World’s oldest Michelin-starred restaurant loses a star

The world’s oldest Michelin-starred restaurant, Georges Blanc, has lost its third star, according to French media reports.

Georges Blanc, the 82-year-old French chef in charge of the restaurant in south-east France, told the AFP news agency that they “weren’t expecting it”.

“We’ll make do with the two stars… maybe we’ll be less elitist and a little more accessible.”

Based in the town of Vonnas outside the French city of Lyon, the restaurant earned its first star back in 1929 under Georges’ grandmother, Élisa Blanc, and has held at least one star from the coveted restaurant rating guide ever since.

Georges took over the restaurant in 1964 along with his mother, Paulette, before taking full control four years later at the age of just 25.

He won a third Michelin star for the establishment in 1981, and has held all three ever since – until now.

It means the octogenarian chef – who has won a slew of national awards, including France’s Legion of Honour – has lived more of his life with three Michelin stars than without.

Gwendal Poullenec, director of the Michelin Guide, told AFP that they were trying to “reflect the evolution of the quality of the restaurant in our rankings”.

But he also heaped praise on Mr Blanc. “It was truly under his leadership that what was once a family inn experienced a new boom to become this gourmet village which is a true gastronomic destination today,” he said.

The guide, he added, will “continue to follow this restaurant with the same kindness, the same rigour” in the years ahead.

Alongside his eponymous establishment, Mr Blanc owns several other restaurants, hotels and food shops, as well as an inn.

Michelin, a French tyre manufacturer, has made a restaurant guide since 1900, with the star system introduced in 1926.

They initially wrote one as a means to encourage driving, and so demand for car tyres.

Michelin will hold its annual star award ceremony at the end of this month.