Michelin UK – in danger of losing its influence?

How relevant is the Michelin Guide’s assessment of the British food scene? Now in its fifth decade, its annual publication in early October evokes shrieks of delight amongst the newcomers while veterans shake their heads in dismay at its parsimonious awards at the coveted three star level. It is not just the measly number held by Britain (five, compared with double that in Spain, Italy and Germany, while France has 27) but the actual choices that raises eyebrows and tempers.

The British food scene has flourished in the past 30 years, thanks to local talent such as Rowley Leigh, Simon Hopkinson and Alastair Little while the influence of the French-born Roux Brothers, Raymond Blanc and Pierre Koffmann has been incalculable. And of course, when it comes to Italian, Indian, Chinese and Thai Cuisine, Britain can now boast a string of world class restaurants (to Michelin’s credit, their assessments of all of these categories is more or less spot on) – it is at the very top where the credibility of the brand is most at risk.

There were gasps in the dining room of the Hurlingham Club when it was announced that the sole new Three Star for 2020 was Pierre Gagnaire’s Sketch (Lecture Room & Library). They were not of delight but despair – yet again, a high profile branded French chef pulls it off in Britain – Anne-Sophie Pic also crept up from one to two stars for her diffusion brand – La Dame de Pic, which can be found in Paris and Singapore. The quality of Sketch is high but there is zero buzz about the cooking there and it is rarely mentioned at all in culinary circles. We all know that top chefs are not always behind the stoves in their kitchens, but in four of the five British three stars, they are basically there in name only – the sole exception being Alain Roux at the Waterside Inn.  But that really isn’t the main issue – the important point is that most critics and other guides do not consider these the leading five restaurants in the UK. Of course all of these rankings are subjective, but there is a general feeling amongst critics that three two star chefs – Brett Graham at the Ledbury, Simon Rogan from L’Enclume and Clare Smyth of Core, are equally or even more, worthy of the honour, than Michelin’s current list.

The Good Food Guide only ranks two of Michelin’s top five in their top 50 list – Gordon Ramsay at Number 7 and Fat Duck at 18, while the AA Guide also ranks only two (Fat Duck and Sketch) in their top category. When it comes to the Worlds 50 Best Restaurant Awards, Michelins main international rival, not one of the British three stars makes it onto the list at all, Fat Duck having fallen off in 2018 and not being eligible this year because of a change in the rules concerning restaurants that had previously been number one. The Worlds 50 Best has only two UK restaurants on it – Lyle’s and the Clove Club, both innovative and stylish Shoreditch places, with one and two stars respectively, though in the two other UK guides, neither of them are ranked as high as they deserve to be. La Liste, which is the only other influential international list, merely has one UK restaurant – Gordon Ramsay at 88 in its top 100.

In terms of reliability, I have found the French Michelin Guide the best, followed by Spain and Germany. The Italian Guide can be wayward, recommending bizarre country places in modern hotel blocks at the expense of more traditional establishments. The Scandinavian Guide thinks that Geranium (three stars) in Copenhagen is superior to Noma (two stars) but otherwise, reflects my version of reality. I suppose the real problem with the UK Michelin Guide is its conservatism in doling out top awards. It also interesting to note that the Waterside Inn has had three stars for so many years and that the former international head of Michelin (Derek Brown) has subsequently had a commercial relationship with the restaurant. As one leading critic of three star Michelins remarked, the Waterside Inn would be considered a reasonable provincial one star if it was in France rather than the Thames Valley.

I am happy to concede that the greatest European haut cuisine restaurants are in France, with Spain also in the ballpark. However, it is pointless to assess the British food scene solely through French tinted glasses and even worse if the highest awards here go to what are in essence French branded spinoffs, which are not in the same league as their original places. Having a Michelin star or two is critical for international reservations and will continue to be for some time to come. However, sales of the Red Guide have slumped considerably in the past decade or so with the UK Guide rumoured to sell only a few thousand copies.

There were rumours that Gwendal Poullennec, the newly appointed international director of the Michelin Guides, was going to shake things up because of the growing competition from other international guides. However, Michelin UK still appears to be ploughing the same furrow it has for the past decade, which will inevitably lead to its importance being further marginalised in the coming years.