This French Chef Wants To Ban Michelin Inspectors From His New Restaurant - Here's Why

Celebrated French chef Marc Veyrat has made headlines for his wish to ban inspectors of the legendary Michelin Guide from his eponymous new restaurant in Megeve, Haute-Savoie. Le Restaurant Marc Veyrat is said to offer "high-definition cuisine". Its menus are priced at around 450 euros (approx Rs 40K) per person and it can only seat 18 guests at a time. Veyrat has explicitly prohibited Michelin Guide inspectors from entering his new establishment. He is even considering placing a sign stating "Michelin Guide banned" at the entrance, as per reports. "I'm turning 75 this year. I don't want to be taking exams and getting ranked," he told CNN.

However, since Michelin inspectors are anonymous, it would be difficult to ensure none of them ever enter his restaurant. The Michelin Guide recognises worthy establishments in various countries across the globe. A Michelin star is widely considered one of the highest honours in the culinary world. But Chef Marc Veyrat's hostility towards the Guide is not new. In 2019, his restaurant, La Maison des Bois, lost one of its three stars. He decided to sue Michelin over the demotion and demanded to know the reasons for the same. A Michelin inspector had alleged that the chef had used cheddar (an English cheese) in a souffle served at the restaurant. The chef insisted he had only used local cheese types like the Reblochon, Beaufort and Tomme. The case was dismissed and the chef was made to pay court costs.

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When Chef Marc Veyrat took the helm of La Fontaine Gaillon in Paris in 2020, he said he "never wants the Michelin inspectors in here", reported The Independent. Chef Veyrat is not the only one to express a wish to distance himself from the Michelin Guide. In September 2017, Chef Sebastien Bras called for his three-star restaurant Le Suquet to be left out of the 2018 guide. "Life is too beautiful and too short," he said, citing the pressures associated with retaining the three Michelin star status. However, the restaurant was listed with two stars in the 2019 edition. In 2005, celebrated French Chef Alain Senderens said he was "handing in" his three Michelin stars, which he had held for 28 years. Several other chefs have also publicly declared that they wanted to 'return' their stars or simply not take them into consideration going forward.