PARIS —
The Michelin Guide launches its 2022 edition on Tuesday, vowing to celebrate the
diversity of French cooking and the industry’s resilience after two challenging
years caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Expected each year with apprehension by chefs and
gourmets, the famous red book is being unveiled in Cognac in southwest France,
the first time in its 122 years the ceremony has taken place outside Paris.
“The 2022 edition
is a very fine vintage which reflects the diversity of cuisines that can be
found in France,” the guide’s director Gwendal Poullennec told AFP.
“But it will also
make room for a new generation of chefs who have taken the risk of embarking on
this journey in spite of the challenging context,” he said.
“Despite the
crisis, the profession has shown great resilience. It was an opportunity for
professionals to reinvent themselves, to go further, and that’s what we want to
support.”
Last year’s
ceremony, in the midst of a months-long shutdown caused by the
pandemic, was a
low-key affair with only one chef — Alexandre Mazzia — promoted to three stars,
the highest distinction.
While Poullennec
said the judges’ criteria remained the same, there was an increased focus on
more minimalist, sustainably sourced restaurants that have come to dominate the
food scene.
Remaining relevant
Controversies have
long swirled around the guidebook and the pressure it places on chefs.
In 2020, Michelin
shocked foodies by downgrading the Auberge du Pont de Collonges — the oldest
three-starred restaurant in the world — following the death of legendary chef,
Paul Bocuse.
A year earlier,
Marc Veyrat became the first to sue the guidebook, after losing the third star
of his Alps restaurant La Maison des Bois just a year after it was awarded.
When you have something as structured as Michelin, it is very tricky to incorporate all the things that are happening in the food scene — things that are high-caliber, but maybe aren’t as formal.
He lost the case
and said he never again wants to see a Michelin inspector in his restaurants.
Poullennec said
demotions were vital if the guidebook was to “remain relevant to customers.”
Overall, however,
the French food scene is in top form.
After a long
period during which French restaurants were accused of growing stale and lazy,
the past 15 years have seen an influx of young chefs more open to global
influences and new approaches, said Paris-based food writer Lindsey Tramuta.
The Michelin Guide
has sometimes struggled to keep up, she added.
“When you have
something as structured as Michelin, it is very tricky to incorporate all the
things that are happening in the food scene — things that are high-caliber, but
maybe aren’t as formal,” she said, adding that female chefs remained poorly
represented.
“But Michelin is
still very important for chefs and owners. If it motivates their kitchen staff
and team, and brings more diners and curiosity, then it has value.”
Created in 1900 by
tire manufacturers Andre and Edouard Michelin as a guide for motorists, it now
has editions across
Europe, Asia, North, and South America.
In March, it announced it
was suspending operations in
Russia due to the war, just a few months after
launching its first guide in Moscow.
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