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Michelin Guide Rouge - A Guide for the
21st Century? August '05
In the early 1900s, when there were but
3500 cars in all of France, Andre and
Edouard Michelin were the visionaries
that understood that the success of the
invention would require the journeys to
be as risk free as possible.

This was quite a feat as roads at that
time were not tarmac, nor were they
marked and the vehicles in question
frequently broke down. It fell upon the
'hired help' - as anyone wealthy enough
to own a car, also employed a chauffeur
- to navigate the safest route that would
include accommodation, fuelling,
servicing and tyre changing outlets.

And so the birth of the Michelin Guide.

By the mid 1920s there were over half a
million cars in France, a growth which
prompted Michelin to charge for the
Guide for the very first time. This era
also ushered the first Michelin Red
Guide that we know and understand
today - maps, recommended hotels,
restaurant ranking with stars and so on.
Nonetheless, Michelin remained
parochially French for a further half a
century before rapidly expanding around
Europe.

The anonymous inspection system and
closely guarded - some would say
shrouded - secrecy of the ranking criteria
remained. For whatever reason the star
awards from the Michelin Guide became
the key benchmark of success for chefs
across France and Europe as well as a
cultural phenomenon in France.

The Guide had moved unnoticed from a
manual for the privileged motorist to a
bible for the industry and tourist in equal
measure. However, there has been no
room for complacency, even the most
conservative and established
institutions must adapt to the times to
survive and flourish.

The dawning of the 21st century has
been a case in point and a turbulent ride
for Michelin, with both internal and
external challenges.

Internally, a former inspector, Pascal
Remy, resigned and wrote a potentially
explosive book called 'An Inspector at
the Table.' Monsieur Remy alleged an
array of less than noble practices, for
example, that certain three star awards
were retained by undeserving
restaurants for mutual marketing
purposes; that in one particular year
there were only a handful of inspectors
for the whole of France and most of
them were occupied with filtering old
data.

The response from Michelin was swift
and strong with full page newspaper
ads in France underlining their
principals and practices. An exercise
somewhat undermined by the gaffe of
awarding stars to the Ostend Queen in a
Benelux Guide prior to the opening of the
restaurant.

External pressures have also
come;noticeably from within the industry,
with several prominent chefs speaking
out at the cost, stress and unrelenting
pressure of seeking and retaining the
stars. A matter of particular prominence
in the last ten years with chefs "giving
up" their stars in protest.

Perhaps all of these happenings are
more a reflection of the downside of
success than an indicator of difficult
times? It might appear that the guides
have developed so much power they
may set the trends rather than measure
them; they may self serve rather than
reader inform; they may pressurise
rather than encourage.

Michelin consistently spell out that they
are not consultants to the industry but
designed to provide information to their
readers. That said, there are no end of
chefs seeking out the Holy Grail of the
Michelin formula or prescription for
recognition. This recognition extends far
beyond the ego; the stars make money
pure and simple.

However, the power of Michelin can only
be maintained should they sustain the
faith of the reader and while this may
have been shaken by Remy and Industry
events, the greater threat lies with
technology. The reader today is faced
with the near boundless opportunities
provided by the internet. This can be a
double edged sword for businesses -
adapt and find a wider audience or die.

A little dramatic perhaps, but millions of
restaurant visitors from around Europe
and the World are writing their views and
reviews online; a paperback guide is
relevant as a benchmark at a point in
time once a year, new internet reviews
are available daily. Shouldn't this
change make guides such as Michelin
obsolete? At the very least provide a
stern test of the strength of the brand?

Michelin have been quick to go some
way to embrace this potential threat as
an opportunity with the development of
the online www.viamichelin.com; a free
to access version of all the European
Guides. Over the last 18 months, the
website has significantly improved its
value and ease of use to the 'surfer' and
must generate significant revenue for
Michelin in its own right - a potential
opportunity perhaps to invest in more
frequent assessments and updates to
the readers.

They have also demonstrated a
proactive move to broaden the brand;
the introduction of the first US edition
(New York), scheduled for September
2005; the Guide to Pubs in Britain to
reflect the rise of Gastro Pubs; the
introduction of an in-car satellite
navigation system guide; a new six tier
rating system <<les espoirs>> in France.

Fashions in the industry will continue to
come and go - today it is molecular
gastronomy and less salubrious
surroundings; Michelin reflect that
change. As with their marking system
everything is well considered and
reflects a confidence and stamp of
quality in decision making for their
readers.

Add to this the dramatically improved
transparency in measurement,
management and practices (as
demonstrated by the 2005 press pack
and their first ever internet interview )
you find a Michelin Guide moving
forward at pace, evolving as ever in the
innovative spirit of Andre and Edouard
Michelin: A Guide which no doubt is in
safe hands for the 21st century, both as
a leader to readers and industry
members alike, in whatever guise or
whichever market segment the reader
dictates.