Welsh restaurant The Checkers ‘hands back’ their Michelin Star

The Staff Canteen

Why are the owners of The Checkers restaurant handing back their Michelin Star?

With the Michelin Guide UK 2019 set to be released in just over two weeks’ time, a restaurant located in Wales has made the decision to 'hand back' its Michelin Star.

The Checkers which is in Montgomery -  a historic market town on the Welsh border, offers classic French fine dining and luxury accommodation in Mid Wales is owned by Stéphane Borie, Sarah Francis and Kathryn Francis who have taken the decision to hand back their star. They have said that they no longer wish to have The Checkers listed in the Michelin Guide as they are ‘changing the direction of its business’.

The restaurant was first awarded a Michelin star in its opening year of 2011 and has maintained it ever since.

Stéphane will be moving away from cooking at the restaurant and plans to cook for private clients throughout the UK and Europe. The restaurant will be run by Sarah (Stéphane’s partner and her sister Kathryn).

Speaking to The Shropshire Star, Sarah said: “Of course it is tinged with sadness - we have treasured our star for seven years, it is the ultimate benchmark of our trade. To say we are in effect giving it back is huge.”

She continued: “But it is also exciting as we open The Checkers to a wider audience while staying true to what we all love – truly delicious food, a relaxing and friendly atmosphere in one of the most beautiful towns on the border.”

Chef-proprietor Stéphane and partner Sarah, both trained under the tutelage of renowned chef Michel Roux Senior, and collectively have built a reputation for delivering classical French cuisine in their restaurant. 

Stéphane said: “I have loved our time at The Checkers. Our business is unrecognisable from the start of our journey just over 10 years ago at The Herbert Arms.

“I feel immensely proud of what we have achieved and see this very much as our next step. Sarah is a superb chef and I have every faith in our team on this new adventure. And I will look forward to returning for pop-up dinners throughout the year.

In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall  – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.

The Staff Canteen

The Staff Canteen

Editor 20th September 2018

Welsh restaurant The Checkers ‘hands back’ their Michelin Star