As Kermit the Frog once sang, it’s not easy being green. Earlier this week, Michelin announced it was retiring its Green Star sustainability awards system after six years.
The comms could definitely have been handled better. Just a few months ago, Michelin denied reports that it was planning to axe the scheme after food writer Nicholas Gill noticed the organisation had started quietly scrubbing Green Star listings and related articles from its global website.
Michelin has not given a reason for ditching the Green Star, but the decision is likely a response to the persistent criticism the clover-shaped symbol faced throughout its brief history.
Probably the biggest issue was verification. Michelin was accused of lacking the framework needed to properly assess restaurants’ environmental claims. To receive a Green Star, business owners simply answered a questionnaire about their practices. Critics pointed out that inspectors were not auditing establishments in any meaningful way and that the awarding of Green Stars often relied more on a compelling PR narrative than hard ecological data.
Inconsistency was another major issue. Many farm-to-table restaurants with sustainability at their core were overlooked, while others highlighting only a handful of eco-friendly initiatives - such as foraging or a rooftop garden - secured recognition with relative ease. Critics argued that the scheme rewarded “intention over action”, leaving it vulnerable to accusations of greenwashing.
The branding itself also caused headaches for the Guide. The symbol was initially introduced to some markets as simply a ‘green clover’ or ‘sustainability clover’ but was later standardised across all international markets as the Green Star (the symbol itself did not change).
Because of this, some diners confused the Green Star - an environmental recognition - with the traditional Red Star culinary ranking. Green Stars could be awarded to restaurants holding a Michelin star, a Bib Gourmand or a Michelin Plate distinction. This meant some venues were able to market themselves as ‘Michelin-starred’ based solely on their green clover emblem, even if their food did not meet the elite culinary standards associated with Michelin’s traditional stars.
The likely reason for Michelin’s insistence a few months ago that “the Green Star still exists” - technically true at the time, though arguably misleading - is that it wasn’t quite ready to reveal its replacement. The press release confirming the Green Star’s demise led with Mindful Voices, an ‘editorial initiative’ intended to “shine a light on individuals who, through their commitment and endeavours, are proposing new methods within gastronomy, hospitality and wine”.
The global content programme will span Michelin’s activities across restaurants, hotels and vineyards, launching at the Nordic Countries Ceremony next month. While Michelin avoids using the word ’sustainability’, the project appears to retain an environmental slant through its use of the word ‘mindful’, alongside press material referencing the “pioneering practices of chefs, hoteliers and wine producers”.
The debacle highlights how anonymously eating in restaurants to assess culinary standards is fundamentally different from judging business processes and environmental practices throughout the year.