Why do chefs decide to hand back their Michelin stars?
Especially when they’ve worked so hard to get them?
It’s an interesting phenomenon and it’s more common than you might think.
For some chefs, three Michelin stars is the pinnacle.
Like Gordon Ramsay. Who burst into tears when Michelin docked him two stars.
That’s how much it meant to him.
But other chefs take a different view.
They’re choosing to hand back their stars.
Like
Michael Bras, who wanted to “proceed with free spirit and without stress”...
Karen Keygnaert, who said “you lose the freedom to do what you want to do as a cook”…
And Andre Chiang, who wanted to “go back to where I started. A balanced life and cooking happily”.
I could go on.
But the themes are always the same.
And they boil down to this:
Why compromise your life to tick boxes for others?
Sometimes you need to try things to learn they’re not for you.
But there can also be a few clues before you get going.
Look at it this way:
My guess is that top chefs love what they do because cooking allows them to be creative.
To express themselves.
To share and care for others through food.
(I’m sure they simply love cooking and eating nice food too)
But as these chefs discovered…
You
don’t need a Michelin star to be imaginative in the kitchen, put a smile on someone’s face or cook great food.
Achieving the goal didn’t give them what they thought it would.
In fact, it was even worse.
The Michelin stars restricted them. The stars got in the way of what these chefs loved.
Clearly not all chefs hand back their Michelin stars. In fact, most chefs don’t.
And I presume the chefs that don’t are in it for different reasons.
They may value status, excellence and recognition.
Or they value having something big to aim for. It could help with focus and process.
Or they're providing for their loved ones. A Michelin star may give them greater capacity to look after their family.
In which case a Michelin star could be the right goal.
Though I have a sneaky suspicion that there are also chefs with a star who would love to hand it back…
But for one reason or another don’t feel like they can.
Why do I have this suspicion?
Because I know just how hard it can be to change direction or push back against what’s normal….
Especially after sacrificing years of your life.
This is why it’s so important to consider why you’re chasing a goal before you go after it.
And to keep asking why. Because your reason why can change over time.
On which note I'm going to wrap this up.
Catch you tomorrow.
- Tom
p.s. Whenever you're ready, here are the ways you can connect with me