Too hot in kitchen for chef who begs to lose his Michelin stars
FRANCE: One of France’s most feted chefs, whose restaurant has enjoyed the maximum three Michelin stars for the past two decades, has begged the illustrious food guide to strip him of the accolade because he can no longer stand the pressure.
Sebastien Bras, 46, whose restaurant Le Suquet in Laguiole, central France, has been lauded as ‘‘spellbinding’’ by the guide, said that he wanted to be left out of its 2018 edition.
Taken aback, Michelin said this was the first time a chef had asked not to feature in the food guide without ‘‘justifying his choice by a change in [restaurant] concept or closing the business’’.
In his chef’s whites, Bras announced his decision in a Facebook video, saying: ‘‘Today, at 46 years old, I want to give a new meaning to my life ... and redefine what is essential.’’
Renowned for his young vegetable, herb and poultry juice gargouillou, Bras who took over Le Suquet in 2008 from his illustrious father, Michel, said: ‘‘Perhaps I am going to lose fame but I accept it.’’
He added that he wanted to drop the stars to avoid the level of stress that drove Bernard Loiseau, another three-star chef, to suicide in 2003. ‘‘That’s in a corner of my mind,’’ he said. Other chefs such as Alain Senderens, a pioneer of nouvelle cuisine, who died this year, lost their stars after opting for simpler cooking.
Bras, however, intends to stick to precisely the same recipes, including his €227 (NZ$367) threecourse balade menu, whose exquisite dishes include roast duck with tomato steak, Espelette pepper and eucalyptus.
The move poses a conundrum for the guide, which claims to list the best restaurants in France, as Le Suquet is one of only 27 in the country with three stars. Removing it could prompt criticism that it is now incomplete.
In a cryptic response, Claire Dorland-Clauzel, a member of Michelin’s executive board, implied that the wish may not necessarily be granted.
‘‘We take note,’’ she said, adding: ‘‘The Michelin Guide is not made for restaurateurs but for customers.’’ However, she said the guide, ‘‘listens to what chefs say’’.
Bras said: ‘‘I want to feel free without asking myself whether my creations will please the Michelin inspectors.’’
If left alone, he could ‘‘continue serenely without tension’’.
Olivier Roellinger, a former three-starred chef who shut his restaurant in Brittany in 2008 because he didn’t feel fit enough to continue, said: ‘‘When the Michelin Guide is no longer a driving force, it’s better to change lanes.’’