It’s been six of one, half a dozen of the other for the Michelin Guide this week. On the positive side, the guide was given a huge boost when the latest Hong Kong version came out, awarding one of its precious stars to a hole-in-the-wall joint where a tasty dish could be had for as little as 78p. On the downside, a second well-known Italian chef made the news for handing his stars back and refusing to participate further in the quest for Michelin glory. Happily for the Italian press, its Michelin editor didn’t take the insult lying down, saying of the chefs in question: ‘They are elderly men by now and it is right that they should be thinking about retirement.’ Will horses' heads be next on the menu?
Elsewhere on the interweb this week:
- A storm in a coffee cup? Food bloggers have been debating the ethics of sponsorship by a well-known coffee company. Hot Dinners hasn't taken the shilling (yet....) so they don't get a namecheck here.
- Flying ham decks celebrity chef – sadly this gift of a headline didn’t happen in the UK, but across the pond where a Thanksgiving celebration got a little out of hand.
- Christmas is coming and if, like Hot Dinners, you’ve foolishly offered to throw a party over the festive season you might be interested in the list of 10 great canapés chefs serve up at their own shindigs.
- Hands that do dishes: Staff at the popular tourist restaurant Georges, situated in the Eiffel Tower, are staging a sit-in over lack of rights for the illegal immigrants who make up the bulk of Parisian kitchen staff.
- And finally...Mark Hix's run of good press and good luck came to an abrupt end when he broke his leg in a motorcycle accident. The chef is now 'absolutely fine and working from home' his spokesperson told us.
