Hospitality

Gillian Nelis: Michelin nods are no panacea for restaurants, but they are good for business

An impressive five out of the 20 new Bib Gourmand awards in this year’s guide went to Ireland

Spannish eatery La Gordita, owned by Vanessa Murphy and Anna Cabrera, who also run Las Tapas de Lola, is among the five Irish restaurants to win a Bib Gourmand award on Monday. Picture: Fergal Phillips

Awards season is well under way - and no, I don’t mean the Oscars. If you’re a chef or restaurateur with ambitions to get into, or stay in, the Michelin Guide, this is, to borrow a football phrase, squeaky bum time.

The full Michelin listings for Ireland and Britain will be revealed next Monday, February 5, at a ceremony in Manchester. That’s when we will discover whether any new Michelin stars have been awarded to ...