Chef and sommelier’s share in Michelin star success: The case of Denmark

Abstract

Enjoying a meal at a Michelin restaurant is quite a satisfying experience for consumers; working at one of these prestigious restaurants is similarly satisfying for a chef and sommelier. Chefs have long been the dominant factors in restaurants. In recent years, it has been observed that the sommeliers have become the partners of chefs in this important role. This study includes executive chefs, head chefs, sommeliers, and head sommeliers working at 11 different Michelin restaurants in Denmark with 1 and 2 stars. The findings confirm the recent contribution of sommeliers, which is mentioned in the related literature. In addition, the findings of this study indicate that the success of a chef in receiving a Michelin star and keeping it is mostly affected by the physical elements such as crew, materials, and presentation. Sommeliers, on the other hand, contribute to this success through abstract service elements such as the harmony of different elements on the table, food & wine harmony, menu tasting and increasing experience quality. It has also been determined that the impact of sommeliers on restaurant management will increase soon as they are the faces, in a sense ‘models’ of restaurants and they make unique contributions to customer satisfaction.