Apple TV+ will premiere next month the documentary series “Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars” that explores the world of haute cuisine and the obsessive way towards the highest gastronomic recognition: the Michelin star. The program will be conducted by Jesse Burgess, co -founder of “Topjaw” and gastronomic expert with more than a decade of experience in the creation of culinary content.
In an interview with Forbes MexicoBurgess shared his experience in the realization of this documentary, as well as what he represents for his career within the gastronomic world, beginning to speak on how this project surprised him to be working so close to chefs that they are under the pressure of Michelin recognition.
“I had no idea how much that means for these chefs, even if there is no guarantee that they will win something. Just have the next opportunity to stay on the road, to have the recognition that Michelin had his eye on them, and if they win something or not, it is enough to take them to tears and fall into their feet,” said the driver.
Burgess also stressed that production is not only “wonderfully cinematographic”, but also shines for being “rare, authentic and even raw”, managing to portray the crudeness of a profession marked by sacrifice and obsession with perfection. “It is rare for a program to be so cinematic and so raw at the same time.”
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This is how the first year of the Michelin guide in Mexico was lived
The series focuses on following the different stages in the career of the chefs who are looking for their first star, those who fight to maintain it and those who aspire to reach the third, so for Burges the most exciting thing is what represents the jump from zero to a Michelin star.
“Going from 0 to 1 star makes the biggest difference between your business and also protects so many restaurants not falling (…). The Michelin star can change everything for them (the chefs), but once you have two stars you have a full restaurant, you make your name, but get that first Michelin star becomes some pride and race, raising everything for your team,” Burge said.
The filming took the team to cities such as Los Angeles, New York, London, Copenhagen and even Mexico City, the latter being, Burgess mentions, where he lived a historical moment as it was the first time that the Michelin guide included our country.
“(The chefs) had no idea what Michelin would expect from them. They had no idea how to change the way of doing things for a Michelin inspector. They did not know if the inspectors would be local or French (…) that was very exciting.”
The program driver also added that, compared to other cities such as New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, these inspections are “much more common”, so restaurants “know how to present themselves and what they want to do with their kitchen.”
With exclusive access to the Michelin guide throughout its inspection season, “Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars” reveals how inspectors work under strict confidentiality, using false identities and alternative numbers to preserve their anonymity. A dynamic that, as Burgess recognizes, even surprises the chefs themselves.
“Many say they know how to identify an inspector, but not really. In the restaurants that constant paranoia is lived,” he says.
What represents this production for Jesse Burge’s career
For Jesse Burgess, making this leap to a global production backed by Apple TV+ and Gordon Ramsay has been a dream come true.
“Apple has the highest quality standards, and being part of that is a great honor. At the same time, I feel the pressure of being in charge of such a unique project. We have something unrepeatable here: fascinating stories, unpublished access and the opportunity to show the most human side of the chefs,” he concluded.
This new Apple TV+ production will have eight episodes produced by Studio Ramsay Global, the company of the renowned chef Gordon Ramsay and will have its premiere on the platform on October 10.
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