Why is Marco Pierre White saying no to the Michelin Guide?

It has been revealed that Marco Pierre White has asked the Michelin Guide not to send inspectors to his new Singapore restaurant.

• Read the original article on Channel News Asia
• What does it take to win a Michelin Star?
• Why did this chef choose to return his Michelin Star?

The renowned chef opens his new restaurant the English House in Singapore this week has asked Michelin not to send inspectors to appraise his restaurant.

Speaking to CAN Lifestyle, he said that the Michelin Guide wrote to him asking if he would like The English House to be included in the Singapore Michelin Guide. His response was 'no'.

“I don’t need Michelin and they don’t need me,” he said. “They sell tyres and I sell food.”

He added: "I think what you got to do is to create an environment in which people wish to sit in. You have to create a menu which is interesting to people. You have to create food which is delicious and affordable. I think that’s what’s important. And you have to hope that people choose to spend their hard-earned income at your business. There are no guarantees.”

This is not Marco’s first rejection of the Michelin Guide. He famously handed back his three Michelin stars awarded to Restaurant Marco Pierre White in 1999 after becoming the youngest ever chef to be awarded such an accolade. He then subsequently retired from cooking at his eponymous restaurant.

He subsequently spoke to The Guardian about his decision four years later:

“The people who gave me Michelin stars had less knowledge than me. You have to place a value on something that is given to you: that’s why it was so easy for me to walk away. They had no value for me.”

The English House is set to open this week and will be in a colonial shophouse with its menu focusing on British classics.