Pétrus poised to win five rosettes after AA review
The AA Restaurant Guide has admitted that it may have been wrong not to make its highest award to the London restaurant Pétrus in the forthcoming edition of its guide. It is understood that it has now reversed its decision and that Pétrus will be given five rosettes.
The reversal was preceded by some backtracking by AA managing director Roger Wood. He argued in a statement that when he said London restaurant Pétrus would not be awarded five rosettes in the AA's 2003 Restaurant Guide, he was not issuing an order but merely giving an opinion.
What Wood explicitly said in writing to inspectors in May was: "We will not increase their [Pétrus's] rosettes."
Wright understood this to be a clear ruling and resigned on a matter of principle.
Wright took the view that Wood's "ruling" went against the views of the guide's professional inspectors and quit on the grounds that it had become "ethically impossible" for him to stay in his job.
Wood's statement read: "It may be that my personal views may have been given undue weight in the decision-making process about the AA rosette award for Pétrus. I have therefore asked Albert Hampson, business manager, AA hotel services, who is responsible for the Restaurant Guide, to reconvene the AA Merit Awards Committee to review the decision to ensure that the AA Restaurant Guide continues to give the best possible guidance to its readers and to users of the AA's information."
Wood was unavailable for comment but an AA spokeswoman said: "The Merit Awards Committee took what Roger Wood said to mean that Pétrus should not get five rosettes and when they made their decision, they took his views into account."
Asked to categorically confirm or deny whether Wood had ordered that Pétrus should not get five rosettes, she added: "It depends on how a company is run as to whether it is a view or an order."
It is understood the committee met on Friday and reversed the decision on Pétrus.
It also emerged this week that senior food inspector Sarah Peart has resigned from the AA guide. The spokeswoman said she was moving to the South of France. She added: "I cannot confirm whether it [her resignation] is because of the events."
Asked whether the AA would reinstate Wright, she said: "It is a matter for the human resources management team to discuss."
On the question of whether Wood would resign, she replied: "Why would the managing director of the AA leave over one small matter like this? I think this has been blown up out of all proportion."
by Louise Bozec
Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 1-7 August 2002
