Friday five: the week’s top stories

- Michelin is retiring its Green Star sustainability awards after six years. The news followed months of speculation that the Green Stars were to be axed, with food writer Nicholas Gill highlighting on his Substack, New Worlder, that Michelin had removed the star listings from its website and distinction search function. At the time Michelin denied the reports but has now confirmed the rating system is coming to an end. Having debuted in the Michelin Guide France 2020 and in the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland the following year, Michelin says it awards the rating to restaurants that focus on ‘preserving resources and embracing biodiversity, reducing food waste and reducing the consumption of nonrenewable energy’. Michelin revealed the decision alongside the launch of Mindful Voices, a ‘trailblazing’ editorial initiative intended to ‘shine a light on individuals who, through their commitment and endeavours, are proposing new methods within gastronomy, hospitality and wine’. - The Government has announced a cut in VAT on children’s meals from 20% to 5%, running from 25 June to 1 September. Ministers said the move is designed to ease pressure on household budgets while also supporting the hospitality sector during its busiest months. Alongside this, the Great British Summer Savings Scheme will extend to family tickets for theme parks, zoos, museums, and fairs, as well as children’s cinema, theatre, concert, and soft play tickets. The scheme will operate across the UK, with its start date aligned to the beginning of the Scottish school holidays and continuing until pupils in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland return to school in early September. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the Government wants to make summer outings more affordable for families still feeling the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. - Mriya, the Earl’s Court neo-bistro in Old Brompton Road run by Ukrainian refugees, will close early next month after just under three years of trading. Announcing the decision, the team said it was ‘born during a difficult moment in history’, created during a time when millions of Ukrainians were displaced by war, it grew into more than a restaurant, becoming a meeting place for the Ukrainian community. Billed as the first Ukrainian restaurant to open abroad after the full-scale invasion, it introduced Londoners to contemporary Ukrainian cuisine through a neo-bistro concept while also hosting cultural evenings and community events. The space was designed with ceramics, furniture, textiles, and art sourced from Ukraine to reflect the country’s culture, craftsmanship, and spirit. It was launched in 2022 by Ukrainian chef Yurii Kovryzhenko and his partner Olga Tsybytovska after they found themselves stranded in London following Russia’s invasion. - SO|LA, Victor Garvey’s Michelin-starred restaurant in Soho will relocate to Notting Hill, next to the chef’s sister restaurant MATER1A, this June. Centred on the modern cuisine of America’s Pacific West Coast, SO|LA describes itself as bringing ‘a taste of California to London, via LA’. It serves tasting menus, spanning lunch and pre-theatre as well as dinner, with a wine list that focuses on North American labels, with a particular emphasis on California, showcasing both celebrated estates and emerging vineyards across the region. In its new Notting Hill location, the restaurant will offer a more intimate experience, going from 26 seats down to 12 and offering a ‘more ambitious evolution of the concept’. As a smaller operation, Garvey says he will have more time to develop dishes, adding a sense of ‘playfulness and surprise’ to the SO|LA menu. - The team behind Michelin-starred Northumberland restaurant Pine are launching a live-fire restaurant at Freight Island Newcastle, which is set to open next month. PYR, led by Pine chef-owner Cal Byerley and head chef Ian Waller, will open in August, bringing Pine’s trademark precision ‘into a louder, faster city setting’, with a menu focused on North East provenance, including day-boat seafood from the local coast, meat from regional heritage farms, and seasonal vegetables from small-scale growers. The offering will be designed for flexibility and atmosphere, ranging from snacks (from £5) and small plates (from £10) through to larger cuts cooked over flame (from £30) and fire-influenced desserts (from £8). PYR will also lead Freight Island’s wider food programme, alongside 12 independent kitchens, four bars, and a year-round schedule of music and screenings.

Friday five: the week’s top stories

Michelin’s decision to retire its Green Star and a temporary VAT cuts for children’s meals are among this week’s top news stories.

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