Can a Michelin star be a curse? It was according to Skye Gyngell, until recently the chef at one-star restaurant Petersham Nurseries in London. Petersham is in an actual greenhouse, does not use tableclothes, has a dirt floor, and, according to Gyngell, the dress code is "wear shorts if you want, and bring your dog." Apparently this didn't jive with the average Michelin diner's expectations, and in a rather frank interview in Stock & Land, Gyngell says the restaurant started receiving a new variety of complaints after they received the star.
Gyngell has left Petersham after eight years to "pursue other interests," which decidedly do not include pursuing another Michelin star elsewhere: "If I ever have another restaurant, I pray we don't get a star." She will be replaced by Australian chef Greg Malouf.
· Curse of the Michelin Star [Stock & Land]
· 'Curse' of Michelin Star Forces Skye Gyngell to Quit [Telegraph]
· All Michelin Star Coverage on Eater [-E-]