For some chefs, achieving the industry’s most prestigious award can come with a litany of drawbacks and harm a restaurant’s bottom line.

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One of the saddest losses in 2024 was Purnell’s in Birmingham. It earned its Michelin star in 2008, just one year after it opened. Owned by Glynn Purnell, the beloved restaurant had to shut its doors in October, following a ‘really tough time’ that saw bookings fall by more than 20 percent.

I’m at Plates. Heralded this week by that esteemed arbiter of restaurants, Michelin, that marketing vehicle for the tyre firm that dispatches its secretive inspectors across the planet to dine and to distinguish the great from the good.

Everyone knows Michelin-star grub is top quality - although it's safe to say it costs a bit more than your usual at the local chipper. On average in Ireland, it'll run two people €285 to get a tasting menu at one of these renowned restaurants.