The Michelin Guide (French: Guide Michelin [ɡid miʃlɛ̃]) is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars. Michelin also publishes Green Guides for travel and tourism, as well as several newer publications such as the Guide Voyageur Pratique (independent travel), Guide Gourmand (good-value eating-places), Guide Escapade (quick breaks) and Guide Coup de Cœur (favourite hotels).

André Michelin published the first edition of the guide in 1900 to help drivers maintain their cars, find decent lodging, and eat well while touring France. It included addresses of filling stations, mechanics, and tire dealers, along with local prices for fuel, tires, and auto repairs.

The guide was distributed free from 1900 until 1920, however the Michelin brothers eventually began charging for them. The guide began recognizing outstanding restaurants in 1926 by marking their listings with a star; two and three stars were added in the early 1930s.

Andy Hayler, data warehousing innovator, entrepreneur, writer, and food critic, is known for leading the creation of the dynamic data warehousing architecture within Royal Dutch Shell that he later commercialized as the KALIDO Active Information Management software product of Kalido, the Shell subsidiary founded by Hayler in 2001. This company is now headquartered in Massachusetts. In 2002, Hayler was selected for the "Top 10 Innovators" list by the editors of Red Herring, the magazine of business technology innovation and entrepreneurism. As software industry expert, Hayler writes the weblog "Andy on Software".

Hayler currently leads a professional double life. As a food critic, he writes and maintains the web site "Andy Hayler's Restaurant, Food and Hotel Guide". His "London Transport Restaurant Guide" was published by Macmillan in 1994. in 2006, The Guardian choose it as one of top 10 food web sites.

He is noted for having visited all the 3 star Michelin restaurants that existed in the world in 2004, keeping up with this culinary journey in 2008 and again in 2010.

Glynn Purnell (born 1975) is an English chef and restauranteur. Described by the Birmingham Post as "undoubtably the finest chef to hail from Chelmsley Wood", he is the proprietor and Head Chef at Purnell's restaurant in Birmingham, England, which was awarded a Michelin star in January 2009.

Purnell was born in Chelmsley Wood, a large council estate in Solihull. When he was young he would cook for his younger brother and sister, feeding them beans on toast with curry powder and chopped onions. His first experience working in a kitchen was when he did work experience at the Metropole Hotel at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre at the age of 14, returning for a six year apprenticeship when he left school.

Purnell's career in fine dining started in 1996 when he joined Andreas Antona at Simpsons restaurant – then based in Kenilworth, Warwickshire – as chef de partie. While at Simpsons he worked on placements with notable chefs including Gordon Ramsay, Alistair Little and Gary Rhodes, and at restaurants in Lyon, Montpellier and the Basque Country. In 2002 he worked for six months as sous chef at Claude Bosi's Hibiscus restaurant in Ludlow, Shropshire.

Heston Marc Blumenthal, OBE ( /ˈbluːmənθɔːl/; born 27 May 1966 in London, raised in Buckinghamshire) is an English chef and owner of The Fat Duck, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Bray, Berkshire which has been voted Best Restaurant in the UK and received a perfect score of 10/10 every year since 2007 by The Good Food Guide. Additionally, it was voted best restaurant in the world in 2005 by Restaurant magazine. Since that date, it was awarded 2nd place in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, 3rd in 2010 and 5th in 2011.

Heston Blumenthal attended the Latymer Upper School in London for one year^{[citation needed]} before transferring to Lacey Green Church of England School until 12.^{[citation needed]} Blumenthal completed his studies at age 18^{[citation needed]} at John Hampden Grammar School, High Wycombe.

Blumenthal is entirely self-taught. His first paid job as a curry chef was when he opened his own restaurant, The Fat Duck. Prior to this, his only experience in a professional kitchen was a one week long work experience at Marco Pierre White's restaurant and 10 days' unpaid experience in Raymond Blanc's kitchen.^{[citation needed]}