Grenoble (AFP)

Chef Marc Veyrat announced on Wednesday that he was finally giving up on appeal, after the loss of his trial in summary proceedings against the Michelin guide, assigned after removing a star from him.

"I asked my council to abandon the appeal procedure. My devotion to the cause of French haute cuisine and Savoyard agricultural heritage remains more than ever intact. History will judge," said in a published text. on Facebook the famous cook with a hat.

Marc Veyrat, who has "for a time considered appealing", considers that his "judicial process has been rendered obsolete" since a "major element", namely the withdrawal of his third star from the inn created by Paul Bocuse, came to confirm his "complaints about the integrity and objectivity of the Michelin guide".

"The facts are now obvious," insists the Haut-Savoyard chef, denouncing a "communication strategy". "The Michelin guide does not base its rating and its decisions on purely professional criteria related to the quality of the table and the content of the plates, but on its increased need for notoriety".

"This reality is enough in itself to conclude that the Michelin guide is engaged in a cleaning, media and political, aiming to refresh a declining image. It is his right," he continues.

At the beginning of January, Marc Veyrat had appealed the decision rendered on December 31 by the Nanterre regional court, considering that by demoting from three to two stars his restaurant in Manigod (Haute-Savoie), La Maison des Bois, the guide rouge made "a mistake".

At first instance, the Savoy cook had asked to be able to obtain proofs of the guide's inspections and the skills of his inspectors, as well as "the trace of the debates" which led to the decommissioning of his establishment in January 2019.

After discussions deemed unsuccessful, Marc Veyrat asked for his removal from the famous red guide. In vain, what had pushed him to bring the gastronomic guide to justice. The chief asked for a symbolic euro for his damage.

© 2020 AFP