Chef and Distiller

Diageo believes the grand alliance of Gordon Ramsay and Gordon's gin can help to drive growth in sales of the spirit in pubs and bars.

With the Gordon's brand sponsoring the Kitchen Nightmares TV series for the second year, Diageo is using its link-up with Ramsay to refresh the long-established Perfect Serve campaign.

The same mystery shopper team which monitors standards at Ramsay's restaurants will be visiting 6,000 pub and bars. Staff preparing a serving a gin & tonic to the required standard will be rewarded with a £20 on-the-spot cash prize.

A DVD featuring Ramsay making a gin & tonic is being sent out to pubs as a training aid. An ad campaign featuring Ramsay will appear in weekend magazine, as well as on poster sites in London and Scotland.

Kathy Sawtell, Diageo GB gins marketing manager, said: "We believe this partnership with Gordon Ramsay can drive on-trade sales of the gin category in pubs as a whole, not just of the Gordon's brand."

Ramsay said: "The partnership is a natural one for me, as the brand has the same exacting standards and dedication to unparalleled quality that I adhere to in my own professional life."

In his own pub, the Narrow, in Limehouse, London, Ramsay has been experimenting with gin as an ingredient, with the current menu at the Narrow featuring venison in a Gordon's marinade.

The pub is also recommending gin & tonic as a meal accompaniment. "Right across the summer, people have been drinking gin & tonics with starters, main courses and desserts," said Ramsay. "It goes really well with food."