foremost. If you happen to get the accolades along the way, that’s just a bonus.”
Unfortunately, the Michelin Guide doesn’t always deliver good news. In the 2014 edition, 10 restaurants lost their star. Although some have since closed down, others have pushed forward with business as usual. Locks Brasserie, in Portobello, Dublin gained one Michelin star in 2013 but lost it the following year – just three months after Keelan Higgs took over the reins as Head Chef.
“I was there for two and a half years before, so I had very much been a part of the gaining of it [the star] through writing menus and looking after the kitchen. When you’ve put in eight to 10 years of being a chef and then get something like that, it’s the best feeling ever really, and then losing it is probably the worst thing that can happen,” Higgs admits. “I would say it probably killed about half our business at least.
“What we did was rebuild our team and then started to write down our recipes religious, so my sous chef and I were developing dishes with everything written out and practiced to a tee. For us, it’s about getting the consistency down and exactly the style of food we do was very important. I think our food is more consistent and more in tune with the direction that we’re going for than it’s ever been at Locks.”
Another chef familiar with Higgs’ experience is Simon Haigh, who was Executive Chef at Mallory Court (The Dining Room) when they discovered they had lost their Michelin star, previously held for 10 years.
“I was quite upset, but on the flip-side I was a little bit relieved as well because you’re not having to look over your shoulder every day. “The first mood was disbelief. I remember sitting at home on the computer when my eldest son came in and asked what I was doing. When I told him we had lost a star, he replied, ‘Well that’s not good, is it?” and I said, “No, not really!” but we sat down together and counted all the guidebooks that we had appeared in with a star and we got to 17.
“We can be very proud of what we’ve done and achieved over the years. When you look at it like that, it’s more positive than negative.
“Most of the guests didn’t know because they don’t go out and buy the guidebook. We felt that we’d done nothing differently, and we were just doing what we’d always done, and the guests didn’t notice any difference.
“It probably impacts a little bit later on in the year, when people that are having weddings at your hotel think it isn’t going to be the same, but we assured them that it will be. We had to build the confidence back up with those guests. “The principle thing with hotels and restaurants is that you’ve got to cook for your customer, and that’s what we do. If the guys at Michelin want to recognise that food along the way then we’re more than grateful to receive it.”
Even after 92 years, when the star rating system was first introduced to the guide, Michelin stars still appear to be a huge influence on the business for the majority of those who gain or lose them. However, others seem to take it in their stride and appreciate the recognition while believing that focusing on making the customer happy is what matters at the end of the day.
Either way, the 2015 Michelin Guide will still make the headlines this September, and no chef can deny their curiosity for the results. Watch this space for our follow-up piece, where we asked our Facebook and Twitter followers if they think the Michelin Guide is still important and relevant, and whether it’s still considered the highest accolade for chefs.
Remember, thestaffcanteen.com and our social media will be the only place to be when the results are revealed on September 25th.
By Alys Penfold
