Michelin eyes members only 'Michelin Club'

According to a survey​ ​​posted on Bookatable, the booking site owned by the guide until December, ​​Michelin is 'laying the groundwork' for a club pitched at ‘gastronomy enthusiasts’ and would offer a range of benefits at participating Michelin-rated restaurants alongside members-only access and special pricing for Michelin culinary events worldwide.

The 28 questions on the survey are around respondent’s participation and interest in chef’s table dinners, private dinners and tastings.

It also seeks to gauge interest in perks including priority access to last minute and prime time reservations, menu items that are only available to members, kitchen tours and signed cookbooks.

The little red book has looked to significantly extend its reach in recent years with the acquisition of Bookatable (which it later sold to TripAdvisor as part of a partnership deal)​​​, hotel bookings website Tablet and a 40% stake in Robert Parker wine guide.

It has also moved into live events, launching some of its guides at large sponsored events.

Paid for membership schemes are a growing area of the market, offering users a concierge-like service that curates restaurants and potentially provides special access to them.

Launching in the UK this month, inHouse is a global members’ network​​​ that ‘connects restaurants and regulars, celebrating dining culture in the process.’

Founded in the US by Benjy Leibowitz - the London-born former head maître d’ at Daniel Humm’s NoMad - inHouse offers its members their own ‘member experience managers’ who can make bookings on their behalf and secure the same type of perks as a regular might get.