(Communicated)
Chef Guy Savoy in his restaurant in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, November 29, 2022 (AFP/Archives/JOEL SAGET)
Thunderbolt in the world of gastronomy: the Michelin guide on Monday withdrew their third star from the tables of Guy Savoy, one of the most famous chefs in the world, and Rochelais Christopher Coutanceau.
“These are exceptional restaurants, so you can imagine that these are decisions that are carefully considered, supported by numerous visits from our inspectors throughout the year,” Gwendal Poullennec told AFP. the boss of the guide.
The Restaurant Guy Savoy, at the Monnaie de Paris, on the banks of the Seine, and that of Christopher Coutanceau in La Rochelle are concerned.
Michelin’s decision to downgrade tables was announced exactly a week before the publication of the red guide and a ceremony in Strasbourg to welcome new stars.
Three restaurants also lost their second star: the Alpaga table in Megève, Jean-Luc Tartarin in Le Havre and the Restaurant Michel Sarran in Toulouse. On the side of the first stars, the balance sheet is heavier, with 20 tables which are demoted.
Aware of the emotional and economic impact of such an announcement, twenty years after the suicide of chef Bernard Loiseau, the Michelin boss met Christopher Coutanceau on Monday and spoke on the phone with Guy Savoy.
– “Palpable emotion” –
“The emotion was palpable. I would like to salute the elegance of the reception of this news by the chefs and the dignity. They are ready to move forward, to set out again to conquer the star”, said saluted Mr. Poullennec, in this strategic position since September 2018.
The shock is particularly harsh for Guy Savoy, an internationally renowned chef, holder of three Michelin stars since 2002.
Last November, he was voted best chef in the world for the 6th time in a row, according to the La Liste ranking.
Christopher Coutanceau in his restaurant in La Rochelle on January 28, 2020 (AFP/Archives/XAVIER LEOTY)
“So far I’ve only had the best moments in my career. Tonight I’m thinking of the teams and I’ll talk to them tomorrow. We lost the game this year but we’ll win it again next year “said Guy Savoy to AFP in the wake of the announcement of his demotion.
For Christopher Coutanceau, the pill is also bitter: he had obtained his 3rd macaroon just before the first confinement.
Shortly after, he had to close the restaurant opened by his father in the 80s and adapt by offering take-out. Contacted by AFP, Alice Coutanceau, wife and press officer of Christopher, indicated that she did not want to make “any comment on the Michelin decision”.
“The context was difficult for the profession during the Covid. Afterwards, the profession had to face other challenges: the shortage of labour, inflationary pressure, the scarcity of certain products in the kitchen. So, yes, there are challenges for restaurateurs but these are challenges for everyone”, insisted Mr. Poullennec.
The guide, which rains and shines every year in the world of gastronomy, had not announced the loss of the 3rd star since 2020 (except in the event of closure).
After 55 years at the top, and while he had embarked on a major enterprise of reinvention, the historic restaurant of Paul Bocuse, in Collonges-au-Mont-d’Or, had then lost this high distinction.
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© 2023 AFP
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