Arabic version: جنوب أستراليا يستعد لاستضافة أول دليل ميشلان في أستراليا

According to ABC News, South Australia will become the first place in Australia to feature in the Michelin Guide, with the state’s first selected restaurants due to be revealed at a Wednesday evening ceremony. Anonymous Michelin inspectors have been dining at venues across the state, with restaurants potentially in contention for Australia’s first Michelin Star.

The guide, globally recognised for hospitality excellence, was created by the Michelin brothers in the late 1800s to support their tyre business in France’s early automotive industry. Originally a driving guide containing maps and advice on places to eat and stay, it later became a major dining benchmark in Europe before expanding to Asia and the Americas in the 2000s.

Travel and food writer Ben Groundwater said Michelin represented a worldwide standard for local restaurants. South Australia pursued the guide after Michelin had previously approached Tourism Australia in 2016. The national authority declined, but the South Australian government proceeded with an agreement. The government has kept the price confidential for commercial reasons and has not disclosed ongoing costs.

Tourism Minister Emily Bourke said the guide could strengthen South Australia’s position as a food-and-wine destination and attract visitors. Africola owner Duncan Welgemoed, who has worked in Michelin-starred kitchens in Europe, said gaining recognition could significantly increase restaurant bookings and appeal to gastronomic tourists.

Michelin says its inspectors assess food rather than decor, ambience or service. However, Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Catheryn Khoo noted criticism of the guide’s approach as it expanded internationally, including concerns that food has sometimes been judged against French standards. She said chefs preparing for the announcement should focus on their own work rather than lose sight of why they entered the industry.