What chefs think of the elimination of the Michelin green star
The Michelin Guide evaluated the entire Czech Republic for the very first time in 2025, and on that occasion it awarded four green stars. The recipients were the restaurants Štangl, Sůl a řepa, Leaf, and Dvůr Perlová voda. But now, just a few months later, the guide is discontinuing the award, meaning the green star will be suspended, and recipients will no longer be allowed to use the symbol in their communications and presentations to guests.
Michelin announced the end of the awards in the second half of May, without fanfare. The news came against the backdrop of the announcementof a new editorial platform called Mindful Voices, which aims to “highlight the stories and pioneering practices of chefs, hoteliers, and winemakers.”
In that article, Michelin did not explain its reasons, and these were only shared later in an interview with Le Chef by Gwendal Poullennec. According to him, legislative reasons are behind the sudden discontinuation of the award. Under new legal standards, visual icons indicating sustainability can be perceived as official certificates or labels.
“The green star was not intended as a label in the administrative sense of the word. Such a label presupposes a completely different—even almost opposite—approach than the one we advocate for,” said Poullennec. He emphasises that the Michelin Guide has adhered to a purely editorial approach for 126 years: “We have never been concerned with certifying infrastructure, but rather evaluating experiences.”
The challenge of evaluating sustainability
The awards have also faced criticism within the industry. Chefs didn't find them transparent enough, and even opposed the evaluation methods, where the form was filled out by people from the establishment itself, and instead of inspectors touring the kitchens or taking a long-term interest in the work of the chefs there. And can sustainability really be measured?
“The word ‘sustainability’ has been overused in the culinary world. In recent years its meaning has been redefined and is finally being expanded to include all aspects that need to be addressed in restaurant operations. By eliminating the green star, Michelin seems to be saying that we should strive for improvement for our own sake and for the world around us, not for the sake of an award. It’s also true that sustainability is difficult to evaluate. It’s a mindset that isn’t necessarily reflected in the technique or quality of the food,” reflects writer Blanka Datinská.
She adds that, from the start, the green star was meant to highlight those who look beyond the edge of the plate. “For me, it was a reward for effort, not for perfection. It wasn’t so much about certification as it was about motivation. We’re human, and in my opinion, 100% sustainability is a difficult goal to achieve. That’s why the daily commitment to maintaining a healthy restaurant ecosystem is more important.”
František Skopec, creative head chef at Ambiente restaurants, sees sustainability as his professional compass. “It’s possible that overuse is causing this word to lose its power and meaning. But that’s not the case for me. As chefs, we should strive toward an ideal that doesn’t burden nature, the staff, or the wallets of guests and restaurant owners. I disagree with radical stances on either side. To put it bluntly, I say that food scraps like vegetable peels don’t belong in a tasty dish, but needlessly trimming ingredients without using them also seems pointless to me. The rule still stands: everything in moderation.”
Education, inspiration, motivation
Michelin has decided to highlight restaurants through the Mindful Voices platform, which, unlike the green star, has no formal character, icon, or logo.
“I’m a little sad about this, as the green star had strong symbolic significance. At the same time, though, I think this is a step in the right direction. Restaurants will have more opportunity to show what they’re actually doing to promote sustainability. For many people, the green star was somewhat anonymous, and it was often unclear what a restaurant had actually done to earn it. It might have come across as just a marketing label. Now, hopefully, it will be possible to better explain the real story and the work behind it,” says Martin Štangl, head chef at Štangl, a restaurant that has earned both a green and a red star.
Michelin aims to highlight not only the establishments themselves but also the people who embody a sustainable approach in restaurants.
“This format makes a lot of sense to us because it allows us to talk more about our relationships with farmers and suppliers, our approach to ingredients, and the day-to-day decisions in the kitchen. That’s exactly what we’ve been trying to communicate ourselves for a long time. If the new format creates more space for sharing stories and experiences, we view it positively and as another natural way to bring our values closer to our guests and the wider public,” adds Martin Štangl.
The authenticity of Czech cuisine
The head chefs of the award-winning restaurants are more or less unanimous in agreeing that their work remains unchanged. They may lose a powerful marketing tool, but they will continue to build on the principles of sustainability. For Martin Štangl, these are an integral and natural part of the restaurant. He does not view the emphasis on local and seasonal ingredients as a limitation, but rather as an impetus that sparks creativity in the kitchen, as it forces chefs to think more deeply and differently about ingredients and techniques.
“Sustainability is inherent to Czech cuisine, which historically draws on what is currently growing and thriving in the local landscape. Our cuisine was sustainable long before we gave it that label. We want to remind people that food creates a connection between people and the landscape, and it is precisely that connection that is disrupted today,” he explains.
As Martin adds, the menu shouldn’t adapt only to the season, but also to the team. And it starts with him. “As head chef, I have to know how to take care of people, motivate them, and take an interest in them. If I create conditions for the team where they can work well and enjoy their work, it will be sustainable. A tired person doesn’t work with precision and lacks the energy to think about how to do things better.”
František Skopec offers a similar response to the question about the future of sustainability in restaurants. “What should businesses focus on? On satisfied staff. Satisfied staff equals satisfied guests. Without that, a restaurant—even one with otherwise excellent food—cannot operate sustainably over the long term.”
