Michelin definitively gets rid of green stars: Catalonia will lose 15 from November

BarcelonaFrom June 1, the day of the gala in the Nordic countries, the Michelin Guide has decided to dispense with the Green Stars. It is an award given to restaurants that excelled in sustainable and environmentally responsible practices. In Catalonia, there are 15 restaurants that enjoy this distinction. While it is true that last year the French guide had already begun the withdrawal by eliminating the category filter on the website, it is now that, through a press release, it has finished making it disappear, as it considers that the distinction has already had its run and has already been "amortized", according to the guide's spokesperson in Spain.

In contrast, it has created a new category that it has christened Mindful Voices. In this case, these would be distinctions that would be directly associated with a person, not a restaurant, and that can extend to producers, but also to others in the fields that Michelin has been adding to its business, such as hotels or wineries. The Guide wants to go "beyond gastronomy," it points out in its press release. "In line with the Guide's recent foray into the world of hospitality and wine, as well as its rapid international expansion, we have created an ambitious and universal editorial concept," it explains. Meanwhile, the Green Star initiative, which was limited to gastronomy, will be gradually eliminated.

Those recognized with Mindful Voices will be benchmarks in their sector who will have a space on the Guide's website and will be identified by Michelin inspectors themselves. At the gala for the Spanish territory, which will be held in November, the new initiative will be presented and voice will be given to some of these people who will debut the category. Restaurants will retain the green star until that day, but from November onwards the distinction will cease to be valid. In Spain, this measure affects 59 restaurants.

The Green Star was an initiative that was born in 2020 to show the red guide's commitment to good practices. But since then, it has generated some confusion regarding the communication of some restaurants, as some people confused it with the other star, that of gastronomic excellence. With this move, Michelin dispels the confusion and expands its scope of action. Once the change is announced this November, Mindful Voices recognitions will be announced throughout the year through the Guide's website.

List of restaurants with Green Star in Catalonia

• Amposta: The Delta's Algadir
• Barcelona: Kitchen Hermanos Torres
• Bellvís: La Boscana
• Castelló d'Empúries: Emporium
• Castelló d'Empúries: Bistrot 1965
• Girona: El Celler de Can Roca
• Igualada: Somiatruites
• Olot: Les Cols
• Sagàs: Els Casals
• Sant Martí Sarroca: Casa Nova
• Santa Coloma de Gramenet: Lluerna
• Ulldecona: The Old Mill
• Ulldecona: Les Moles
• Ulldecona: Bistró Amunt
• Vallromanes: Restaurant 1497