Chef Gordon Ramsay Hit With Tax Debts

November 27, 2009 6:02 a.m. EST

London, England (CNS) - Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is in danger of losing two of his highly-rated eateries if he fails to pay his tax debts. U.K.'s HM Revenue and Customs asked the High Court for his restaurants as payment for his back taxes.

The 43-year-old TV chef, who owns over 20 diners in the U.S. and U.K., was handed a two-week reprieve to pay his debts relating to his Maze restaurant in Mayfair, London and his Plane Food joint in the Heathrow airport.

The tax agency originally petitioned for four restaurants, but the court dismissed the bid for two - The Narrow in Limehouse and The Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea - because debts had already been paid prior to the hearing.

Ramsay is known for starring in food-related competition shows, such as "Hell's Kitchen" and "Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares."