00:00It's the 100th anniversary of the UK Michelin Guide and the Michelin building in southwest London.
00:05The centenary is very important to us because it's an important landmark.
00:10It marks 100 years of development of the guide in this country
00:13and we've seen a huge increase in the quality of food over that period of time.
00:18This year there are 143 stars which is the most we've ever had in the guide
00:23and it just reflects the rising standards we've been seeing over the last 25 or 30 years
00:29and additional to that it coincides with the centenary of Michelin House itself
00:34which is always inextricably linked with good food and fine dining.
00:38The Michelin Guide is the most famous food guide in the world
00:43and I think the power of the guide stems from the fact that when it was first released
00:47it was when people first started road travel.
00:51So the whole thing of one star meaning worth a stop, two meaning worth a detail
00:56on three meaning worth a special trip meant an awful lot because in those days
00:59to get from one end of France to the other by car took you days.
01:03You could probably fly to Australia quicker than that.
01:06But there was no other guide at the time that attempted to do that
01:10so it's got the tradition.
01:12And I think that whatever anybody says, any aspiring chef dreams of having a Michelin star.
01:18I certainly did and I remember when I got the first star, it's kind of, I had to pinch myself.
01:24You know, I kind of grew up following the great chefs of France
01:27and then to find yourself in the same red book that they are in, it's just incredible.
01:33I mean obviously having a Michelin star is one of those sort of almost schoolboy dreams.
01:37It's something that, you know, you've read about over the years.
01:40Of course you hear about the Bocuse and the Gerard, the Auvergé, Toigreau,
01:46all of these great chefs who become legends.
01:50And so to try and follow them or even get just that little bit close
01:55or even if you're a mile away, you still want to actually try and emulate what they've created.
02:01So Michelin, I think, you know, when you're in this industry,
02:04it can create the most amazing inspiration in a lot of young people.
02:08I mean, it's a positive thing.
02:13It's a little surprise when we've got one, but a joy, a joy.
02:20I think having a Michelin star is vital.
02:22It really is, for me anyway, it's very important.
02:25It's the cherry on the cake, let's say, la cerise sur le gâteau.
02:31And it proves that we are at a certain level.
02:33So be it a Vive Gourmand or one star, two star or three star,
02:39it's something that all chefs aspire to.
02:42Well, the impact of being included in the guide already, it's really huge for them
02:45because it's a recognition process, it's a selection process.
02:48The one who's been recognized with a special award like a Vive Indome,
02:52a Vive Gourmand or a Michelin star, will get 25% more business.
02:56The one who actually gets two, will get a national clientele.
03:01And the one getting three, among the highly best restaurants in the world,
03:05will be really attracting international clientele.
03:08So this is really the impact of the Michelin guide.
03:10And you know, it's not by pure accident that we're the number one in terms of selling guys
03:15around the world, we're selling more than 1.2 million per year.
03:17And it's not by accident as well that the chefs recognize us as the only benchmark
03:22really to measure against each other, not only in the city, not only in the country, but globally.
03:29Once you've got a star, you really don't want to lose it.
03:33So the only way of trying not to lose it is striving to get better.
03:36And this is where the guide works really well.
03:38It's obviously there for the customer.
03:40It's not there for the restaurant.
03:43But it ends up, the guide has ended up driving the quality of cooking up.
03:47Because chefs, it keeps them something to focus on.
03:49Because every year, anyone that's got one, doesn't want to lose one.
03:53And anyone that hasn't got one, secretly would like to have one.
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