Michelin Star Forces Chef To Quit

London chef Skye Gyngell, the first Australian female chef to receive a Michelin star, is reportedly leaving Petersham Nurseries Café because the Michelin star was a "curse."

The London chef did say getting the Michelin star was a "huge honour" and "an amazing achievement," but she's leaving the restaurant after eight years. "If I ever have another restaurant, I pray we don't get a star," she told Stock & Land.   

The curse, she says, was that diners were accustomed to Michelin-star styled dining and service. "Well, since we got the star we've been rammed every single day, which is really hard for such a tiny restaurant. And we've had lots more complaints," she said.

Petersham is apparently located in an actual greenhouse, and the nonexistant dress code allows diners to wear shorts and bring their dog. Gyngell has even asked to remove the star from the restaurant's web site. "I just don't want to show it off and give people the opportunity to complain that we don't reach what they think are Michelin standards," she told Stock & Land.

Gyngell will reportedly be replaced temporarily by Greg Malouf, who will have to deal with the very good problem of the Michelin star until another chef takes over.

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