It is any waiter's worst nightmare – a restaurant customer who swears about food and service and demands to see the owner.

But it's even worse getting an ear-bashing from a nine-year-old who acts like a mini Gordon Ramsay.

A Bristol-made advertising campaign called Little Gordon has been spreading like wildfire on the internet, sending shivers down the spine of those in the catering industry and sparking belly laughs in equal measure.

Little Gordon can be seen tearing his bouffant, blond hair out in three scenarios made by Clifton-based viral advertising agency Rebel Virals for hospitality recruitment website Caterer.com.

First, dressed in his mini chef's whites, he castigates his mum for the standard of her packed lunch.

In episode two, filmed at Cattlemans steak house in Clifton, he berates a helpless waiter with a foul-mouthed outburst when his food does not come out on time.

And in episode three a dinner lady is on the end of a lashing from this little tyro's acid tongue.

The series aims to "provide an over-the-top, yet humorous portrayal of the qualities needed within the hardworking hospitality industry" and the inspiration behind the fiery character is clear.

Little Gordon's attire, hair, mannerisms and bleeped four-letter tirades smack of world famous Michelin-starred chef Gordon Ramsay, the no-nonsense star of Hell's Kitchen and The F Word.

The first two virals – so called because they are spread through friends and contacts over the internet – went live last month and are already racing towards 500,000 viewers each.

They have also been a hit in the US and a clip of Little Gordon was shown to the real Ramsay live on The Tonight Show, sparking rumours that Little Gordon might make a guest appearance on one of the Scottish chef's shows.

Speaking about the launch of the campaign, Jonathan Hedger, marketing manager at Caterer.com, said: "Our main desire for this campaign was to provide some light entertainment for all those that work so hard in the hospitality industry, while at the same time raising the profile of Caterer.com as a great resource for jobseekers."

Rebel Virals, which made the ad, is also famous for The Facebook Anthem, which was also filmed in Bristol and has been ranked in the top 10 UK comedy virals of all time.

After a challenging audition process, the producers chose a young blond actor from London who had the boisterous qualities need to play Little Gordon.

James Trezona, director of Rebel Virals, was delighted it had proved so popular.

He said: "Viral marketing – where the public 'virally' sends on a video or game promoting a brand to their friends – is a challenging task: the idea must really entertain and connect with people or they just don't send it on."

Fellow director Adam Etheridge added: "Today, more and more brands understand the power of viral marketing.

"Caterer.com came to us with a clear goal, were open minded and, as a result, we have produced a great piece of viral content we're all proud of."