Ranking as one of the most mysterious and envied jobs in the world, there are few people out there who know what it’s really like to be a Michelin Inspector. Luckily for me, I have a better idea than most. As part of the editorial team at Michelin, I work regularly with the Inspectors on making all of our content as exciting and as relevant as possible.
However, it wasn’t until I was invited to join an Inspector ‘on the road’ for a week that I really understood what the job entails. Meeting my colleague just before Monday lunchtime in a location that will remain – like the Inspectors themselves – anonymous, my trip began with a meal out and continued in much the same vein. The average Inspector usually eats out for lunch and dinner most days, but my appetite had no trouble getting up to speed.
Prior to the trip, I was fascinated to see how the Inspector would conduct themselves in the restaurants. The answer, as it was to many of my questions during the week, was ‘really quite normal’ – although I could quickly tell that my colleague was taking everything in more studiously than your average diner and was particularly focused when the food arrived. Even ordering is not as simple as you’d think; they may seem like they’ve picked a dish at random, but several factors are always at play.
Yet there were certainly no hushed tones to our conversations, no ridiculous espionage and definitely no forks deliberately dropped on the floor to test the service team – as many people still erroneously believe. The meals themselves were therefore far less stressful than I anticipated – at least for me, who had no pressure of adjudication to worry about, just the straightforward pleasures of quality cooking.
So far, so simple – yet there’s a twist in the tale. I am, in fact, a vegan. My reasons for this are myriad and I won’t get into them here, but I will say that contrary to what many people may assume, changing to a plant-based diet has actually increased my love and knowledge of food. When you have a limited range of ingredients, you get far better at using them in a variety of ways and at experimenting with flavours.
Fortunately for me, my colleague had done their research and given the relevant restaurants plenty of warning that one of us was vegan. When you have dietary requirements like mine, you can’t just wander in and expect the chef to magic up an alternative on the spot. Yet at the same time, many restaurants who do not list a plant-based option on their website, will provide one on request. This can even include full tasting menus, of which I enjoyed several during my trip. As the old saying goes: if you don’t ask, you don’t get. Just make sure you do the ‘asking’ bit in advance, or there will likely be no ‘getting’.
In my case, there was an awful lot of ‘getting’, as restaurants around the world are becoming increasingly adept at serving vegan diners. When chefs with the enormous talent of those listed in The MICHELIN Guide turn their hands to plant-based creations, what they come up with is incredible. Each restaurant we visited on my trip did a great job of adapting to my diet. One of the many delights of the experience was the exceptional seasonal produce I was served. I’ve long been something of a mushroom fanatic and a particular dish of Scottish girolles was, frankly, the culinary highlight of my year.
It was interesting for the Inspector, too, to see how these top-end chefs dealt with the challenge of serving a vegan diner. The fact I was served full tasting menus without the animal products was particularly welcome. It was great to see restaurants not only put oft-overlooked vegetables front and centre – like my beloved hispi cabbage – but get creative with their offerings too. A canapé of smashed cucumber with the refreshing kick of jalapeño granita was particularly memorable. And, while a lot of the time the only vegan dessert is a sorbet, many of the restaurants we visited even managed to indulge my extraordinarily sweet tooth in a variety of delicious ways.
Outside of the meals themselves, I was keen to see what the life of a Michelin Inspector is like for the several hours a day that they’re not in restaurants. There’s the writing of their extensive reports, of course; planning future trips and coordinating with international colleagues; team discussions; and contributing to social media posts and articles. One thing I hadn’t appreciated however, was the work that goes into constantly scouting out new restaurants and keeping abreast of all the latest developments in the restaurant world.
In the modern era, a lot of initial research can be done online but, as my colleague explained, one way to understand a city’s dining scene is simply to walk around – so we did. Sometimes, when walking to a restaurant, we would catch a glimpse of somewhere that might be of interest and it was duly noted by the Inspector. Although, you would be surprised how often you spot what looks like a bright new restaurant that, on closer inspection, turns out to be a hairdresser. All of these jobs in between meals – plus an awful lot of time travelling – are the necessary, crucial part of the job, which allows the main business of eating to happen.
This part of the job is, undeniably, an enormous privilege. On the surface at least, the Michelin Inspectors have a pretty idyllic life – eating numerous delicious meals, while dealing with the odd request from their pesky vegan colleague. Yet despite having a great time during my trip, I did start to understand the less glamorous parts of the job. The Inspectors put the hours in, for a start, with their working day often not finishing until midnight. There’s the nomadic element of the role, too, which appeals to some but isn’t for everyone.
Don’t get me wrong, the Inspectors are all still so fortunate to do what they do, discovering new destinations all over the world. In my one week, I learned so much about the city I was in just through its restaurants, and the Inspectors have the privilege of doing this on an international scale. They get to sample some of the world’s best cooking and have a ringside seat for the latest culinary developments. Maybe I was being too generous to them… perhaps they really do have the best job in the world.
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