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If Rick Stein is such a great chef, especially with fish, why has he never won a Michelin star on any of his restaurants, though I will admit some of his protegés have, wit Nathan Outlaw.....???
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True, Eccles....I've eaten 4 or 5 times chez lui, excluding his fish and chip outlets....there, he has a product that is 'commercial and well marketed.' However, his fish cooking has never grabbed me - have you tried his Winchester outlet?
Maybe it's that the top level of fish cooking is much harder to achieve 'star' recognition??
I quite enjoy his TV programmes though.
Maybe it's that the top level of fish cooking is much harder to achieve 'star' recognition??
I quite enjoy his TV programmes though.
I'm not sure the absence of a Michelin star is a bad thing. From what I've seen of rick steins cooking, he doesn't go in for all the fancy faffing about with foams and tiny dots of this and that then calling it a sauce. I think most of what he does is too simple for Michelin, and in my book that's a good thing.
The whole Michelin star guide is one of those things ,that once you decide to go for it,you suddenly realise,hmm,perhaps I didn't think this through.
For while having a Michelin star,(or two,or three) outside your restaurant is very good for the Ego,and your menu prices (and there-for,profit),it also comes with a hefty monetary and psychological price tag.
Let me explain...
A Michelin star is not a happy coincidence.You have to apply to become a member of the Michelin guide,(and the continued costs of remaining so),The guide expects certain standards to be set,and met.Always.
You are not told when you are going to be assessed,(which,I suppose is a good thing),BUT,it does mean that every meal that leaves the counter has to be PERFECT.Always.
It also means that your decor is perfect,every day.Always.
That your cutlery,crockery,and glass-wear is perfect,every day.Always.
That your food uses only the finest,freshest produce available to you,stocks,sauces,glazes, etc are freshly made,and perfect.Every day.Always.
Believe me,having a Michelin star is no 'easy ride'.In many respects,it can be a curse.Having to be 'perfect'all the time is bl***y well near impossible,and IT WILL take a toll on your chefs,your standards will drop,and as a consequence,guess what, that's right,you loose your star !!
There is a certain type of person,who,er,how do I say this politely,equates their self-worth with being seen to indulge in the best the culinary world has to offer,and as soon as your place acquires a 'star'or two,your bookings will increase ten-fold.Should you be sooo good,to acquire 3 stars,then that increase will run into the 1000's,and you'll be fully booked for the next couple of YEARS,and I ain't joking..Being certain of your profit margins for the foresee-able future is fantastic for the caterer, IF you can keep up the standards.There's nothing in this world as fickle as a 'fine diner',a couple of duff reviews in the guide,or a 'bad day',and you loose a star,well,your knackered.
All those years of working 18.5 hours a day,6 days a week,no holidays to speak of,all down the pan.And all because all those 'nice people' who would patiently wait 2 years for a table at a 3 star gaff ,'wouldn't be seen dead at a 2 star one' start cancelling their bookings in droves.
So all those improvements you made,the nicer decorations,new crockery,glasses new kitchen equipment you've bought and installed,with the money the bank forwarded to you on proof of projected profit earnings...Do you see where I'm going with this ?
Before you decided to go with this 'star thing',you were just a little ol' restaurant,happy to do your own thing,you had a happy crew working for you ,and your financial worries were easy enough to handle.Now where are you ?
You're in the ***,and whats left of your kitchen crew ,would happily stab you in the face ,as easily as they could prepare some brunoise of veg for a consomme.You're the best part of 750,000 pounds in debt,and you've easily lost 2.5 million quid in projected profits.
You ask the Roux brothers,or Alain Ducasse,or even Marco Pierre White(before he took the easy way out,and went to over see the cooking on cruise ships),if the fame and notoriety was worth the bull-*** they had to endure to get there.
Michelin stars are very much like a roller coaster ride,The anticipation of getting to the top is quite exciting,but try leaving whilst on-board and you'll get severely ***d.
For while having a Michelin star,(or two,or three) outside your restaurant is very good for the Ego,and your menu prices (and there-for,profit),it also comes with a hefty monetary and psychological price tag.
Let me explain...
A Michelin star is not a happy coincidence.You have to apply to become a member of the Michelin guide,(and the continued costs of remaining so),The guide expects certain standards to be set,and met.Always.
You are not told when you are going to be assessed,(which,I suppose is a good thing),BUT,it does mean that every meal that leaves the counter has to be PERFECT.Always.
It also means that your decor is perfect,every day.Always.
That your cutlery,crockery,and glass-wear is perfect,every day.Always.
That your food uses only the finest,freshest produce available to you,stocks,sauces,glazes, etc are freshly made,and perfect.Every day.Always.
Believe me,having a Michelin star is no 'easy ride'.In many respects,it can be a curse.Having to be 'perfect'all the time is bl***y well near impossible,and IT WILL take a toll on your chefs,your standards will drop,and as a consequence,guess what, that's right,you loose your star !!
There is a certain type of person,who,er,how do I say this politely,equates their self-worth with being seen to indulge in the best the culinary world has to offer,and as soon as your place acquires a 'star'or two,your bookings will increase ten-fold.Should you be sooo good,to acquire 3 stars,then that increase will run into the 1000's,and you'll be fully booked for the next couple of YEARS,and I ain't joking..Being certain of your profit margins for the foresee-able future is fantastic for the caterer, IF you can keep up the standards.There's nothing in this world as fickle as a 'fine diner',a couple of duff reviews in the guide,or a 'bad day',and you loose a star,well,your knackered.
All those years of working 18.5 hours a day,6 days a week,no holidays to speak of,all down the pan.And all because all those 'nice people' who would patiently wait 2 years for a table at a 3 star gaff ,'wouldn't be seen dead at a 2 star one' start cancelling their bookings in droves.
So all those improvements you made,the nicer decorations,new crockery,glasses new kitchen equipment you've bought and installed,with the money the bank forwarded to you on proof of projected profit earnings...Do you see where I'm going with this ?
Before you decided to go with this 'star thing',you were just a little ol' restaurant,happy to do your own thing,you had a happy crew working for you ,and your financial worries were easy enough to handle.Now where are you ?
You're in the ***,and whats left of your kitchen crew ,would happily stab you in the face ,as easily as they could prepare some brunoise of veg for a consomme.You're the best part of 750,000 pounds in debt,and you've easily lost 2.5 million quid in projected profits.
You ask the Roux brothers,or Alain Ducasse,or even Marco Pierre White(before he took the easy way out,and went to over see the cooking on cruise ships),if the fame and notoriety was worth the bull-*** they had to endure to get there.
Michelin stars are very much like a roller coaster ride,The anticipation of getting to the top is quite exciting,but try leaving whilst on-board and you'll get severely ***d.
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