Why One French Chef Sued Michelin Guide Over A Cheese Soufflé

Quick: What separates a good chef from a great chef? A delectable menu, sure. Outstanding food pairings, of course. And passion — can't forget passion. That desire to push the boundaries and make delicious food causes good chefs to become great.

And so it is with Michelin stars. Receiving a star can mean a boon to a restaurant's bottom line, with sold-out seatings and waiting lists for newly-starred eateries. Conversely, losing a Michelin star can decimate the future of a restaurant, putting on hold profits, quashing plans to expand or renovate, and (let's be honest) totally embarrass and demoralize the chef and the back of house staff.

The Michelin star scoring system is elusive, considered to be one of the industry's best-kept secrets — which is exactly why one French chef decided to do something about it. According to CNN Travel, La Maison des Bois' chef Marc Veyrat filed a complaint in 2019 after his eatery lost its coveted Michelin three-star status in January. After losing a star, Veyrat requested the court compel the legendary guide to share notes or any other documentation that would explain why his restaurant lost its status.

The Haute Savoie-based restaurant claims the Michelin inspector reported incorrect information. In what the chef's counsel has dubbed "cheddar gate," Veyrant asserted that the Michelin Guide inspector who documented the restaurant said he used the cheese as a component of a soufflé. In what is most likely a courtroom first, the lawyer for the restaurant spent 10 minutes (and showed a video) of what exactly is in the soufflé and how it's made.

The lawsuit demanded the scoring and documentation of the visit, plus the names of the people who ate the soufflé. However, Richard Malka, lawyer for the guide, explained that it's not how the star system works; forcing evaluators to be named goes against both the spirt and the nature of the Michelin guide. "There is no legal framework that protects the anonymous nature of our inspectors for gourmet critique but if you take the anonymity away, the critique goes with it," Malka told the court (via CNN Travel). 

Veyrant also asked to be removed from the Michelin guide, stating he didn't need the inclusion for his restaurant to be successful. "People come to our restaurant for my cuisine and my personality," the chef proclaimed. But those words might have come back to haunt Veyrat — the chef lost his legal battle when the court ruled the claimant had offered no "proof showing the existence of any damage" attributable to losing a star (via The New York Times).