Annecy (AFP)
One of the great French chefs, Marc Veyrat, who lost one of his three Michelin stars in January, announced Wednesday that he has withdrawn from the guide, accusing him of "profound incompetence".
In a letter revealed by the weekly Le Point, addressed to the red guide who had removed his third star in January, one year after having awarded him, Mr. Veyrat, 69, famous for his black hat and his use in the kitchen botanical plants, writes: "I have been in depression for six months, how dare you take the health of your cooks hostage?"
The chef, who had gone to the headquarters of the guide in Boulogne-Billancourt, in the Paris region, to understand the reasons for his demotion, denounces "the deep incompetence" prevailing according to him within the most famous of the gastronomic guides.
Confirming to AFP the news of his withdrawal, Mr. Veyrat reported that "they + + have dared to say that we put cheddar (cheese English, ed) in our soufflé reblochon, beaufort and Tomme! insulted the region, my employees were crazy! "
"While we have the eggs of our chickens, that we milk the milk of our cows, that two botanists will pick our plants every morning!", He enumerated.
In his letter, the chef even doubts the reality of the visit to his restaurant of Michelin inspectors, known for their discretion. "I expressly want invoices (...) You have a balance sheet, you should be able to find this evidence," he wrote.
"You are impostors wanting only clashes for commercial reasons," he concludes.
He accused the AFP "the new generation" in the Michelin guide to "attack institutions". "It's serious for all those who come behind us".
In addition to La Maison des Bois, in Manigod, Haute-Savoie, opened in 2013, two other restaurants of Mr. Veyrat had obtained three stars, and in addition 20/20 to the guide Gault Millau. The leader was the victim of a serious skiing accident in 2006, which left him a long time away from the stove.
"I've seen others, it's not the Michelin that will make me fall," he concluded Wednesday night.
? 2019 AFP