Top French chef asks to be stripped of Michelin stars
Sebastian Bras claims the coveted rating puts him under ‘huge pressure’
One of France’s most acclaimed chefs has asked the Michelin food guide to strip him of the coveted three-star rating awarded to his restaurant in Laguiole, Central France.
Sebastien Bras, 46, asked for Le Suquet to be omitted from the 2018 edition of the guide, due to be published in February, saying its maximum rating put him under “huge pressure”.
In a Facebook post, Bras said he had made the decision because he wanted to “give a new meaning to life, and redefine what is essential”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“Perhaps I am going to lose fame but I accept it, I assume it,” he continued.
Michelin said no chef had previously asked to have stars removed purely on a whim, although people had done so in the past due to “a change in [restaurant] concept or closing the business”.
Alain Senderens, a “pioneer of nouvelle cuisine”, had previously lost his Michelin stars after opting for simpler food, writes The Daily Telegraph. Bras, however, will still serve the same menu, including his three-course Balade option, which costs €227 (£200) per person.
Bras added that the 2003 suicide of Bernard Loiseau, a fellow three-star chef, was in the “corner of [his] mind”, and said he wished for lower pressure in his professional life in case he reached similar levels of stress.
Loiseau's suicide is “widely seen as linked to rumours that he would lose his third Michelin star”, writes The Local.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
When is an offensive social media post a crime?
The Explainer UK legal system walks a 'difficult tightrope' between defending free speech and prosecuting hate speech
By The Week UK Published
-
Women are getting their own baseball league again
In the Spotlight The league is on track to debut in 2026
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Giant TVs are becoming the next big retail commodity
Under the Radar Some manufacturers are introducing TVs over 8 feet long
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Has the Taliban banned women from speaking?
Today's Big Question 'Rambling' message about 'bizarre' restriction joins series of recent decrees that amount to silencing of Afghanistan's women
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Cuba's energy crisis
The Explainer Already beset by a host of issues, the island nation is struggling with nationwide blackouts
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
Putin's fixation with shamans
Under the Radar Secretive Russian leader, said to be fascinated with occult and pagan rituals, allegedly asked for blessing over nuclear weapons
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Chimpanzees are dying of human diseases
Under the radar Great apes are vulnerable to human pathogens thanks to genetic similarity, increased contact and no immunity
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies hang over Sydney's Mardi Gras
The Explainer Police officer, the former partner of TV presenter victim, charged with two counts of murder after turning himself in
By Austin Chen, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 24 February - 1 March
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will mounting discontent affect Iran election?
Today's Big Question Low turnout is expected in poll seen as crucial test for Tehran's leadership
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Sweden clears final NATO hurdle with Hungary vote
Speed Read Hungary's parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden's accession to NATO
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published