Michelin Guide retires green star

The Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland has announced the retirement of its green star, which was awarded to restaurants pioneering sustainable practices across their menus and operations.

The green star, which was launched in 2020, was a mark of environmental quality, with new restaurants announced annually alongside each new edition of the Michelin guide.

The guide has said the green star will be "gradually phased out”, with the 37 green-starred restaurants across UK and Ireland set to lose their accolades at the end of this year.

In its place, Michelin has launched a new editorial initiative entitled Mindful Voices.

Set to launch next month at the Michelin Guide Nordics ceremony in Copenhagen, Denmark, Mindful Voices will “highlight and share the stories and pioneering practices of chefs, hoteliers and wine producers”.

Coinciding with the launch of the new editorial series “the green star, which was limited to gastronomy, will come to an end”.

Unlike the green star, Mindful Voice is not a formal accolade and will have no accompanying icon or logo.

This move follows months of growing speculation from operators across the industry, including former Green Star-awarded establishments, that the certification was set to be updated or retired.

International director of the Michelin Guide, Gwendal Poullennec, said: “Mindful Voices will give a platform to all those who are rewriting the rules in their respective fields.

“This new framework draws directly from what our inspection teams witness first-hand: encounters and experiences that are transforming how things are done and that deserve to be shared. Staying true to its identity and values, the Michelin Guide will amplify and give full resonance to these voices from the worlds of gastronomy, hospitality and wine, so that they can be heard, wherever they may be”.