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| Michelin lets French chef be first to pull out of guide | Michelin lets French chef be first to pull out of guide |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A prestigious food guide has allowed a top French restaurant to publicly withdraw from its listings. | A prestigious food guide has allowed a top French restaurant to publicly withdraw from its listings. |
| Sebastien Bras's Le Suquet restaurant in southern France held Michelin's three-star rating for 18 years. | |
| He shocked the food world in September when he decided to give up his top rating, saying he no longer wanted to cook under the "huge pressure" of being judged by its inspectors. | |
| It is the first time Michelin has ever allowed a restaurant to bow out. | It is the first time Michelin has ever allowed a restaurant to bow out. |
| "It is difficult for us to have a restaurant in the guide which does not wish to be in it," Michelin spokesperson Claire Dorland Clauzel told AFP news agency. She said other restaurants had dropped out when chefs retired or the concept had changed. | "It is difficult for us to have a restaurant in the guide which does not wish to be in it," Michelin spokesperson Claire Dorland Clauzel told AFP news agency. She said other restaurants had dropped out when chefs retired or the concept had changed. |
| The gastronomic bible's decision comes after Mr Bras, 46, spoke out about no longer being able to deal with knowing that just one below-par dish could jeopardise his reputation. | The gastronomic bible's decision comes after Mr Bras, 46, spoke out about no longer being able to deal with knowing that just one below-par dish could jeopardise his reputation. |
| "You're inspected two or three times a year, you never know when. Every meal that goes out could be inspected," he told AFP. | "You're inspected two or three times a year, you never know when. Every meal that goes out could be inspected," he told AFP. |
| "That means that every day one of the 500 meals that leaves the kitchen could be judged." | "That means that every day one of the 500 meals that leaves the kitchen could be judged." |
| Mr Bras's famed restaurant in Laguiole, which he took over from his father a decade ago, will not be featured in the 2018 edition of the Michelin guide to be published next Monday. | Mr Bras's famed restaurant in Laguiole, which he took over from his father a decade ago, will not be featured in the 2018 edition of the Michelin guide to be published next Monday. |
| Competitive chefs coping with perfection | Competitive chefs coping with perfection |
| Twenty-seven French restaurants are in the elite club of holding Michelin's maximum three-star rating. | Twenty-seven French restaurants are in the elite club of holding Michelin's maximum three-star rating. |
| Mr Bras accepts that by relinquishing his stars, "maybe I will be less famous". He says he is keen to "start a new chapter" in his restaurant's history, away from the ultra-competitive world of Michelin-star cooking. | Mr Bras accepts that by relinquishing his stars, "maybe I will be less famous". He says he is keen to "start a new chapter" in his restaurant's history, away from the ultra-competitive world of Michelin-star cooking. |
| He confessed that like "all chefs", he sometimes thought of fellow Frenchman Bernard Loiseau, who took his own life in 2003. His death was widely linked to rumours that he would lose his third Michelin star. | He confessed that like "all chefs", he sometimes thought of fellow Frenchman Bernard Loiseau, who took his own life in 2003. His death was widely linked to rumours that he would lose his third Michelin star. |
| While Mr Bras's restaurant is the first to be removed voluntarily from the Michelin guide, it is not the first luxury eatery to shake itself of its stars. | While Mr Bras's restaurant is the first to be removed voluntarily from the Michelin guide, it is not the first luxury eatery to shake itself of its stars. |
| In 2005, the late Alain Senderens closed his three-star Art Nouveau Paris restaurant, claiming he'd had enough of the agony of perfection. He is quoted as saying he wanted to do "beautiful cuisine without all the tra-la-la and chichi". | In 2005, the late Alain Senderens closed his three-star Art Nouveau Paris restaurant, claiming he'd had enough of the agony of perfection. He is quoted as saying he wanted to do "beautiful cuisine without all the tra-la-la and chichi". |
| Olivier Roellinger closed his lavish Breton restaurant three years later, saying he wanted a quieter life. | Olivier Roellinger closed his lavish Breton restaurant three years later, saying he wanted a quieter life. |
| Finally, Danish chef Rene Redzepi forfeited the two stars he won for his Noma restaurant last year. He closed the eatery in order to move it to another part of Copenhagen, saying it was "necessary to break down a castle in order to build a new one". | Finally, Danish chef Rene Redzepi forfeited the two stars he won for his Noma restaurant last year. He closed the eatery in order to move it to another part of Copenhagen, saying it was "necessary to break down a castle in order to build a new one". |