There was much anticipation surrounding the release of the Michelin Guide 2015, but chefs don’t rest on your laurels the guide's inspectors have already started visits for Michelin 2016! The Staff Canteen spoke to Michelin Guide Editor Rebecca Burr about the lack of three stars, who to watch and why there were no stars for Manchester.
The big question on our Twitter feed this morning was ‘why are there no three stars’? Well who better to answer than the Michelin Guide Editor herself!
“Every year is different and I think it’s a little unfair on restaurants when this pressure is put on them to go from two stars to three,” explained Rebecca Burr. “But I suppose the chefs are really the only ones who can answer why there aren’t any this year.”
She added: “For the 14 new stars and those retaining stars, they are keeping company with some of the best around the world. I don’t think they ever forget that and they just have to take it one step at a time.”
Rebecca told us last week ‘that the bar is very high’ for those hoping for three stars, but she explained there were plenty of two stars who had established themselves. So does that mean a few three stars on the cards for next year?
“I hope so,” said Rebecca. “Sometimes restaurants make a rapid change but we have to realise to operate at that level takes an awful lot – look at the Waterside celebrating 30 years for example, that level doesn’t come along every day.”
As 14 establishments received a new star, another 14 saw a deletion of their stars. Five of those were due to closure which is out of Michelin’s hands but Rebecca says it’s still a tough job to make the decision to remove a star.
“We are very careful as it’s a big decision, for everyone concerned,” she said. “We have to look at the fact that many of the restaurants have had the stars for a very long time. It can be, not frustrating, but bewildering and we do allow places a little more time than we would normally but it’s out of our hands if the cooking is not up to scratch.”
As owner of The Star Inn at Harome, NorthYorkshire, Andrew Pern has experienced winning, losing and now regaining a star and
Rebecca says it’s very nice when the star can be given back. She said: “He was a forerunner in the regeneration of the pub scene and one of the first to gain a star. It didn’t seem right when it was taken away but standards had dropped and it’s taken a few years to get it back but it’s proof that it can be done.”
There was a lot of hype surrounding Manchester in the run up to the new guide with both The French by Simon Rogan and Aiden Byrne’s Manchester House taking part in BBC Two’s, Restaurant Wars. But it wasn’t their year, Rebecca explained: “The programme put a spotlight on them – unfairly. They opened up in a market they weren’t sure of, they were employing staff and spending a lot of money on premises and it’s not a sure market. They weren’t opening up in London where good food is the norm!”
She added: “It was a shame but we certainly made many visits which we always do, but we can’t change the level that we look for whether it’s Manchester or anywhere else.”
He may not have received a star up North but Simon Rogan still managed to bag one in London with Fera at Claridge’s.
Rebecca couldn’t be happier with the decision, she said: “It’s a fantastic restaurant. It’s just super and good to see it back to its glory. Simon’s food is very special – very pure, natural and it’s got to be in the right hands.”
Another chef making an impression is Jason Atherton with City Social. It only opened its doors four months ago and it’s already got its first star.
“Just because it’s him doesn’t mean it’s an automatic star by any means,” explained Rebecca. “But we wouldn’t be doing our readers justice if we didn’t highlight it. I hope he understands the importance of the decision and maintains standards, I have no doubt in my mind that he will – I don’t know where he gets the energy from.”
She added: “It’s been a good year, it’s a varied year and what we can say about those 14 is that they’ve offered good cooking not once, but time and time again. They’ve reached good levels of consistency over the times we’ve seen them.
“I think it’s going to be a very interesting year next year – we’ve already started!”
