Michelin Guide UK 2023: Michelin inspectors - who are they, how do they inspect and how to become one?

With the Michelin Guide UK 2023 set to launch next month The Michelin GUide has given an insight into the secretive process and steps that their inspectors take when deciding which restaurants are to be awarded one, two, or even three Michelin stars.

Whilst many of us imagine Michelin inspectors to be stern mysterious individuals, scribbling notes frantically into a leather-bound note during service, often this isn’t the case.

A recent article published on the Michelin Guide website explains how employees from the group behave like any other customers to ensure readers and fans of the Guide receive the same experiences they publish, with anonymity and independence being key traits for inspectors.

It adds that Michelin inspectors will always book a table under one of their assumed names order, eat lunch or dinner, and pay their bill in full, just like everyone else.

HOW TO BECOME A MICHELIN INSPECTOR

The Guide explains that to ensure restaurants are ranked properly and fairly, the job requires concrete expertise coupled with specific skills, including at least 10 years of solid experience in the restaurant and hotel industry.

They added that inspectors must have a very fine palate, and be able to put aside personal tastes to judge the cuisine of an establishment as objectively as possible.

As well as having an extensive knowledge of the produce, terroirs and culinary cultures of the world.

WHAT DO MICHELIN INSPECTORS LOOK FOR?

The article published on the Guide's website lists five criteria that inspectors user during their assessments:

• The quality of ingredients 
• The mastery of culinary techniques
• The harmony of flavours
• The personality and emotion that the chef conveys in the dishes
• Consistency throughout the entire menu and across different visits

The article cites that these five crucial criteria represent the touchstone of Michelin Guide inspection teams internationally, guaranteeing the homogeneity of the Guide's selections and, since they are only applied to the cuisine served by an establishment, make it possible to evaluate all types of restaurants and culinary offerings, from a food court in Taiwan to a restaurant in a luxury hotel in Paris.

It reveals that inspectors are true professionals driven by curiosity – inveterate connoisseurs with a passion for food. They love exploring culinary scenes across the globe, tracking the evolution of new destinations, discovering fresh talent, and sharing their top tips wherever they may be.

DO MICHELIN INSPECTORS WORK WITH EACH OTHER?

Explaining how final verdicts are made, the article explains that Michelin inspectors work as a team, updating their selection and making each of their decisions in a collegial manner, based on their respective visits to each of the restaurants over the course of the year.

The aim for inspectors is to ensure that their recommendations are as objective and up-to-date as possible, and that the awards have the same value from London to San Francisco, Copenhagen to Tokyo.

The article oulines that the famous Michelin Stars are decided at special meetings attended by the International Director of the MICHELIN Guides, the local editor and all of the Inspectors involved in making a selection.

The Stars are the object of great attention and are awarded unanimously.

If any disagreement remains about an establishment, further visits are organised until a consensus is reached!