Marco bans Michelin’s star inspectors

MARCO Pierre White has banned inspectors from the Michelin Guide from visiting his new restaurant.

The British chef insisted that he does not want to be eligible for the prestigious Michelin stars awarded by the guide, saying: ‘They sell tyres and I sell food.’

His latest restaurant, The English

House in Singapore, will offer modern British cuisine by early next year. But the 56-year-old told online magazine CNA Lifestyle he had turned down an offer to inspect it. ‘I don’t need Michelin and they don’t need me,’ he said.

In 1999 he handed back his three Michelin stars, saying: ‘The people who gave me Michelin stars had less knowledge than me.’

The Michelin Guide has been awarding stars for excellence since 1926. White is one of only nine chefs in Britain to have ever received three stars, reserved for ‘exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey’.