http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24940839-2902,00.htmlCELEBRITY chef Gordon Ramsay has retained his place at the top of the food chain despite a turbulent start to the New Year.
Ramsay's self-titled London restaurant has kept its three stars in the 2009 Michelin Guide to Great Britain and Ireland.
He remains one of only three British chefs with the top rating after the dining bible made no change to its list of triple-star eateries.
The new guide provides some rare good news for Ramsay, who was last year battered by allegations of affairs and is fighting fires on a series of other fronts.
This week it was revealed he had failed to lodge accounts for his multi-million dollar business empire - for a second year.
Companies House has fined Ramsay $3200 over the breach, in which his accounts are five months late.
He faces bigger fines and court action if he continues to flout the law.
"Any business that misses the deadline for filing its accounts is automatically fined, or prosecuted," a Companies House spokesman said.
"Persistent offenders risk having their companies struck off or being prosecuted."
Ramsay was in hot water last year because his 2006 accounts were 16 months late, but a court computer glitch allowed him to escape prosecution.
The business is run by father-in-law, Chris Hutcheson, who owns almost a third of Gordon Ramsay Holdings.
In another potential nightmare for the star chef, due to open a Melbourne outlet next year, his worldwide network of restaurants and pubs are facing the challenge of the global economic downturn.
He has started offering cut-price vouchers and has drastically reduced the opening hours of his Foxtrot Oscar restaurant in London because of a lack of patrons.
Another of his pubs, the York and Albany in north London, has come under fire for charging diners $65-per-person deposit to book a table.
The father of four is also still recovering from allegations that he had an affair with "professional mistress" Sarah Symonds.
The latest Michelin Guide will give him hope for the year, however, rebutting claims he may have overextended with his rapid business expansion and commitments outside the kitchen.
Heston Blumenthal and Michael Roux were the other two chefs to keep their three stars for their Berkshire restaurants.
