Michelin Guide UK 2021: public tickets to be made available for this year's awards ceremony

Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Deputy Editor

The 2021 Michelin Guide awards ceremony for the UK and Ireland will take place at The Roundhouse in Camden on October 19th, 2020.

The Michelin Guide announced the news on social media, adding that, for the first time, members of the public will be able to attend the ceremony.

When will the Michelin Guide 2021 be released?

We are delighted to announce that the MICHELIN Star Revelation for Great Britain & Ireland 2021 will take place at the iconic Camden Roundhouse on October 19, 2020 – and for the first time, members of the public will be able to celebrate with us!
— The MICHELIN Guide (@MichelinGuideUK) February 26, 2020

In yet another surprise move, there will be a separate awards ceremony on October 18th for restaurants having received a Bib Gourmand, the guide's accolade for restaurants offering what it deems good quality meals at good value.

And another first! There will be a separate event on October 18, 2020 for all the Bib Gourmands. They receive a higher profile every year – and rightly so.
More information will be available later in the year
— The MICHELIN Guide (@MichelinGuideUK) February 26, 2020

Both of these measures will come as a surprise, as, until recently, restaurants found out if they featured in the guide on the phone, by email or by letter, as the awards ceremony only launched four years ago. Assumedly the public will have to pay to attend the ceremony, which could explain the guide's decision, but may embroil it in controversy.

The guide's attempts to remain relevant - amid questions about its neutrality in some of its new regions, not to mention outrage at some of its more radical decisions - in a world of user-generated content were called into question late last year, when it announced a partnership with controversial online review platform TripAdvisor.

However it is unlikely to ruffle as many feathers as the AA's recent introduction of a fee for restaurants to be eligible to receive AA Rosettes - a move seen as inevitable by some, but outrageous by others. Chef Dean Banks said he relinquished his place in the restaurant guide as he refused to pay the requested £180.

The @AAHospitality is out today!! You may notice @HaarRestaurant is not in it. Thats because they came to visit me with big smiles and good chat and just before leaving asked for me to pay!! Hahaha swiftly told them to fuck off! I shall stick to @MichelinGuideUK thank you.
— ChefDeanBanks (@banks_chef) February 17, 2020

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