Gordon Ramsay Stars in Silk’s New Oat Milk Campaign

Legendary Chef Gordon Ramsay, after years as a staunch meat-eater, now appears to be embracing plant-based alternatives. His latest star turn is as an ambassador for Silk’s new oat milk product. Food giant Silk just rolled out its oat milk campaign, which it's calling G.O.A.T. claiming that its new product is the Greatest of All Time.

Until recently, Chef Ramsay has been an outspoken critic of vegan diets and refused to acknowledge the benefits of plant-based nutrition or the fact that plant-based cuisine can be delicious. The chef, who Silk has anointed the G.O.A.T. at Yelling in Kitchens, joins other celebrity spokespeople in promoting the brand.

“Well, it took my kids getting on me, but now I really enjoy cooking more plant-based dishes at home and in my restaurants,” Ramsay said. “Let me tell you, I know greatness when I taste it, and I am loving Silk Oatmilk for both sweet and savory recipes.”

For decades, Ramsay ridiculed vegans and plant-based diets, claiming that he was allergic to vegans. The notably angry chef focused his negative attention on plant-based eating until 2018 when he posted a photo of himself with a vegan Charred Aubergine Pizza that he added to his Gordon Ramsay Street Pizza restaurants in London. Shortly after in January 2019, the chef participated in Veganuary by debuting a completely plant-based menu at the now named Bread Street Kitchen. To everyone’s surprise, the chef also developed a plant-based Beef Wellington using beets instead of beef.

Earlier this year, Ramsay welcomed the first vegan and first vegetarian contestants on his show Hell’s Kitchen. Vegan chef Josie Clemens and vegetarian chef Emily Hersh joined Ramsay’s infamous show, taking up the challenge no one before had completed: Making Gordon Ramsay a satisfying plant-based meal.

“Six million people who normally watch a meat cooking show are about to be exposed to veganism,” Clemens wrote on her Instagram in May. “Being the first vegan chef means that this is a golden opportunity to lead people compassionately. So they have an opportunity to discover their innate pure nature is connected to the Earth and all beings.”

Chef Ramsay is joined by vegan actress Alicia Silverstone in the G.O.A.T. campaign. Silk’s campaign, developed in partnership with creative marketing firm Lightening Orchard, is the dairy-free brand’s effort to reach out to every alternative milk category. Silverstone’s involvement follows nearly 20 years of vegan activism rooted in the actress’ passion for animal rights and environmental consciousness.

“I love cooking and eating, and even fancy myself quite the foodie; so, I was excited to taste the G.O.A.T of oat milk,” Silverstone, who Silk named the G.O.A.T. of the 90's, said. “This is amazing! Silk Oatmilk is so rich, creamy, and delicious. I love it in smoothies and my son loves it straight out of a glass.”

According to the research firm Neilsen, plant-based milk sales spiked nearly 476.7 percent during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic panic-buying week. Since the onset of the pandemic, plant-based sales have continued to rise at an accelerating pace with dairy alternatives becoming one of the largest sectors in the plant-based market.

“The oat milk segment is hotter than ever, and we had a unique opportunity with Silk Oatmilk to come in strong and beat out the competition with our Original Oatmilk on taste,” Silk Vice President Derek Neeley said. “We put so much time and energy into crafting the best-tasting Original Oatmilk, and we are honored that America—and fellow G.O.A.T.s—agree.”

Seven-time Grammy Award winner Carrie Underwood has been hailed for her “enormous” vocal range. When it comes to her diet, Underwood’s a fan of breakfast burritos and lots of tofu. She doesn’t shy away from the carbs, either. According to Cheat Sheet, one of her favorite snacks is a toasted English muffin with peanut butter.

Singer, songwriter, and “The Voice” coach, Blake Shelton, 43, has been working to stay fit recently with help from his long-time love, Gwen Stefani, who is a vegetarian and told him to get off the meat if he wants to feel fitter and lose some weight. Shelton has been trying to keep up with Stefani's impressive fitness level, according to an interview Stefani gave this fall. The former No Doubt singer and Hollaback girl is a longtime vegetarian, eats a mostly vegan diet, and is super fit-- and at 50, looks younger than her years. A source told Gossipcop, “Gwen’s told him the way to lose it is to stay the hell away from meat and bad carbs.” We're rooting for him!

The best-selling female country music singer in history isn’t buying any expensive steak dinners after a performance. The “Queen of Country Pop” has sold more than 100 million records but says she keeps her meat-free diet simple. She is both vegetarian and eats very little dairy -- though at times has said she does eat eggs.

Americana singer and songwriter Annette Conlon is also a passionate vegan. She started “The Compassionette Tour,” in an effort to bring compassion, social consciousness, human interaction, and animal issues to a mainstream audience.

The Man in Black is synonymous with country music, even nearly two decades after his death (1932-2003), probably in part because of the biopic about his life starring vegan actor Joaquin Phoenix. Ask any die-hard country music fan (or your dad, for that matter) and they will tell you that Johnny Cash was one of the best-selling musicians of all-time. His scores of hits include “I Walk the Line” and "Hurt" "A Boy Named Sue" and dozens of others. Cash himself was believed to have lived meat-free later in life to help combat some health issues. At Johnny Cash’s Kitchen and Saloon in Nashville, you can also load up on the meat-free dishes as the restaurant boasts a fully stacked veggie menu that includes greens, sweet potato mash, and fried okra.