Michelin retires Green Star award

Michelin said on May 18 that it is discontinuing its Green Star sustainability distinction and replacing it with Mindful Voices, a new editorial platform that will profile chefs, hoteliers and wine producers. The company said the Green Star, introduced for restaurants focused on responsible practices, had been limited to culinary arts. Mindful Voices will be rolled out globally through Michelin’s digital, social and print platforms, beginning at the Michelin Guide Nordic Countries ceremony on June 1 in Copenhagen. ### Why is Michelin ending the Green Star now? Michelin said on May 18 that the Green Star “will be discontinued” as it broadens its coverage beyond restaurants into hospitality and wine. In the same announcement, the guide said Mindful Voices was designed to highlight people “who, through their commitment and actions, are pioneering new approaches” across gastronomy, hospitality and vineyards. (guide.michelin.com) The Michelin Guide said the change comes as it expands across more than 60 destinations and deepens its work in hotels and wine. The company described Mindful Voices as an editorial concept meant to capture the character of those three areas and to share the stories and practices of people working in them. ### What will replace the award? (guide.michelin.com) Mindful Voices is not a new badge or restaurant rating. Michelin said it is an editorial platform that will publish profiles and features about “women and men from the worlds of gastronomy, hospitality and wine” across its website, app, social media and magazine. Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides, said the platform would give “a platform to all those who are rewriting the rules in their respective fields.” He said the framework reflects what Michelin’s inspection teams see firsthand in encounters and experiences that are changing industry practices. (guide.michelin.com) ### How broad is Michelin’s new focus? Michelin said Mindful Voices begins with gastronomy and will later extend into hospitality and then wine. The company said the content will focus on people rather than places and that featured participants will also appear at key Michelin Guide events. The May 18 announcement tied that expansion to Michelin’s recent moves in hospitality and wine. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin already operates hotel coverage and events under the Guide brand, and the company said the new platform would be rolled out first in Europe and then worldwide through 2026. ### When will readers first see Mindful Voices in action? (guide.michelin.com) June 1, 2026 is the first date Michelin attached to the new platform. Michelin said Mindful Voices will be unveiled at the Michelin Guide Nordic Countries ceremony in Copenhagen on that date, with a broader European rollout to follow before expansion worldwide later in 2026. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin also said the content will be accessible from the magazine section of its website and app. That places the replacement in Michelin’s editorial channels rather than in the star system used for restaurant rankings. ### What is the next Michelin event on the calendar? May 20 is the next named Michelin Guide milestone in this story. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin said the 2026 Michelin Guide Ceremony Mexico will take place in Jalisco, marking the first time the event is being hosted in the region. Gwendal Poullennec said Jalisco’s “gastronomic heritage and vibrant food culture” made it the setting for this year’s ceremony, where Michelin will meet chefs, restaurateurs and industry leaders. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin said the Mexico ceremony is part of its ongoing expansion in the country. May 20’s ceremony in Jalisco comes before the June 1 unveiling of Mindful Voices in Copenhagen, giving Michelin two near-term public events as it retires the Green Star and introduces the new platform. (guide.michelin.com)