Michelin retires its Green Star

The Michelin Guide said on May 18 it will retire its Green Star sustainability award, ending a designation it introduced in 2020 to recognize restaurants for environmental and ethical practices. The change was reported by The Caterer, which said Michelin had been weighing the future of the award for months. Michelin said the Green Star would be “gradually phased out” and replaced by a new editorial initiative called “Mindful Voices.” The decision closes out one of Michelin’s few formal distinctions beyond its core star, Bib Gourmand and related guide honors. Michelin had described the Green Star as an annual award for restaurants “at the forefront of the industry” on sustainable practices, including sourcing, waste reduction, recycling and supply-chain standards. ### When does the Green Star actually end? (thecaterer.com) The Caterer reported that Michelin said the Green Star will be “gradually phased out,” with 37 green-starred restaurants in the UK and Ireland set to lose the designation at the end of 2026. The report did not say whether the same timetable applies market by market outside Britain and Ireland. Michelin’s own public materials still describe the Green Star as an active award. (guide.michelin.com) A Michelin explainer page says the distinction was first revealed in 2020 and rolled into several 2021 guide editions. ### What was Michelin using the Green Star to recognize? Michelin said in its explainer that Green Star restaurants were selected for accountability on “ethical and environmental standards” and for working with sustainable producers and suppliers. (thecaterer.com) Inspectors considered factors including ingredient provenance, seasonal produce, environmental footprint, food-waste systems, recycling and how restaurants communicated their sustainability approach to diners. (guide.michelin.com) A 2024 Michelin feature on U.S. restaurants said the designation covered efforts such as local and seasonal sourcing, waste reduction, energy efficiency and zero-waste initiatives. That article described Green Star restaurants as examples of how sustainability could extend beyond the dining room into farming, procurement and operations. ### How big was the Green Star program? (guide.michelin.com) A Michelin explainer published in 2022 said there were 287 Green Star restaurants globally at that time. Michelin’s pages available on May 19, 2026 still include a Green Star section and articles profiling restaurants under that label. The Caterer said 37 restaurants in the UK and Ireland currently hold the designation. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin has not, in the material reviewed, published a fresh global count tied to the retirement announcement. ### What is replacing it? Michelin told The Caterer it is launching “Mindful Voices,” an editorial initiative that will “highlight and share the stories and pioneering practices of chefs, hoteliers and wine producers.” International guide director Gwendal Poullennec said the new framework would give a platform to people “rewriting the rules in their respective fields.” (guide.michelin.com) Unlike the Green Star, Mindful Voices will not be a formal accolade and will not carry an icon or logo, The Caterer reported. (thecaterer.com) That means Michelin is shifting from a badge attached to restaurant listings to a storytelling format spanning gastronomy, hospitality and wine. That characterization is based on Michelin’s description of the new project. ### What should diners and restaurants watch next? (thecaterer.com) Copenhagen is the next checkpoint. The Caterer said Michelin plans to launch Mindful Voices next month at the Michelin Guide Nordics ceremony in the Danish capital. Michelin’s own site still hosts Green Star explainers, community pages and restaurant features as of May 19, 2026. The clearest remaining open questions are when the phaseout will apply outside the UK and Ireland and whether Michelin will publish a market-by-market transition for restaurants that currently carry the Green Star. (thecaterer.com) (guide.michelin.com)