Michelin Star Is Great Honor One Hotel No Longer Wants

People haven't distanced themselves from a star this quickly since Mel Gibson. The BBC reports a week after a top French chef asked for his three Michelin stars to be removed, a luxury hotel in Scotland made the same request of the star it's held for the past decade. Boath House, a 16th century mansion turned hotel in Nairn, stands on 22 acres of land with its own lake and streams, according to the Evening Standard. It's also a money-loser. "Whilst we are extremely proud of the Michelin star we gained 10 years ago and it undoubtedly enhanced our reputation, our restaurant has consistently made a loss," says Wendy Matheson, who owns Boath House with her husband Don. She adds the expectations that come with a Michelin star are "at odds with achievable profit margins."

Boath House is looking to change direction, and Don Matheson tells the AP they didn't want to lose their star by disappointing people who came expecting a multi-course, Michelin-style meal. "The expectation that goes with (a star) is so stressful," he says. Sebastien Bras also cited that stress and a desire "to start a new chapter" when he asked Michelin to remove the three stars earned by his restaurant, Le Suquet in France, last week. Wendy Matheson says they've heard from customers who want a "more informal and relaxed" experience, and that's what they hope to provide in an updated Boath House. "It's obviously up to individual restaurants how they want to run their businesses," the editor of the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland tells the BBC. (More Michelin star stories.)