Michelin retires Green Star award

Michelin has retired the Green Star, ending a sustainability distinction it introduced in 2020 for restaurants with environmental practices across sourcing, waste and operations. Trade publications reported the decision on May 19 after Michelin confirmed the change and said the award would be gradually phased out. (thecaterer.com) Michelin said the Green Star had been limited to gastronomy and would be replaced by a new editorial initiative called Mindful Voices. The move leaves Michelin’s better-known Stars, Bib Gourmand and guide selection in place while removing a separate sustainability badge. (thestaffcanteen.com) ### When does the Green Star actually disappear? Michelin said the Green Star will be “gradually phased out,” with the 37 Green Star restaurants in the UK and Ireland set to lose the accolade at the end of 2026. The award was launched in 2020 and new recipients had been announced alongside new editions of the guide. The May 19 reports followed months of speculation over the future of the award. Trade coverage said Michelin had previously pushed back on suggestions that the distinction was being dropped before confirming the retirement this week. (thecaterer.com) ### What was the Green Star for? The Green Star recognized restaurants that Michelin said were pioneering sustainable practices across menus and operations. In practice, the badge was separate from Michelin Stars for cooking, Bib Gourmand for value and the broader “Selected” designation used in guide listings. (thecaterer.com) Michelin said the award had been “limited to the culinary arts,” a formulation it used in explaining the shift to a broader platform. Trade coverage said restaurants had used the distinction to highlight work on ethical sourcing, waste reduction and environmental responsibility that often sat outside the dining room. (boutiquehotelier.com) ### What is replacing it? Mindful Voices will replace the Green Star as Michelin’s new global editorial initiative, according to Michelin statements reported by trade outlets. Michelin said the project would “highlight and share the stories and pioneering practices of chefs, hoteliers and wine producers,” and unlike the Green Star it will not be a formal accolade with its own icon or logo. (thecaterer.com) Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide, said Mindful Voices would give “a platform to all those who are rewriting the rules in their respective fields.” Michelin said the rollout begins at the Nordic Countries ceremony in Copenhagen and expands across Europe and then worldwide during 2026. (thestaffcanteen.com) ### Does this change Michelin’s core awards? Michelin’s core guide structure remains in place. The Green Star was an additional layer rather than a substitute for the main Michelin distinctions, and the retirement does not affect the regular Stars, Bib Gourmand or Selected listings cited in current guide coverage. (thecaterer.com) The timing is notable because Michelin is still expanding geographically in the United States. On April 8, Michelin announced a new American Great Lakes edition covering Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Pittsburgh, with inspectors already in the field. (thecaterer.com) ### Where does Cleveland fit into this? Cleveland is part of Michelin’s new multi-city American Great Lakes guide, whose inaugural restaurant selection is scheduled for 2027. Michelin said the full selection will be revealed at a 2027 Michelin Guide American Great Lakes Ceremony, with the date to be announced later. (travelindex.org) David Gilbert, president and chief executive of Destination Cleveland, said in Michelin’s April announcement that the guide’s arrival offered a chance to attract travelers and boost local restaurant sales. Michelin said Cleveland will be covered alongside five other Great Lakes cities in the new edition. (guide.michelin.com) June 1 is the next dated milestone in the Green Star change, when Michelin said Mindful Voices will begin rolling out from Copenhagen. The next major U.S. milestone tied to Michelin’s regional expansion is the 2027 American Great Lakes ceremony, where Cleveland and the other five cities will receive their first full selection. (guide.michelin.com) (thestaffcanteen.com)