Concierge lifestylemagazine NO 2 EN by concierge lifestyle magazine

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South Africa – An adventure everyone should experinece Padel – The sport that has something for everyone Björn Persson wants to save the world with his camera

Greetings, No 2 of Concierge Lifestyle Magazine is

magazine with her fantastic knowledge

finally out!

within drinks and beverages in the future.

In this issue, you’ll dream away to destinations in different continents, delicious suppers and other goodies.

We’ve also visited the 3-star restaurant Franzén located in Stockholm. And of course, we spent some time just

Amongst other things, our Editor at Lar-

outside of the capital of Sweden at the

ge Sebastian Bredberg has written a story

hot and trendy Ellery Beach House where

about his trip to South Africa.

our talented Editor in Photography Junn

Ludwig Magnusson has done a personal interview with the interesting and

Strandberg captured the ambience. With that said, we hope you lean back in

newsworthy photographer Björn Persson

your favourite armchair and enjoy the se-

about his works in Africa and his new book

cond issue of Concierge Lifestyle Magazine.

Beauty Will Save the World. The well-known wine-writer Ann Fogel-

Pat rick Hillbe rg Edit or in Chie f

berg teaches us everything about Sherry, she will return to us at concierge lifestyle

Ed i to r At L arg e Seb astian Bred b erg

Ed i to r i n Ph oto g ra p hy J unn Stran d b erg

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Ed i to r i n Adver ti si n g Phi li p K rantz T hi llmar k

Ed i to r i n Ch i e f Pat r ic k H i l l b e rg

G ra p hic D esi g n Stefan Hatten b a ch

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CMY

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Restaurant Frantzén When Björn Frantzén started as a young apprentice chef at Edsbacka Krog, he was unable to distinguish between Chervil and Tarragon. He has certainly come a long way since then, having recently won »The Best Chef Top100 Award« at »The Best Chef Awards« ceremony in Barcelona. But let’s start at the beginning. In 2008, BF opened his first restaurant Frantzén/Lindeberg with his former »pair horse«* Daniel Lindeberg. A mere two years later, they earned a two star rating in Guide Michelin. These days, in addition to the highly acclaimed Frantzén, BF runs amongst others, Bobergs Matsal and Nordiska Kantinen at Nordiska Kompaniet in Stockholm. In 2016, Frantzén’s Kitchen opened in Hong Kong. Having won several awards, it is ranked as one of the best restaurants in the city, and there is a sister restaurant, »Zen«, in Singapore. Getting back to the subject of the aforementioned Frantzén, it was back in August, 2017, that BF launched Sweden’s most expensive restaurant of all times, priced »per guest« 4

This was a joint project with venture capitalist Harald Mix and business woman Antonia Ax:son Johnson. The restaurant, located on Klara Norra Kyrkogata, is spread over three floors (521 sqm), and can accommodate 23 guests. Already five months after the opening, Frantzén was awarded three stars in the Guide Michelin. This is the first time that a Swedish restaurant has been awarded the highest ranking. When this was announced, BF stated that it was »a damn good Monday!«. The above-mentioned description, on any day of the week, would be a modest description of a dining experience at Frantzén. We are greeted on the ground floor by attentive staff members, who usher us into an elevator, taking us up to the first stop and, meanwhile, Metallica’s »Enter Sandman« plays in the background. The levels of excitement and expectation are equally high. We sit down in a pair of soft armchairs and curiously view the homely surroundings, which bring to mind a snug but exclusive living room.

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We are served a crispy and flavorful Cote de Blanc Champagne, which is accompanied by lovely canapes. The ingredients for these delicacies include croustades with red seafood, artichokes à la barigoule and »hashed browns«. We then move on downstairs, to a menu which could not disappoint even the most discerning of diners. Starting with mackerel crudo with arabic coffee ponzu and fermented apricot juice and myoga followed by a Langoustine served with crispy rice and an emulsion of clarified butter. And this is just for starters! This is followed by Monkfish with razor shell, ragu on peas, smoked butter and pickled black truffle. The ten-course menu is SEK 3.500 per guest, excluding drinks. Dinner can be accompanied by a perfectly selected wine pairing. We quickly note that it would be pure stinginess not to hit the beverage package at SEK 1.650 or the non alcoholic option at SEK 900. Apart from the dining experience, we are struck by the character and ambience of the place. It is suddenly obvious what BF means by »relaxed elegance«.

There are no white table cloths. The guests are seated in rows at a long table and rock music is streaming from the speakers. Adding to this, the staff members truly feel like »extremely professional friends«. It is in spirit, just as BF says, very relaxed and not as »correct« as star restaurants in the absolute top tier can be – and, at the same time, the elegance knows no limits. Of all the dishes we got to experience, the signature dish deserves special mention. French Toast with Truffles and Centuries’ Old Vinegar. BF has boasted about this since 2008, and rightly so. The evening ends as it starts, in the lounge area and a large serving trolley is rolled out. We are tempted by Macaroons with soya bean paste, apricot and pistachio and chocolate with caramelised walnut, and porcini mushroom and fermented garlic caramel. A dinner for two, or lunch if you prefer, will set you back well over SEK 10.000. Our bill came close to SEK 13.000. Was it worth it? Well, the fact that we are already planning our next visit probably says it all.

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Ellery Beach House

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Ellery Beach is located at the cape of Elfvik in the more rural part of Lidingö outside Stockholm. This is the latest addition from the young hotel chain Ess Group, which has unique destinations throughout Scandinavia. The former Blue Hotel, has been renovated and developed into something that feels very right in time in terms of colour choice, materials and atmosphere. And it’s not just the exterior that feels trendy, the interior brings the mind to the 60’s Miami, with details and warm tones thought well through. It does not get much more image-friendly than this for social media feeds. The hotel has a total of 122 hotel rooms as well as meeting rooms and conference rooms for up to 250 people. It is believed that health is a currency in itself, and to continue on the theme: right in time, we also find two paddle courts, good running tracks around the area and a classic gym among the activities that

can be practiced for those who want. The hotel is also equipped with a handful of more activities to calm the hyperactive or competitive person such as boules courts, ping pong tables, billiards, board games and shuffleboards. In the hotel’s main restaurant Palmers, spicy food inspired by the Mediterranean is served that will hardly leave you hungry. The overall concept really shines through downstairs where you will find Coco Beach Club with food inspired by Southern California. This is perceived as a favourite part of the hotel with a bar, indoor and outdoor pools, fire relaxation, spa, sauna jetty, and sun loungers. The environment is cozy and lively. It is noticeable that there is a lot of time behind the selected furniture and decoration. In summary, Ellery leaves a very good impression with high-class and friendly service throughout the whole stay. Well worth a visit!

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Padel â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the big new trend

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When we first arrived at PDL-Center Frihamnen, we could not believe our eyes – the place is huge! With their 22 courts, they have one of the world’s largest indoor Padel centers. The advancement of padel has been quite successive, to say at least. With constant growth that appeals to multiple generations and ages. Before the dawn of the popularity, many believed people were referring to canoeing which is as we all know, done with paddles. But now thing’s have changed, a lot of people is already familiar with the terminology. The biggest receipt on the success is that there’s already a slice of the society that completely hate the sport, not for the rules or way of playing, but only because of its rampant popularity. There are not many activities that have gained such a trendy status that fast amongst everything from celebrities to the average joe. The sport is highly compatible

with networking and that puts the sport itself just behind the top tier in the segment which of course is golf when it comes to the social aspect. So what’s the deal with padel? In short, a gentle learning curve mixed with a very forgiving game form for the first-time participant where the game excels and becomes exciting very fast. The game is usually described as a hybrid between tennis and squash. In this racket sport, you always play double which specifically contributes to bigger opportunities to get into the game. The two teams that play against each other have a net in the middle splitting the court, just like in tennis. Speaking of tennis, one of the biggest differences from the traditional racket sport is that the players always have two attempts to hit the ball over to the contender’s side of the net. This because the ball is allowed to bounce against the glass walls in the

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court, more similar to squash. On the other hand, the scoring and the balls have more similarity to tennis. The rackets used in padel is made of composite material without strings with the hitting surface perforated by holes that have a dampening effect which gives a slightly slower game than tennis. This is a sport that rewards placement, strategy and thought-through decisions more than having a lot of physical strength to win by smashing the ball over the net. One practical example that strengthens the previous statement is when a player hits the ball really hard, there’s a high likelihood that the ball will bounce back via the walls in a way that the other team have a lot of time to position themselves and return the ball wherever they want. There was a version of padel played at British cruising ships as early as in the 19th century, historically seen, but it wasn’t until the 1960s that the

form of the game as we know it was invented by a Mexican man named Enrique Corcuera. Later on, a friend of Corcuera named Alfonso de Hohenlohe got convinced to build two padel courts at his wellknown Marbella Club Hotel and that was how it all started in Spain, in modern times. In Spain – despite the national obsession with Rafael Nadal - padel has grown to be more popular than tennis. There are only a few professional players at international level from Sweden. To be exact, there are four at elite level led by Daniel Windahl (23), who recently signed a sponsorship-deal with STIGA. With the ever-growing popularity which can be seen by how fully booked every court is, especially in bigger cities, we look forward to keep talking passionate about this lovely game and see more entertainment around it in the long run.

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Björn means bear How I told a nature photographer that I don’t like animals and how it turned out to be one of the most captivating meetings in a long time. When I first agreed to write an article about nature photographer Björn Persson I found the scenario a bit comical. An internationally renowned artist, famous for capturing emotionally powerful photos of wild animals from all over the world, working for their survival. And me, who has a fear of animals and rather would stay at home, if possible, doing nothing. But I decided to give it a go and thought maybe I could make something interesting out of it. Not without doubts I met Björn at a bar at Nytorget, Stockholm. We hit it off right away. I decided to tell him about my detachment from the animal world, how I switch sidewalk when I see a dog approach, and how his life choices perplex me. He smiled and nodded.

It turned out to be a fascinating conversation. Björn spent his twenties in Africa where he was active in game keeping and anti-poaching efforts. He saw the consequences of man’s destructive actions towards nature and what happens to a baby elephant that loses its mother to poachers; images and insights burnt into his mind that could not be forgotten. Three years ago, he decided to pursue full-time his dream of being a nature photographer. He was done with the nine-to-five, his calling was elsewhere. He wanted to protect the animals by showing them to the world, not through images of suffering and annihilation, but by displaying the magnificent

beauty that wild animals possess. »They are all different individuals« Björn tells me. »Every single animal has its own characteristic traits and personality. If more people were to see this, we would take action in a different way when it comes to preserving natural diversity. I believe that’s where the big problem is. We lost connection to nature. You don’t care for something you don’t have a connection to.«

With a bit of reluctance, I understood his point of view. »I want to inspire. I don’t want to call myself a nature photographer, but an artist who happens to use the camera as a tool and wild animals as the motif. Documenting a species’ patterns and way of life is not enough for me. I need to capture their soul, their wisdom. I believe that’s the way to reach people. A famous quote by Dostojevskij is ›Beauty will save the world‹, which is also the title of my new book.« I nod. I like Dostojevskij. The Idiot. »When you are out doing what I do, loads of advanced equipment won’t really matter. The beauty and the unexpected never originates with the technology, but in the moment. I don’t care about weather or season. I never use hidden cameras or robots. It’s all about presence.« »You have to learn how to read nature. Acknowledge the animal’s mood and predict their next move. Never trust luck. To be in the right place at the right time, that’s the key. You need to get close. Establish contact between you and, let’s say, the lion. Make him or her accept your presence before you take the shot, but never hesitate. The moment will be gone within seconds.« ”It sounds like a

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C O N C I E RG E L IFEST YL E M AGAZIN E

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nightmare” I say. Björn laughs. He tells me that his favorite picture is of a lion on a hill in Tanzania. I ask how close he was. ”No more than ten meters” he says. He smiles when he sees my dismay. »You must understand that I have done this since I was young. I know how to read the animals and I never take unnecessary risks that can end up with someone getting hurt. When the timing is right, I go for it. Then, everything goes silent. The surrounding world disappears. It’s just me and the animal. Ecstasy and focus at the same time. You take a deep breath and steady your hand.« I tell Björn that I would be somewhere else. Like home in my bed. »You know, I photograph all over the world. Everywhere man’s rampage can be seen. The North and South Poles, India, the Himalayas. I once photographed snow leopards there. Unforgettable. But

most of my time I’ve spent in Africa. The pictures in my new book Beauty Will Save the World are taken down there. It’s the first in a series that will cover endangered species on every continent.« After more than an hour of talking it was time to say goodbye. Both of us agreed on it having been a special and interesting meeting. I head home to my shelter with a great deal to digest. Before meeting Björn I had looked through his book once. I didn’t give it much thought then, but after seeing him and hearing him speak I opened it again. I noticed something had changed within me. The next day I went to see his exhibition at the Museum of Natural History. I could see, captured in these pictures, more than just natural phenomena. For the first time I saw something other than unpredictable predators, especially in a portrait of a male lion. Where I before only saw a beast, I now

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grasped a soul. Almost a person. I may never be the most enthusiastic animal lover but Björn Persson did change something in me. The photographs inspired me. Made me want change. I hope that the right people will get to see these pictures and hear Björn talk about his life’s work. People like him will play a huge and crucial

role in reconnecting humanity with nature and setting us back on a sustainable coarse. Those are some of the thoughts he left me with. B y Ludv ig M agnusson

ABOUT Name: Björn Persson Age: 48 Lives: Tyresö, Stockholm, Sweden Occupation: Photographer Björn recently published the book Beauty Will Save the World. His exhibition The Thin Line is now on display at Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm. CONCIERGE LIFEST YLE MAGAZINE

South Africa â&#x20AC;&#x201C; An adventure everyone should experinece

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Once again, during the same journey, I am met with a view filled with contrast, colour and shape. It instantly fills my already saturated mind turning into yet another semi-paralysis where I am forced to pinch myself. In front of me, once again, is a view resembling a painting, a screensaver from a newly purchased laptop. Once again, the fascination by a country and a journey that has delivered above expectations like a slam-dunk. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s go back to the day of departure, which does not by chance or in fact spontaneity take place in semi-tired Swedish February. South Africa is a winter destination, with its peak period between December and March, especially for Scandinavians craving light and heat with a questionable lust for life when arriving at the polar opposite of what we ourselves have in Europe; summer peak. The flight is long, like any winter destination to the sun. But it comes with a couple of unique advantages. Firstly, from Scandinavia, you

basically travel in a straight southerly direction where the next final stop is Antarctica. This means that the gentle time difference from Scandinavia is a measly hour. Waking up the first few days upon arrival without having to carry the anxiety of losing precious time in a jet lag state of mind or being able to get in touch with loved ones at home with an almost identical schedule feels amazing. Secondly, is the pleasant experience of flying business class with Ethiopian Airlines, one of Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best airlines. Mostly because of the fantastic service and a well above approved three-course meal. Something that strikes you already in the first hours after arriving at Cape Town Airport when we, relatively rested from the smooth flight, gently bounce around in our rental car along the highway up to the wine landscapes, is that a lot of the surroundings feel well maintained and clean. It demands a trip far out in the middle of nowhere before you find

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poorly paved roads and power lines with wiring you can see in other popular winter destinations, such as Thailand and other destinations in Southeast Asia and the Caribbean sea. Surely one also becomes well aware of other less charming events in South Africa and its tragic past as we also look at the remnants of Apartheid in the form of a bunch of townships along the roads where it is not entirely uncommon that the only time the locals leave, is for work and then returns to something that, more or less, resembles a closed community. Worth mentioning is that no one is actually forced to live in the townships anymore, but most individuals live there purely for economic reasons as nothing else is available. The journey through the wine districts is a chapter not unexpectedly filled with exemplary food and drinks. Usually via luxurious and affordable bed & breakfasts, where you can see zebras instead of horses graze in the pastures. Along with the view of the vines, which spreads like a green blanket over the 24

valleys towards the horizon, a unique image is captured like nothing seen before. We visit a total of ten vineyards surrounding the university-town of Stellenbosch and the picturesque Franschhoek where you can travel between the farms by everything from a pleasant tram ride on a dedicated link between farms, to roaring along with mountain bikes for the more adventurous. No vineyard is the same, listening to the farmers and their history, where many have great personalities and have run the farms for many generations is a delight, whilst sharing worldclass wine and food, and worst-case scenario outcome is getting tipsy pretty cheap if you like. Braai (in Afrikaans) is South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s equivalent to a barbeque where the most important thing is that cooking is done on a barbecue with charcoal and wood, which is something that everyone clearly needs to try with the fantastic selection of meats found in South Africa. To be satisfied and pleasantly surprised by the series of food and drink that was consumed in the

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wine districts and in fact all the way through the entire journey around South Africa; there is a significant difference stepping out from one of the best food experiences ever in life. This occurred at La Petite Colombe in Franschhoek. An absolute magical tasting menu, consisting of 10 dishes with accompanying drinks was in a class of its own, which by the way ended up costing just a shy 1500SEK, a solid proof of how much value for the money you get in general, in South Africa. Away from the deciduous forest and very pleasant tasting sessions we made our way southwest along the coastline. With rolled down windows, we could all feel we were approaching a completely different climate when salt and the smell from the sea filled our senses, white lines in different shapes created by the foam from the waves began to spread out along the enormous long beach we could see on the left side all the way to the beach town of Muizenberg.

The atmosphere is not surprisingly relaxed and reminds a lot of Bondi Beach in Sydney. Here, you will find a completely different clientele where the greatest activity besides walking along the nice beach is, of course, surfing in all its glory. There are plenty of surf schools, all in the middle of giving out instructions to young and eager students, we see a lot of hands gripping the board and run fearlessly out to the big blue. Flags and signs indicate that it is safe on the shark front. Seeing so many children gathered around a common interest such as surfing where skin colour, sex or personal circumstances donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to matter whatsoever, despite the brutal history the country often still has to endure, it gives us all a warm feeling before we leave the colourful beach huts lined up in a row to have lunch. If the passion for surfing is not great, a couple of days is enough to explore this charming slightly decadent town of Muizenberg.

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The following day, after an early start we made our way through the beautiful town of Hout Bay which lies in a wind-protected bay surrounded by mountains and leading to one of South Africa’s, and perhaps one of the world’s, most spectacular coastal roads – Chapman’s Peak Drive. This is a must in terms of experiences. A 9 km long winding road and a total of 114 curves with cliffs plunging directly into the sea is just as breathtaking as it sounds. We stop several times along the generously placed rest areas and absorb the shimmering blue sea and vast skies. We finally arrive at Noordhoek where the finale of views is the wide (both in length and width) almost 10k long beach that belongs to the small town. Next up is another beautiful little town called Simon’s Town where we stop to have lunch in the harbour, the specialty is naturally fish and seafood. We order everything on the menu and gorge. In connection with the town is the highly unexpected colony of protected penguins that ravage freely at Boulder’s 28

Beach. You can’t get any closer to these curious creatures. Finally, we visit more familiar sights such as the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point, situated on slightly higher ground where the Portuguese seafarer Bartholomew Diaz first rounded the Cape Peninsula in 1488 as he searched for a trade route to India and the East. The last stretch to the old lighthouse at the tip of Cape Point can be accessed either by cable car or by foot. We are greeted by a spectacular view of the horizon and the dramatic sea that reminds you of how ruthless and powerful it is before it carries on towards Cape Town and new adventures. Stay tuned for more of our amazing journey in the next number of Concierge Lifestyle Magazine.

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Sherry â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the next big drinks trend

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Sherry is making a comeback. The popular aperitif of the 1980s is swiftly becoming the new drink of choice. These days we pair Sherry with food such as Spanish tapas and sushi. Sherry is a Spanish fortified wine, with a history going back to 1100 BC when the Phoenicians founded the town of Jerez. This wine – presently enjoying a renewed peak in popularity – originates in Jerez de la Frontera, in the Cadiz region of Andalusia in southern Spain. Jerez, together with the towns El Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlucar de Barrameda form a triangular region, which marks the »DO« or ’Denominacion de Origen«, meaning that Sherry can only be made in this region. Most vineyards are located in the best regions of Jerez, where the high quality soil – called »Albariza« – is rich in calcium carbonate. There are three grapes varieties used for the production of Sherry: Palomino (by far the dominant grape at 95%), Pedro Ximenez (PX) and Moscatel.

Palomino, the dominant grape, is harvested before the others. The grape Moscatel is mainly used for sweetening purposes and Pedro Ximenez is predominantly used in the production of very sweet sherry, where grapes are sundried prior to pressing. One of the main sherry producers is Jose Esteves S.A. (Grupo Esteves), with brand names like Real Tesoro, Valdespino and La Guita, to mention a few. »When we aquired La Guita in 2007, we had come full circle« says Ignacio Lopez de Carrizosa, Head of Export Sales, with a smile on his face. Ignacio, who is passionate about sherry, has 25 years experience working for different sherry producers, many of which for Grupo Estevez.

Sherry should be chilled This family run vineyard - aquired by Jose Estevez in 1974 – produces in total some 8 million bottles of sherry every year. La Guita is the largest seller. La Guita Manzanilla, the leading/most popular

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sherry in Spain, has hints of apple and citrus with a balanced acidity. This sherry pairs very well with all kinds of tapas. Real Tesoro Del Principe Amontillado (no 8366), which was awarded 93 points by »Robert Parker Wine Advocate« in 2013, is one of my personal favourites. This sherry has a nuanced aroma with notes of walnut and brown sugar, leaving a dry and nutty aftertaste. Why not try this sherry with a creamy Jerusalem artichoke soup, sushi or with Stuffed Pork tenderloin with creamy blue cheese (e.g. Castello). »Sherry is best served chilled in white wine glasses« explains Ignacio. »This enhances the lovely roundness and flavour of the wine«.

Ageing sherry A sherry is generally aged between 3 and 25 years, although there are some sherry types which have been aged for as long as 80 years. Sherry is most 32

commonly aged in 500 l barrels, which can be up to 80 years old before they are sold. »Young wines are aged in the new barrels, while old barrels are used for the older wines« adds Ignacio. Traditionally, the wine barrels were stored in buildings, built high up on hills close to the sea, where Atlantic winds would sweep in. The wind and the closeness to the sea gives sherry its flavour. For this reason, there are substantial differences when you compare sherry from Jerez to sherry from Sanlucar. Manzanilla is the only sherry produced in Sanlucar, because of the closeness to the sea. When tasting this sherry, you will notice a distinct mineral note. Anchovies and a bowl of almonds make excellent companions for a Manzanilla. Sherry will, no doubt, continue to increase in popularity and it is a superb wine to accompany food. »Sherry is both a lovely wine and a different one, making it altogether unique« concludes Ignacio.

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Some types of sherry: Fino – a dry, light bodied sherry with a fresh yeasty taste. This sherry is covered by ‘flor’ – a type of yeast – and therefore not exposed to oxygen during the ageing process. Fino is an excellent aperitif and goes well with sushi. Manzanilla – this is a Fino, but being produced in Sanlucar, it is called Manzanilla. This sherry goes well with seafood. Amontillado – this is a dry, medium bodied sherry, light amber in colour and with nutty aromas. Pairs nicely with hard cheeses. Oloroso – this dry and full bodied sherry is often slightly darker in colour than the Amontillado. ’Oloroso’ means fragrant and, while Oloroso is naturally dry, some Olorosos have more sweetness. A sweet Oloroso pairs well with Serrano or Iberico ham. Palo Cortado – a rare variety of sherry, which is somewhat of a cross between Amontillado and Oloroso. Pedro Ximenez – a dessert wine made entirely of the grape with the same name. The grapes are harvested almost exclusively from the Montilla-Moriles region.

Moscatel – the grapes are processed in the same manner as for Pedro Ximenez and there are similarities between the two types of sherry. Moscatel makes an ideal companion to flavourful hard cheeses. Pale Cream – as the name implies, this sherry is pale in colour. This is really a Fino, to which a sweetener has been added. Cream – a sweet sherry; most commonly an Oloroso which has been sweetened.

Sherry bars in London: Tramontana, 152-154 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3AT Donostia, 10 Seymour Place, London W1H 7ND Rosita, 124 Northcote Road, London SW11 6QU Morito, 32 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QE Copita, 27 D’Arblay Street, London W1F 8EP Opera Tavern, 23 Catherine Street, London WC2B 5JS Barrafina, 54 Frith Street, London W1D 4SL Capote y Toros, 157 Old Brompton Road, London SW5 0LJ Hispinia, 72-74 Lombard Street, London EC3V 9AY

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About Guide Michelin The Michelin Guide was published for the first time in 1900 by the brothers Andre and Edouard Michelin. The guide was aimed at motorists and the purpose of the guide was to inspire travelling to the countryside, which would add to the wear and tear of car tires. The Michelin brothers were car tire manufacturers and they were hoping that this would boost sales. In the 1930s, the hierarchy for the star ranking was introduced, with one star meaning that

the restaurant is exceptionally good in its category, two stars meaning the restaurant is worth a detour and three stars denoting that the restaurant is worth a special journey. The Michelin Guide also has another rating system, where a restaurant is awarded »forks« on a scale ranging from 1 to 5. Restaurants awarded this grading will have a proven high level of excellence and high quality of service.

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