The obvious answer is that restaurants lose Michelin stars when culinary standards slip. But, this being the Michelin guide, the answer is a little more complicated than that.
The obvious answer is that restaurants lose Michelin stars when culinary standards slip. But, this being the Michelin guide, the answer is a little more complicated than that. In the case of Ramsay’s London, it seems the consistency of culinary standards was the main detracting feature.
The Lost Kitchen is a small restaurant located in the woods of Maine, and it serves just a few people. As noted by the Boston Globe, it is considered to be one of the top restaurants in Maine.
Usually, Michelin’s anonymous inspectors will visit a restaurant once every 18 months or so. If the restaurant is flagged as potentially gaining or losing a star, however, there will be further visits.
When did Rae Oliver lose his Michelin star?
Rae Oliver April 2, 2020. Losing a Michelin star can be a painful process. Just ask Gordon Ramsay, who claims he was reduced to tears after his New York restaurant, The London, lost both of its two stars. “I started crying when I lost my stars. It’s a very emotional thing for any chef….
How Often do Inspectors Inspect? Usually, Michelin’s anonymous inspectors will visit a restaurant once every 18 months or so. If the restaurant is flagged as potentially gaining or losing a star, however, there will be further visits.
In the case of Ramsay’s London, it seems the consistency of culinary standards was the main detracting feature. The Michelin Guide director, Michael Ellis, told Bloomberg that they “had issues with consistency , and consistency is a huge thing for us.”. Ellis himself even visited the restaurant.
Similarly, Alain Ducasse, when he became Head Chef at Monaco’s Hôtel de Paris, insisted on a seemingly impossible clause. He would earn three stars within the first three years – an unprecedented culinary feat – or be fired.
The impact of losing a star can, indeed, be quite damaging for some chefs. “It can destroy a lot of young people’s lives – those who make the guide the only purpose of their quest for excellence,” says Raymond Blanc, chef-patron of the two Michelin star Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, in Oxfordshire. “That is dangerous.
Ellis explained he didn’t “really know what’s going on in the kitchen” and that there was “quite a bit of instability at the restaurant.”. The latter part of Ellis’s explanation was probably in reference to how the restaurant lost its head chef in the summer of 2013, not replacing him until after the guide was published.
The whole Michelin process is a closely guarded secret. But while little is known about how the stars come to be awarded, even less is known of how they are lost. We’ve managed, however, to piece together a few clues as to how the process works. Jump To a Section Below [ hide]
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