As one who grew up with Michelin as the go-to guide – it and Elizabeth David’s cookery books were the starting points in those days for our family adventures in Europe – I’ve observed the way it has changed over the years and, as many have commented recently, it now feels far less assured than it once was. It still has a unique allure however, especially for competitive chefs (and ambitious restaurant owners) and also the media, which leads to frenzied speculation about stars – who / if / if not / what / how many etc.
This year was exceptional for Ireland, as their awards (which are relatively recent) came to Dublin. A somewhat baffling experience in many ways, they took over the Convention Centre, which was initially quite intimidating, and – unlike any equivalent Irish events, including our own (very small) awards – it was all strangely impersonal. Gordon Ramsay was the Special Guest, but it was meaningful contributions from relative unknowns like the delightful Sierra Leone Newcomer, Shwen Shwen, of Sevenoaks (“representing the under represented”) that saved the day a little.
Also some Irish inputs, notably a video from Glenlo Abbey (our own 5-Star Hotel of the Year), and it was nice to see their unique railway restaurant The Pullman get its star, along with Forest Avenue in Dublin, and we enjoyed the warmly sensible comments on the meaning of hospitality from Barbara Nealon of Saint Francis Provisions, Kinsale (Service Award). The excellent Larousse Foods contribution at the ‘cocktails’ afterwards also lent some much needed personality, with impressive Irish food displays, producers to chat to, and tasty nibbles.
There has been a lot of angst in the media about the small number of Irish gongs, especially the absent 2- and 3-star recognitions, but how relevant are they? There’s always been a feeling that Michelin doesn’t really get Ireland, and the Bib Gourmand category (defined as “restaurants where generosity is the order of the day, providing tremendous value for money without skimping on flavour”) is much more typical of the best Irish food anyway. As to whether Ireland deserves more attention, maybe we shouldn’t take it too personally – after all the population of Great Britain is around 70 million, while the combined number in the Republic and Northern Ireland is just a tenth of that…
