Sawt Falasteen - Gwendal Poullennec: the Michelin man with the power to make or break restaurants

Poullennec's motto, according to team members, is "On the move" -- which he applies to himself as much as the famous red guidebook he has helped spread around the world.

The 44-year-old walks fast and likes to burn off all the calories on his bike -- he has 14,000 km on its counter.

One bitter chef also remarked that he can spend as little as 30 seconds on the phone with those who lose one of the Michelin Guide's intensely coveted stars.

Poullennec's power can be measured by the great number of "no comments" that his name arouses when AFP asks for comment from people in the industry.

But that is the power of the Michelin Guide rather than the man himself, he insists.

"I'm just passing through, I'm here to ensure continuity," he told AFP.

Growing up between western France and the outskirts of Paris, Poullennec's family did not frequent a lot of restaurants.

But after studying business, he joined the Michelin group, hoping to be part of its gastronomic guide.

After a stint in the tyre factory, he got his wish.

The key trait you need, he says, is a "good appetite" and, as AFP witnessed over lunch in Paris, to enjoy finishing other people's dishes out of curiosity.

He recalled his first -- gargantuan -- meal after joining the guide's team. It was in Burgundy, the mecca of French gastronomy, where he was served an "entire casserole of tripe" and a "salad bowl of chocolate mousse".

- 'Simple and comprehensible' -

Poullennec's break came when he was sent to Japan in 2006 to launch the Michelin's Tokyo edition -- not a simple task in a country so protective of its codified culinary traditions.

As well as getting to eat "sushi by the tonne", he saw the edition become a big success.

"We sold half a million copies, more than Harry Potter!" he said.

By 2018, he had worked his way up the ranks to be named director of the guide following the retirement of American Michael Ellis.

Poullennec has overseen a new era, including an inevitable shift to an online-first strategy, the acquisition of upstart young competitor Le Fooding, and the spread of the guide to new destinations around the world.

Before his trip to Japan, there were only 10, all in Europe. Today, there are 45 editions across several continents.

It is also expanding into hotels. One of Poullennec's first moves was to buy booking website Tablet, and in the next few weeks Michelin will launch its first hotel reviews (the best receiving keys instead of stars).

Father of five daughters, Poullennec likes cooking family meals and making his own bread. In restaurants, he looks for "simple and comprehensible cuisine" but "with mastery".

He refuses to name his favourite dish for fear of being served it ad nauseam, and he generally keeps quiet about his views on particular meals.

Inevitably, the job has made him some enemies.

Star chef Marc Veyrat tried to sue the guide in 2019 after a vehement dispute over a supposed touch of cheddar in his souffle (cheddar being considered far too cheap an ingredient for a respectable French chef) and the loss of his third star.

There was also an outcry when the Michelin downgraded some restaurants in 2021 at the height of the industry's nightmarish Covid-19 slump.

In order to remain respected by readers, such incidents are "difficult but necessary," said Poullennec.

He knows many of France's top chefs personally, sometimes exchanging recipes with them, but insists he keeps a distance from them when it comes to the guide.

A recommendation from Michelin "is based on talent, not on reputation, and even less on how influential they are," he concluded.

Z.Ramadan--SF-PST