Gwendall Poullennec | International Director of the Michelin Guides
The director of the bible of gastronomy reviews a gala in which Spain has received the largest meteor shower in the world
It’s useless trying to get a compromising statement out of him. Gwendal Poullennecc, the international director of the Michelin guides, knows the corporate communication manual by heart. He receives us first thing in the morning at a hotel in Toledo, after a memorable night in which the red guide showered Spanish cuisine with up to 34 stars. He smiles satisfied, he may be the only one of those who were at the Toledo gala who didn’t have a hangover the next day. Thanks to his inspectorate, many toasted that night.
-The guide has brought good news for Spain…
-Good? I would say excellent. If we compare it with the rest of the international guides, the Spanish one is the strongest and most dynamic. Two new three stars, three with two and up to 29 with one, is the biggest breakthrough starred by the red guide worldwide in 2022. Restaurants are flourishing across the country and some regions have had a spectacular takeoff after covid . It’s not a Michelin thing. We have not changed our approach or our methodology, but a reflection of the dynamism that Spanish gastronomy is experiencing. There are many young, daring, innovative chefs excited about new projects and carrying them out successfully. It is an impressive moment, which also gives rise to great hopes for the future. That could be felt at the gala, which was full of emotions and good news. !! Congratulations!!
-Atrio has been a serious third star contender for a long time, why now?
-For us, everything revolves around the experience of the public, which in their case has always been very refined, but in recent years they have continued to strengthen their proposal, being more and more consistent. To the point that they managed to convince all the inspectors who visited them this year. At that level, they go as many times as necessary, including several senior international inspectors, to ensure that we are facing a world-class destination. And of course it is.
Expectations
“If someone travels to visit a three-star, we have to make sure it’s worth it”
-The Torres brothers have managed to get ahead of others who have been playing in the pools for years -Enjoy, Mugaritz, Coque-, why is it?
-We constantly supervise the work of the restaurants and try to do it fairly, regardless of the fame or influence that the chef may have. We are not the who’s who of international gastronomy. Our inspectors work as in a blind tasting, without paying too much attention to the context or trajectory. What are they capable of transmitting? It is a question of maturity, regularity and delivery. The Torres continue to challenge themselves every day and take nothing for granted, which I believe is the key to success. With three stars, if someone travels from the other side of the world to visit your restaurant, we have to make sure it’s worth it.
-A large part of that experience depends on the room staff, why does only the chef go up to collect the star?
-It is clear that the success of a restaurant depends on both the kitchen and the dining room. Michelin does not consider that the stars belong to the chef, even if he acts as spokesperson. It is a way of putting the focus on those who work more than on the owners and that is why they are the ones who go on stage, but we know that it is all teamwork. Sometimes we have chefs who get stars in several restaurants but do not work every day in them, in which case their success is knowing how to train other chefs.
a man’s world
-The photo of the winners continues to be overwhelmingly masculine, do you plan to do something so that there are more women with stars?
-It must be recognized that, although there are more and more in the brigades, there are still not many women in chef positions. But that is not why we are going to change our focus, our quality standards or our commitment to readers to get women in the guide. It would not be fair, nor do I think it is the correct way to approach the problem. What we can do is raise awareness and try to encourage women to reach positions of responsibility, but it is a problem of promotion within the sector, rather than of our evaluation system. If we find successful women within the industry, of course we will put an additional interest.
-Will they ever give a star to a traditional cuisine restaurant?
-We do, in Japan, for example, we find very immersive experiences of historical cuisine with two or three Michelin stars, or in China, with haute cuisine styles deeply rooted in tradition. Spain has had a very innovative gastronomic scene and in a way that is what we have reflected. But we also see many young people diving into their culinary heritage, going back to their roots and local products. If traditional cuisine returns and we find restaurants with sufficient quality, we will be more than happy to recognize you with stars.
-Lists, guides, magazines come and go. What is Michelin’s secret to last more than a hundred years?
-I would say that it is a combination of two factors: having a long-term vision and consistency. We have been doing the same for a long time and maintaining very high standards. For the French we are the reference for great French cuisine, but also for the Japanese, the Americans or the Spanish. It is a global brand with a global reputation precisely for having remained true to values and a methodology. That makes us trustworthy.
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