The Staff Canteen wants to celebrate the unsung heroes of the Michelin Guide UK and Ireland: the chefs and restaurant teams who've held on to their accolades year in and year out.
But flashy headlines are not everything. What of the chefs and restaurants who have been in the Michelin Guide for years? Braving an uncertain landscape, changing trends and the hardship inherent to running a high-end restaurant - they all breathe a sigh of relief when they find out they are still in the guide.
We asked them how it feels to have maintained a star, how they achieved it, whether they still get nervous when the awards come around every year and whether they continue to strive for more accolades.
Andreas Antona, Luke Tipping, Simpsons, 20 years with a star
Luke Tipping said maintaining a Michelin star is "a magical achievement."
"We've been trading at Simpsons Restaurant for over 25 years and it's every chef's dream to get a Michelin star."
But this hasn't meant that the restaurant has stagnated, explained Andreas Antona: "we've always been at the forefront of what's been going on in the trade."
"We've always tried to be current and move with the times."
As for the restaurant's future, Luke Tipping said: "it's more about simplicity, clarity, ingredients and provenance. All of those boxes that you need to tick."
When it comes to earning - and maintaining Michelin stars, Simon said: "There is no formula. We won the star in 2006 with simple good food cooked well and we have not strayed from that.
"We haven’t followed trends, we cook what our customers want and expect from a small family-run restaurant . We cook what we would like to eat.
Ultimately, he explained that although the star has been helpful to the business in many ways, "we have never been sidetracked in losing sight in what our customer base is.
"They pay my staff , suppliers etc. with their support. If we went off piste with our style we would very quickly lose what we have worked so hard to achieve.
"I feel The Elephant works in tandem with what the ethos of the Michelin guide is all about.
"It remains relevant after 15 years after seeing many trends and styles fall by the wayside and I hope we remain relevant for another 15 years."
Aaron Patterson, Hambleton Hall, 37 years with a star
"It feels like it’s time to get two stars but at the same time I feel very proud to have maintained for such a long time," the chef explained.
"The [winning formula] has been not sitting on my laurels, continuing just to do what I love doing and not getting side tracked by other things, being creative in my kitchen inspiring my team has been the trick."
— Restaurant Sat Bains with Rooms (@RSB1withrooms) October 9, 2019
Keeping two stars for so long, he said, has been " an amazing team achievement in consistency.
"Everyone gets itchy around this time of year and the worst part is all the speculation."
Would he like to get a third star? Of course, everybody would, but he said: "I am very happy at 2 stars not because I am complacent but it allows me to push forward! It’s also very humbling seeing your Alumni doing so well year on year. Makes Amanda, John and I very proud."
In light of the many accolades achieved by his own proteges, he said: "It's only the beginning. The talent we have at the moment is world class." Caption
Despite what we may believe, the chef explained, "Fear never goes away. The pressure is always to innovate. I'm very proud of all what we do."
"But 8 years is a long time in the restaurant world. I do hope some day we'll shoot for our second star. Consistency is key. Doing the same thing every day with the best Irish produce, while always learning from others."
Martin Kajuiter, Cliff House Hotel, 11 years with a star
Yesterday We achieved the ⭐️for 2020 , it’s a team effort to deliver our “total gastronomy “ on a daily bases @cliffhousehotel so Thank You !!????????⭐️???????????? pic.twitter.com/tIaa9I52PO
The chef wasn't aware that he was among the longest standing Michelin-starred restaurants in the country. "But great to know," he said.
"Rest assured that each year its a mental disaster and have indeed 'the fears.'"
"It seems that each years it gets more challenging to maintain and control the monster we have created. Staff resources and by times acceptance for our way of working is the one we struggle with the most."
"If you build something up, you have something to live for, and each day we take it as it is. We are adaptive and creative in how to deal with this, we keep breathing."
Though another star would be great one day, he explained, "I guess we would need to downsize a small bit and make our menu a bit more controllable. Doing the classic combo of tasting and a la carte menus is hard , especially for a hotel restaurant."
On how it feels to maintain a star, he said: "These days it is one of relief firstly to be honest and then continue on with the day job.
"Consistency is the main strength at Fraiche as it is me always cooking and maintaining standards over the years, one knows if dining at the restaurant I will cook literally everything they eat.
The chef explained that it takes a level of self-assurance to keep driving forward.
"My usual mentality over this time of year is a quiet confidence because I try to execute above a one star level so I will at least retain the star. Of course that is in my mind alone but it helps me sleep at night.
Though "One can dream [of getting a second star]," the chef believes it may not be possible as a chef working alone.
"Most high end kitchens are highly staffed when you think of it. Maybe they should give the solo run kitchens out there a coveted black star for the highest accolade for talking to the vegetables and that incredible drive you need to push yourself when only you are there."
Mark Donald, Number One at The Balmoral, 16 years with a star
We’re delighted to have been awarded one Michelin star in the Michelin Guide 2020. Mark Donald, who has been behind the stove at Number One for the past year, is honoured to carry on the legacy of our restaurant, which has held a star since 2003. @MichelinGuideUK#MICHELINstar20pic.twitter.com/yPxm7gc4St
The chef said that maintaining Number One's star was "a massive achievement."
"The restaurant has been awarded one every year since 2003, so I put a fair bit of pressure on myself to keep that going. There’s always the chance of losing when a new chef takes over, but we’ve all worked really hard this year and I’m really happy with what we’re achieving every day. On a personal level I’m ecstatic, it’s every wee chef's dream when they start cooking.
Though he's worked in high-calibre kitchens before, he said: "This is the first time I’ve been at the helm when a star has been awarded. I've worked in kitchens with the highest standards and try to pass that on at Number One."
Asked if he would like to get a second star one day, he said: "Who wouldn’t?"
"I have worked for chefs in kitchens at that level, I know what it takes. However it’s not a goal that will be spoken about every day."
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