughout the day, Chef Ramsay spent time in the kitchens with his teams, ensuring every menu item and service met the restaurant’s elevated standards.

Gordon Ramsay Steak is open for dinner daily from 5:00 PM. Reservations are recommended and available via OpenTable. For more information, please visit grsteak.ca or follow River Rock Casino Resort on Instagram and Facebook.

About River Rock Casino Resort

Located along the scenic Fraser River, River Rock Casino Resort is British Columbia’s premier gaming and entertainment destination. Home to the newly opened Gordon Ramsay Steak, the first fine dining restaurant in Canada from Michelin-starred chef and television personality Gordon Ramsay, the resort offers an unparalleled culinary experience alongside world-class gaming and live entertainment. With thrilling casino action featuring 1,150 slots and e-tables, over 80 live table games, live racebook, poker room, nearly 400 hotel rooms, a tranquil spa, and exceptional service, River Rock continues to set the standard for hospitality in the region.

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About Great Canadian Entertainment

Founded in 1982, Great Canadian Entertainment is Canada’s premier gaming and hospitality company with gaming, entertainment, hospitality and resort facilities in Ontario, British Columbia, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.

Committed to investing in and offering opportunity to those in the communities in which it operates, Great Canadian supports over 1,400 charitable and non-profit organizations across Canada under its PROUD program; “PROUD of our people, our business, our community”. A significant portion of gross gaming revenue from Great Canadian’s gaming facilities is retained by Crown partners on behalf of their provincial governments for the purpose of supporting programs that benefit healthcare, education, and social services in Canada. To learn more, please visit greatcanadian.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or X.

About Gordon Ramsay North America

Gordon Ramsay North America comprises the U.S. and Canada restaurant business of acclaimed chef, restaurateur, TV personality and author Gordon Ramsay. The company currently has restaurants across Las Vegas, New York City, Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago, Connecticut, Indiana, Orlando, North Carolina, Atlantic City, Baltimore, Lake Tahoe, Kansas City, Miami, Oklahoma City, Lake Charles, and Vancouver, several of which are in partnership with Caesars Entertainment.

The group is scaling dining concepts as the company taps into several of Gordon Ramsay’s successful U.S. and international key brands including Gordon Ramsay HELL’S KITCHEN, Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay, Ramsay’s Kitchen, Gordon Ramsay Steak, Gordon Ramsay Burger, Gordon Ramsay Street Pizza, and Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips.

Including Gordon Ramsay’s North America restaurants, there are 60 international restaurants, in the Gordon Ramsay Restaurants portfolio world-wide and 34 in the UK. To date Gordon Ramsay holds a total of 8 Michelin stars, including the flagship Restaurant Gordon Ramsay which has held 3 Michelin stars for over 20 years.

For more information, please visit https://www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com.

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Contacts

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Naomi Strasser or Hannah Rastrick
naomi@aerialpr.com | hannah@aerialpr.com

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