The Michelin Green Star Is Being Phased Out

Introduced in the 2021 Michelin Guide, the green Michelin star highlights restaurants leading the way in eco-friendly dining. However, following months of speculation, Michelin has confirmed the award is being ‘gradually phased out’ – with all 37 restaurants with the accolade set to lose their stars at the end of 2026.

However, a new initiative will launch in its place: Mindful Voices. Set to launch at the Michelin Guide Nordics ceremony in Copenhagen, this will ‘highlight and share the stories and pioneering practices of chefs, hoteliers and wine producers’. But, unlike the green star, it won’t be a formal award with an accompanying logo. 

International director of the Michelin Guide, Gwendal Poullennec, said: ‘Mindful Voices will give a platform to all those who are rewriting the rules in their respective fields. This new framework draws directly from what our inspection teams witness first-hand: encounters and experiences that are transforming how things are done and that deserve to be shared. Staying true to its identity and values, the Michelin Guide will amplify and give full resonance to these voices from the worlds of gastronomy, hospitality and wine, so that they can be heard, wherever they may be’.

Michelin Green Stars: Everything You Need To Know

What Is A Michelin Green Star?

A Michelin green star is an award from Michelin, designed to highlight the restaurants with commendable environmental practices which are taking steps to reduce their impact on the natural world.

Many of these restaurants work directly with farmers, growers and fishermen and use regenerative methods such as no-dig vegetable gardens. They also ensure a high quality of life for their staff, and often contribute to charity and education projects. Details of these practices are outlined in their entry.

Since restaurants can only qualify for the green star if they have been awarded a Michelin star, Bib Gourmand or plate distinction, this stresses the importance of sustainability in food excellence.

There’s no specific formula, and it differs from region to region. But inspectors look at factors like:

• The provenance of ingredients
• The use of seasonal produce
• The restaurant’s environmental footprint
• Food waste systems
• Recycling

Which Restaurants Were Awarded Green Michelin Stars In 2026?

In the recently released 2026 guide, a total of 37 restaurants were listed as having a Michelin green star. New additions include Knepp in West Sussex, which has been at the helm of the UK’s rewilding movement for a number of years. Food is much more of a focus in its new era helmed by Ned Burrell; on the estate, animals are allowed to interact and breed naturally, and the restaurant (Wilding Kitchen) honours the meat that comes from this process.

Glebe House

Devon hotspot Glebe House, set on a hilltop in Southleigh, also scooped up the award this year. The hotel is known for its farm-to-table restaurant, which cooks with ingredients from the organic kitchen garden. There’s a focus on low-waste cooking too: all food is composted on-site, and any external ingredients arrive in reusable or minimal packaging (such as milk in returnable glass bottles, and whole carcasses delivered plastic-free).

Another 2026 winner was Lake District hotel The Forest Side, which is no stranger to Michelin stars having won its first in 2017 within a year of opening. Edinburgh favourite Timberyard, which secured a Michelin star in 2023, was also recognised for its green credentials: the restaurant only uses wild game, serves an organic wine list and focuses on seasonal, foraged ingredients.

The full list of restaurants with newly awarded Michelin green stars for 2026 are:

• 1887, the Torridon, Achnasheen, Wester Ross
• Forest Side, Grasmere, Cumbria
• Knepp Wilding Kitchen, West Sussex
• Timberyard, Edinburgh
• Eight at Gazegill by Doug Crampton, Lancashire
• Glebe House, Southleigh, Devon
• The Free Company, Midlothian

They join a collection of restaurants who have retained their stars from last year. That includes The Black Swan, Tommy Banks’ cheerful pub in Oldstead with a stellar tasting menu, Pythouse Kitchen Garden in Wiltshire, which has its own regenerative kitchen garden, and Merlin Labron-Johnson‘s Osip in Somerset (where you can now stay the night). Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s River Cottage Kitchen, Simon Rogan’s L’Enclume and Daylesford also have green stars. In London, three restaurants currently hold the accolade: Chantelle Nicholson’s Apricity in Mayfair, Petersham Nurseries in Richmond, and St Barts in Barbican.

When Are Michelin Green Stars Being Retired?

The green star will be discontinued at the end of 2026, with Michelin’s new campaign, Mindful Voices, set to launch in June 2026. It will be introduced across Michelin’s website, app and social media through profiles of women and men from the worlds of gastronomy, hospitality and wine.