Rocky road winds on for AA Guide
This hasn't been the best of summers for the AA Restaurant Guide. Its editor has resigned and the AA's managing director has been accused of attempting to overrule its professional inspectors. What next? David Harris reports.
When the AA merit awards committee for its Restaurant Guide was convened for an emergency meeting last Friday, the organisation must have hoped that it marked the end of an unhappy week. The seriousness with which the meeting was regarded was underlined when all present were asked to sign confidentiality agreements before the meeting began.
The meeting would never have been called but for the resignation of the Restaurant Guide‘s editor, Simon Wright.
As is now clear, Wright jumped ship because he felt that the managing director of the AA, Roger Wood, had used his rank to overrule the judgment of the AA's professional inspectors about the rating given to London restaurant Pétrus.
The AA's actions suggest that even the organisation accepts that Wright's resignation was at least partly justified.
But this is certainly not a complete climbdown on Wood's part. He continues to deny that his poor opinion of Pétrus (a personal judgement which he is sticking to) amounted to an order to inspectors not to follow their judgement and upgrade the restaurant in the guide. Instead, he says, it was just his "view" and not an instruction.
Wood's critics say that his version of events does not sit easily with a message he sent to inspectors in May, which confirmed his low opinion of chef-proprietor Marcus Wareing's restaurant. Wood wrote bluntly, with no form of qualification: "We will not increase their rosettes."
Wright himself is in no doubt. "For Roger Wood to say now that this was simply his input into a committee is ridiculous," he said. "It wasn't. It was a ruling."
Indeed, it was the fact that Wright felt it was more than just a "view" that made him feel he had to resign.
What has his resignation achieved? It seems extremely likely that it has already had the effect of making the AA reverse its decision. After last Friday's meeting, notwithstanding the confidentiality agreements, it now appears that Pétrus will get a five-rosette rating in the next AA Restaurant Guide after all.
But what now for Wright? Should he be offered his job back? And if that were to happen, would he feel able to accept it?
Certainly, there are some in the industry who believe that Wright has acquitted himself with such credit that they would like to see him back at the helm.
Chris Hutcheson, Gordon Ramsay's father-in-law and chief executive of Gordon Ramsay Holdings, of which Pétrus is a part, is a firm supporter. But he wonders if Wright would accept an offer, even if the AA asked him to return. "It would be very nice if Simon could be put back as editor," Hutcheson said, "but I'm not sure he would be able to accept with Wood still in charge."
Wright himself admits that, although he has a lot of respect for the inspectors he has left behind, the efforts the AA has made "to use spin for public relations damage limitation" have left "a sour taste" in his mouth.
But there is one thing he is unequivocally pleased about. This week he said: "I am absolutely convinced that the decision to give P‚trus five rosettes has already been made, and I welcome that."
However, he went on: "But I have to continue to question the whole way that this has been conducted. For me, there has obviously been the trauma of leaving my job, with all the uncertainty that involves.
"But it is not just me that has been affected. This has caused an awful lot of upset to the other inspectors. And none of it need have happened."
