The secret agents of the Michelin Guide
They are paid to eat in the best restaurants in the world — but the price is having to lie even to their friends about the job. Hidden amongst hundreds of guests descending on the 16th century Chateau de Chambord in the Loire Valley for a luxurious dinner DKHDG RI WKH 0LFKHOLQ *XLGH·V DQQXDO FHUHPRQ\ RQ 0RQGD\ ZDV WKH JURXS·V covert inspectors.
One guest at the weekend event told AFP he worked in the automobile indusWU\ ³ SODXVLEOH JLYHQ 0LFKHOLQ·V PDLQ business of selling tyres. But his knowlHGJH RI )UDQFH·V EHVW UHVWDXUDQWV ZDV suspiciously encyclopedic. Whether or not he was a Michelin inspector would remain a mystery, since they are sworn to secrecy.
Each year, the guide receives 8,000 spontaneous applications to become an inspector, its boss Gwendal Poullennec told AFP. The key criteria are “professionalism” and “openness” — to travel, different cultures and new experiences, he added. Michelin does not say how many it employs — part of the strict secrecy it maintains to ensure they are never recognized by a restaurant and given preferential treatment. The guide does reveal that its inspectors currently include 25 different nationalities, and men and women of all ages, operating across the 45 destinations covered by Michelin.
Undercover
It is a full-time job, and all are drawn IURP WKH ZRUOG RI ÀQH GLQLQJ DQG KRVSLtality: applicants must have at least 10 years of experience as chefs, sommeOLHUV RU KRWHOLHUV DFFRUGLQJ WR WKH JXLGH·V website. A new inspector is paired with a more experienced colleague for a training period of up to two years — or around 800 meals — to learn the Michelin method, the organization told AFP.
The inspector then lives undercover. Only their inner circle of family are allowed to know — and they have an interest in keeping quiet since they often tag along to meals to avert suspicion. The most common cover story that inspectors give their friends and wider family is that they are “consulting” with restaurants on their business strategies — a good excuse to travel and indulge.
They give false names and even change their phone numbers when making reservations — vital since many restaurants now have applications to scan their bookings for journalists and potential inspectors. The reviews require an excellent memory. The inspector must recall the tiniest details of the food, service and ambiance — right down to the appearance of the toilets — without taking notes, though phone pictures are now common.
They must also research the wider FRQWH[W ³ WKH UHVWDXUDQW·V VXSSOLHUV KRZ LW ÀWV LQWR WKH ORFDO FRPPXQLW\ DQG LWV ÀQDQFHV 7KH ÀQDO UHSRUW VWLFNV WR ÀYH criteria: the quality of the ingredients, the culinary technique, the harmony of WKH ÁDYRUV WKH HPRWLRQ ZKLFK WKH FKHI is seeking to convey through their menu, DQG WKH UHVWDXUDQW·V FRQVLVWHQF\ RYHU time. The latter requires multiple visits. The awarding of a star — with three stars as the absolute pinnacle — must be a unanimous choice when inspectors meet to discuss their reviews. If there is disagreement, further visits are organized until a consensus is reached. — AFP