It's no surprise that Leeds fated Michelin-listed Man Behind the Curtain has finally closed its doors after what can only be described as one man's egotistical culinary adventure.
Michael O'Hare has gained not fame but notoriety by often challenging the culinary norms with Avant Garde perceptions of what people want to eat and experience. If there was ever a reason just why Michelin must look deeply at its criteria for culinary awards then it is indeed this venture.
That this chef thought it perfectly acceptable to serve his paying customers a Red Sea Prawn on the top of an old-fashioned telephone beggars' belief clearly indicated that this chef thought more about his ego than his customer's satisfaction, the opposite of a gourmet Michelin experience.
Once again the demands of creating and keeping a Michelin starred Restaurant have shown that the best and only the very best deserve this accolade and proof yet again that the deliberate lowering of standards by Michelin in giving awards to the masses for the sake of delivering the brand has shown the catastrophic damage it creates.
It's this" Moral Compass" that Unichef has demanded from Michelin and the Hospitality Industry and the fact that the vast majority of the money owed is to the Inland Revenue shows just that. Half a million quid that could have been used to help those in poverty, those in need, and even our chefs and waiters with Mental Health Issues are all now down the drain. Half a million pounds of Taxpayers' money, squandered away all for a Michelin Star?
The list of Michelin accredited Restaurants that have closed or have entered Bankruptcy is simply breathtaking and has sent a shockwave through the business community, Banks no longer borrow and suppliers demand cash on delivery, simply anyone with a Michelin Restaurant is no longer considered a "cash cow" but a severe liability.
Chefs who only service their own ego do nothing for our industry or our profession and are happy for others to pick up the pieces and should never again be allowed to open any restaurant let alone be associated with Michelin.
Their talent is never in doubt and we make that clear but many lack basic business and people skills, their focus on obtaining and then maintaining a star is the only thing they become obsessed with and they seem to often forget that first and foremost when they switch on their lights each morning that they are employers, not superstars.
Michael O’Hare’s Man Behind the Curtain 'wound up voluntarily' due to £1m debt
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.