the Michelin stars are currently the highest award as Chef can ever dream of achieving one star means the place is excellent two stars means it's worth a detour in three well three is worth its own special trip a vacation centered entirely around a meal with some restaurants booked for months in advance they're used by the Michelin guy yes that same Michelin to rate the quality of top restaurants there are currently only 137 or so restaurants in the entire world with a three Michelin star rating it is the ultimate accomplishment the Pinnacle of culinary success so
who would be crazy enough to give them up well Marco Pierre White isn't exactly normal he's one of the most famous and well-respected chefs restaurant tours and television Personalities in culinary history but in 1999 he turned the cooking world on its head by giving back all three of his Michelin stars it put into question the value of the Stars themselves if one of the greatest chefs in history didn't want them were they even worth anything morning leads England in 1961 he began cooking right out of high school studying under respected chefs such as Albert Rouge
and Pierre Kaufman both renowned for their French cooking techniques Marco would eventually go on to open up his own restaurant Harvey's in 1987 with his long disheveled hair and how should I put this extensive dating resume he became known as a rock star of sorts though his life was anything but luxurious Marco would work six days a week 16 hours a day this workload would create an immense amount of stress and as a result he was notoriously fickle about customer etiquette and never shied away from confrontation someone told me that you you kicked out eight
people in the last two weeks eight people in two weeks God and Below Paul Harvey's was his entire life Marco would eventually go on to win his third Michelin star at the age of 33 becoming the youngest Chef to ever reach that status at the time his passion for cooking and confident yet simple approach to the French style received worldwide Acclaim even becoming a mentor to several successful chefs one of which was Gordon Ramsay who at one point Marco even made cry I didn't make Gordon Ramsay cry he made himself cry that was his choice
to cry Marco would go on to open several successful restaurants in the London area and has received nearly endless Acclaim for his contributions to the culinary World despite a career that could rival that of any chef in history he was never one to get comfortable in his progression constantly pushing the boundaries for what was possible as a chef though Mirko would eventually come to a realization at the Pinnacle of culinary success he was miserable and in 1999 he would shock The Culinary World by retiring and giving back all three of his Stars his reasoning was
simple and this little thought came to my head and that thought was Marco you're being judged by people who have less knowledge than you so what's it all worth what have I worked all these years for he didn't want to become a prisoner of his own career nor could he simply hire someone to run it for him since he saw that as a scam by his logic if the chef didn't have a hand in cooking it wasn't his food there were also other aspects of his life he wanted to focus on the life of a
chef is incredibly time consuming and Marco felt his pursuit of culinary success was creating a lapse of fulfillment in the areas he felt mattered most I'd leave home early morning my two sons are sleeping I'd come home every night and they're sleeping six days a week the only time I really saw them was on a Sunday or their mother would bring them to say hello to me for a cup of coffee just before lunch service the Stars also stopped him from expressing himself creatively he was so occupied with keeping them that he couldn't explore his
passion on his own terms he was confined to a routine and he couldn't take risks as a result cooking became boring to him now to most people receiving one two or three Michelin stars is seen as a sign of exceptional quality and skill and it can significantly boost the reputation and success of a restaurant as a chef it's important to receive recognition and validation for how far you've progressed in your passion these accolades serve as reassurance that what you're doing is working and that you're performing at the top level but maintaining Michelin stars can also
be challenging and it requires a significant investment of time resources and effort I'm here 18 hours a day six days a week this is like my house this is like my home some chefs and restaurateurs have argued that the pursuit of Michelin stars can distract from the true purpose of cooking and Hospitality to create memorable experiences for guests they've said that the pursuit of Michelin stars and other Awards can create unhealthy competition and drive up costs making it difficult for restaurants to thrive Marco Pierre White's decision to give up his Michelin stars was seen as
a rejection of the old values and it sparked discussions about the roles of awards and accolades in The Culinary world three stars were considered the Pinnacle of culinary success but Marco would unexpectedly flip this narrative on its head and over the next few decades other chefs would be brave enough to follow suit in 2017 French chef Sebastian Bros requested to be left out of the next edition of the Michelin guide blaming the unrelenting pressure on maintaining a fine dining Kitchen in December two thousand 19 Swedish cook Magnus Nielsen would close his two Michelin Star Eatery
favican stating he was exhausted and just wanted to spend more time with his family there have even been instances of chefs suing the Michelin guide some saw the critics as incompetent others felt that the random Anonymous arrivals of the Michelin critic would leave chefs on edge 24 7 patiently awaiting the review it was also concerning to be at the mercy of a single person's specific taste if the critic didn't have a preference for your Cuisine or simply was having a bad day who's to say it wouldn't reflect in your review there were a number of
factors outside of the chef's control that could potentially make or break a review the stress became unbearable in a more recent 2019 survey of British chefs commissioned by the Swiss Food Giant Nestle approximately two-thirds of chefs stated that they're overworked with 51 percent stating that they're dealing with at least some form of clinical depression 87 said that having more creative freedom in the workplace would greatly reduce their stress levels they wanted to be spontaneous and experiment Marco Pierre why highlighted the need for a more nuanced and sustainable approach to recognition and success in the restaurant
industry one that values creativity hospitality and guest experience over Awards and accolades despite the decision to give up as Michelin stars Marco Pierre White remains one of the most influential figures in The Culinary world and is easily one of the most recognizable TV Personalities in all of England Marco's dismissal of his Michelin stars has highlighted the pressures and expectations that top chefs and restaurateurs face in their pursuit of culinary Excellence I don't need their styles to be Marco anymore when I was young they were me they were my personality that was my Foundation it also
serves as a reminder of the importance of balancing personal and professional goals and the impact that such decisions can have on one's career and reputation if you burn yourself out your work unintentionally suffers what's the point of pursuing a passion if you aren't enjoying it at that point is it really even a passion it also highlights the importance of staying true to one's vision and values and May making decisions that align with one's long-term goals and aspirations your lifestyle needs to be sustainable and the toxic environment created by the pursuit of accolades directly affects that
Marco has since gone on to create his own restaurants but his approach this time is a little different he wants to bring good quality food at a more affordable price today if you look at these two and three style michelins they're producing a tank course dinner which is little canopies on a plate and the emphasis is put put into the actual presentation and let's not forget they're very technical but does technical mean delicious the pursuit of Michelin stars has created standards that are out of reach to the general public and even if they have the
money they may not necessarily have the status while Marco is not in the kitchen cooking he creates every menu for these restaurants every dish is his recipe he says that he's far more capable of influencing the culinary arts on the sidelines than in the kitchen dating I can inspire people by doing TV I can Inspire mothers to go and buy better produce and learn to cook and give their children better food even though I'm not behind in the stove anymore it doesn't mean I can't share my three-star knowledge or my three-star philosophy he even still
Cooks at home and still considers it his favorite pastime Marco decided to deviate from the standards that the culinary World imposed on him and if you look back at his success as a whole it's clear he's made the right choice [Music]
