Criticism, controversies, suicides: a brief history of the Michelin Guide
- First published in France in 1900, the Michelin Guide now lists around 20,000 international restaurants, with about 100 attaining three stars
- But the guide is not without controversy, with allegations of bias, snobbery and of putting too much pressure on chefs
The Michelin Guide to fine dining, which unveiled its 2019 France edition on Monday, began recommending restaurants in France a century ago before branching out to become one of the most competitive international guides of its kind.
The red-covered guide is published by the French tyre manufacturer of the same name, its tyre-man mascot on the cover giving a hint of its origins.
It was first published in France in 1900, when there were fewer than 3,000 automobiles on the roads but the prospects for car travel were promising.
To encourage motorists to take to the road and so boost their tyre-manufacturing business, brothers Andre and Edouard Michelin decided to print a travel guide.
At first distributed for free, it included maps, a how-to on changing tyres, and lists of mechanics and hotels along the route.