Michelin retires Green Star sustainability award

Michelin has retired its Green Star sustainability award, ending a distinction it introduced in 2020 to recognize restaurants for environmentally minded practices. The change was reported on May 19 by The Caterer after Michelin confirmed the move. The Green Star had been awarded alongside Michelin’s main guide selections and, in Great Britain and Ireland alone, 37 restaurants held the distinction this year. Michelin said the category will be “gradually phased out” and replaced with a new editorial initiative called “Mindful Voices.” ### When did Michelin make the change? The Caterer reported on May 19 that Michelin had announced the retirement of the Green Star after months of speculation in the restaurant industry. Michelin had launched the award in 2020, with annual Green Star selections tied to new guide editions, according to The Caterer. Michelin’s own Great Britain and Ireland guide was still publishing new Green Star awards on February 9, 2026. In that announcement, Michelin said seven restaurants had newly received a Green Star, bringing the total in Great Britain and Ireland to 37. (thecaterer.com) ### What exactly was the Green Star? Michelin described the Green Star in February as recognition for restaurants “at the forefront of the industry” on mindful practices, combining culinary quality with steps to reduce environmental impact. Michelin said each restaurant pursued that in its own way, including local sourcing, low-waste cooking and community engagement. (guide.michelin.com) The award sat alongside Michelin’s better-known red stars but was separate from them. The Caterer said the change affects the sustainability badge, not a restaurant’s core Michelin food rating. In Great Britain and Ireland, the 37 Green Star restaurants are set to lose that accolade at the end of this year, according to the publication. (guide.michelin.com) ### Why did the retirement draw attention? October 23, 2025 is the clearest public marker of Michelin’s earlier stance. Westword reported then that Michelin, responding to questions about changes on its website, said: “The Green Star still exists” and called it a complementary recognition to its culinary distinctions. Michelin also said at the time that the Green Star was “neither a label nor a certification.” (thecaterer.com) That statement came after questions over the visibility of Green Stars on Michelin’s site and search tools. Westword said Michelin had reaffirmed the category during the Switzerland guide ceremony in October 2025 even as some observers argued its prominence had already been reduced. (westword.com) ### What is Michelin putting in its place? Michelin told The Caterer it will replace the Green Star with “Mindful Voices,” a new editorial initiative rather than a formal award. The publication said the project will highlight chefs, hoteliers and wine producers and will not carry an icon or logo comparable to the Green Star. (westword.com) Gwendal Poullennec, Michelin Guide’s international director, told The Caterer that “Mindful Voices will give a platform to all those who are rewriting the rules in their respective fields.” He said the framework was drawn from what Michelin’s inspection teams witness “first-hand” across gastronomy, hospitality and wine. (thecaterer.com) ### Where does this leave Michelin’s broader guide system? Michelin’s guide structure still includes its core restaurant stars, Bib Gourmand selections and, for hotels, Michelin Keys. Michelin’s own press materials and guide pages through late 2025 continued to show Green Stars being awarded in several markets, including Texas, California, Hangzhou and Switzerland. (thecaterer.com) Next month, Michelin is due to launch Mindful Voices at the Michelin Guide Nordics ceremony in Copenhagen, according to The Caterer. In Great Britain and Ireland, the existing 37 Green Star restaurants are set to lose the sustainability accolade at the end of 2026. (thecaterer.com) (michelin.com)