The Michelin guide celebrates its centenary

15:32 18 January 2011

This year sees the 100th anniversary of the Michelin guide.

To mark the historic event, Michelin gathered more than 100 of the UK and Ireland's starred chefs at the iconic Michelin House, Fulham Road to celebrate.

Michelin star chefs Heston Blumenthal, Gary Rhodes, Michel Roux Jr, Jean-Luc Naret, Fergus Henderson and also Derek Bulmer, the former editor of the guide all attended the event.

%%youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu4kry9XCTI

The 2011 edition is a very special one, because this year marks its 100th anniversary. The 2011 guide continues to respond to the needs of its readers. It recommends a large and diverse selection of hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and pubs in all price categories and across every region of the UK and Ireland.

The 1911 guide pointed out amenities such as central heating or electric light, but in 2011 is more likely to highlight outstanding cooking and exceptional wine lists.

Editor in Chief Rebecca Burr said: “This centenary edition underlines the UK’s greatest strength which is the rich diversity and variety of its restaurants. The country embraces all kinds of restaurants and every type of cuisine and the public’s appetite shows no signs of abating.

“There is no doubt that 2010 was a difficult year but those hotels and restaurants that represented value for money, at whatever price, were the ones who were best placed to weather the storm. We found 12 new one star establishments and awarded 26 new Bib Gourmands which readers particularly appreciate for their moderate prices.”

The Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland 2011 is available now, priced at £15.99