If you're curious, you'll have noticed that some restaurants now have a little green pictogram: the Michelin Guide Green Star. This little novelty was introduced in 2020, and now covers 82 restaurants in France. Let's find out what this little green clover stands for.
What is the "green clover", or green star in the Michelin Guide?
The Michelin Guide has always rewarded restaurant professionals for the quality of their service and their commitment. The Michelin star for restaurants offering refined cuisine, a Bib gourmand for establishments offering carefully prepared food at moderate prices, or the Assiette Michelin for good, simple meals - there is no shortage of distinctions.
In 2020, the Michelin Guide wanted to add a new dimension to their awards, by taking into account restaurants' commitment to eco-responsibility. Restaurants adopting "commendable environmental practices" will now be awarded a Michelin Green Star. Here, whatever the level of service, it is the way the food is cooked that is given pride of place, rather than the refinement or price of the dishes.
The ambition behind the approach
This new initiative was born out of a desire to highlight the good environmental practices of chefs. In a world where consumerism is at an all-time high, the Michelin Guide intends to highlight all the professionals who manage to offer quality cuisine, working with local produce, limiting food waste and putting nature at the heart of gastronomy.
The idea is to raise awareness in the world and among restaurateurs of this eco-responsible approach, which is essential to preserving our planet and rediscovering the good taste of things. This means highlighting the ideas, practices and expertise of committed chefs.
Green star, gastronomy and sustainable development
Not to be confused with the Michelin Green Guide, which focuses on tourism, the Michelin Green Star refers to the astonishing marriage of gastronomy and sustainable development. This concept was not entirely new to the Michelin Guide, which had already launched the initiative of awarding sustainability prizes, but it is now official and precise, thanks to the famous green star.
To be awarded this distinction, a restaurant must demonstrate a clear commitment to the environment in its practices and choice of products. This means using local produce (fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese, etc.), or even growing their own vegetable patch or garden, as well as respecting seasonality and reducing food waste.
The Michelin Guide's Green Star: a reward for sustainable innovation
The Michelin Green Star is a pictogram that differs from other distinctions in its environmental approach. Here, it's not just the gastronomy that is honoured, but also and above all the way in which it is approached. This approach is sustainable, thoughtful and reasonable, with the sole aim of preserving our environment and putting local produce back at the heart of gastronomy.
In recent years, sustainable development has been at the heart of everyone's concerns, and there are many ways in which restaurants can make their contribution. The Green Star encourages and rewards restaurants that innovate to manage their establishments with strict respect for the environment and sustainable gastronomy.
This can mean installing a green terrace, stopping using one-off packaging, reducing food waste... anything that helps to preserve our environment.
The Michelin Guide Green Star in France: 82 restaurants to be awarded in 2021
2021 was only the second year that the Michelin Star Awards have included the Green Star. A further 33 restaurants were awarded this year, in addition to the 49 restaurants already awarded last year.
Only 82 restaurants in France have been awarded the green star, making them still a rarity. One of the new winners, Jardin de Berne, has come into its own thanks to the commitment of its chef and all the professionals working on the Château de Berne estate. This Michelin-starred restaurant works hard all year round to offer refined, sustainable cuisine that showcases local Provencal produce.
For those who love nature and the planet, and are keen to reduce the environmental impact of all their everyday activities, the Michelin Green Star will quickly become a benchmark for enjoying the region's culinary delights while maintaining a reasonable level of consumption. Le Jardin de Berne is the perfect place to discover Provence, its terroir, its values and its traditions.
