The Michelin Guide is like the Oscars of the restaurant world. Chefs dream of them, diners flock to them, and some restaurants even wish they could send them back. But how did we end up in a world where a tyre company’s opinion of your dinner is worth so much?
Picture this, if you will: it’s 1900, and cars are barely a thing. Roads are terrible, gas stations are rare, and people who own cars are a mix of genuine driving enthusiasts and daredevils. Enter the Michelin brothers – André and Édouard. They started their tyre manufacturing business in 1889, and were keen to make more sales. But how could they do that if there were barely any cars on the road? The answer was simple – they would encourage those who had cars to drive them further and more often, thereby wearing down their tyres faster.
In their minds, what drivers needed was a guide – something to tell them where to fill up, where to get their car fixed, and – of course – where they could grab a bite to eat along the way.
So, the Michelin Guide was born, and it was handed out to motorists for free, filled with handy tips, like how to change a tyre, along with restaurant and hotel recommendations. In the marketing agencies that I work with, this is referred to as a classic value add. Little did the Michelin brothers know that their little guidebook would soon take on a life entirely of its own.
From value add to valuable
Fast forward to 1920, and the Michelin brothers felt that it was time to change their tactic and start charging for the guide. This was a direct result of an incident where André Michelin walked into a garage and found one of their free guides being used to prop up a workbench. Talk about disrespect – and André wasn’t having it. He realised that people value what they pay for, and so Michelin began selling its guide, focusing more on the restaurant section (which was by far the most popular) and less on tyre-changing tips.
In 1926, Michelin awarded its first official stars to restaurants offering fine dining. It wasn’t until 1931 that the now-famous three-star system was introduced, and the world of food has never been the same since.
How Michelin stars work
Here’s how the Michelin star system works:
– One star means the restaurant is “a very good restaurant in its category.”
– Two stars signal “excellent cooking, worth a detour.”
– Three stars? That’s the holy grail: “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.”
Notice something? It’s all about the food. Michelin doesn’t give stars for the view, the décor, or even the service; it’s all about what’s on the plate. The focus is on the quality of ingredients, the mastery of flavours, technique, consistency, and, of course, creativity.
From France to the world
Although Michelin began in France, it didn’t take long for the guide to spread its culinary influence across Europe. By the 1950s, Michelin was covering countries like Belgium, Switzerland, and Italy. Eventually, the guide made its way to the United States (first stop: New York in 2005), and today, Michelin covers cities all around the world, from Tokyo to Chicago.
The digital age also brought big changes. Michelin’s guide is now available online and through apps, making it easier than ever to track down a Michelin-starred restaurant near you.
Who decides? Meet the inspectors
Michelin’s ratings are decided by anonymous inspectors, who visit restaurants undercover, sample the food and then report their experiences back to head office. They make several visits to ensure consistency before awarding any stars, and they never announce themselves, so chefs don’t get a chance to put on a special show. Since the whole idea is that the restaurant doesn’t know that they are there, they also pay for their meal in full, like any other customer would.
It’s basically the restaurant world’s version of a blind taste test, which is why chefs sweat bullets when they think they’ve spotted an inspector (spoiler: they usually haven’t).
Pascal Rémy, a seasoned Michelin inspector in France, stirred the pot when he published his tell-all book L’Inspecteur se met à table (The Inspector Sits Down at the Table) in 2004. This bombshell of a book claimed to expose the behind-the-scenes workings of the Michelin Guide. Of course, Michelin wasn’t thrilled about the idea. Rémy’s employment was terminated in December 2003 after he informed Michelin about his book plans. What followed was an unsuccessful court battle, where he tried (and failed) to argue his case for unfair dismissal.
In his book, Rémy painted a pretty bleak picture of life as a Michelin inspector in France – describing the job as a lonely, underpaid grind. Imagine driving around the country for weeks, dining alone at various restaurants, then rushing to meet tight deadlines with highly detailed reports. This wasn’t the glamorous, food-filled adventure many might picture.
Rémy also argued that Michelin had grown lazy, letting its once-rigorous standards slide. Officially, Michelin claimed that its inspectors visited all 4,000 restaurants in France every 18 months, with starred establishments being reviewed multiple times each year. But Rémy called that claim a fantasy. At the time of his hiring, he said there were only 11 inspectors covering all of France, nowhere near the “50 or more” Michelin hinted at. By the time he was fired in 2003, he claimed the number had dwindled down to a mere five inspectors. Five people to cover thousands of restaurants? You do the maths on that one.
Of course, Michelin denied all of Rémy’s accusations – but they also refused to disclose exactly how many inspectors they had working in France.
Not everybody wants – or keeps – a star
Unbelievable though it may sound, not every chef wants a Michelin star. In fact, some would rather send it back, like an overcooked steak. Why? Well, for some, the pressure to maintain Michelin’s high standards is just too much. Legendary chefs like Marco Pierre White and Sébastien Bras have famously asked to be removed from the guide. Bras, in particular, said the “immense pressure” of having a star wasn’t worth it anymore. And Marco Pierre White? He walked away from three stars and hasn’t looked back since.
On the flip side, losing a Michelin star can feel like a punch in the gut. For some chefs, it’s not just a matter of pride – it can also impact business and reputation. The loss of a star can sometimes signal the beginning of a restaurant’s decline, both in the eyes of the public and in the minds of chefs themselves. In a few tragic cases, the pressure of maintaining Michelin standards has been linked to mental health struggles in the industry.
The Michelin effect
There’s no denying that Michelin has transformed the culinary world, but it hasn’t come without its challenges. Michelin stars are a badge of honour, sure, but they’re also a source of immense pressure. The chase for stars can push chefs and kitchen staff to the brink, demanding long hours, intense creativity, and near-perfection every single night.
The influence of Michelin doesn’t stop with chefs. It has shaped global food trends, driven culinary tourism, and made fine dining more accessible (well, in theory) to the average foodie. Cities like Paris, Tokyo, and New York have become meccas for gastronomic tourists seeking out Michelin-starred experiences.
But with great power comes great responsibility. Many chefs have raised concerns about the working conditions in high-end kitchens, where the pressure to maintain Michelin standards can lead to long hours, burnout, and sometimes toxic environments. More recently, there’s been a growing movement among chefs and restaurant owners to push back against these extreme pressures, calling for healthier, more sustainable working conditions in the industry.
From a free tyre guide to a global culinary authority, the Michelin Guide’s journey is one of ambition, evolution, and, of course, a bit of drama. It’s a system that can make or break careers, spark controversies, and drive culinary trends. But while the stars might sparkle brightly, the Michelin story is also one of pressure and expectations, both for the chefs striving to earn them and the diners seeking that perfect meal.
About the author: Dominique Olivier
Dominique Olivier is the founder of human.writer, where she uses her love of storytelling and ideation to help brands solve problems.
She is a weekly columnist in Ghost Mail and collaborates with The Finance Ghost on Ghost Mail Weekender, a Sunday publication designed to help you be more interesting.
Dominique can be reached on LinkedIn here.
