The AA Restaurant Guide has admitted it may have been wrong when it failed to award London restaurant Petrus five rosettes in its new edition.
According to some reports it may now change its decision and award the restaurant, which is co-owned by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, five rosettes after all.
The confusion arose when the guide's editor Simon Wright resigned over the awarding of the prestigious rosettes.
He quit after AA managing director Roger Wood overruled the Restaurant Guide's food critics and vetoed awarding Petrus an extra rosette - which would have taken the restaurant to the maximum award of five.
But now Mr Wood has issued a statement saying he was merely expressing personal views.
"My personal views may have been given undue weight in the decision-making process about the AA rosette award for Petrus," he said.
He recommended calling the awarding committee together to review the decision and it is thought the committee has now reversed the decision.
Several pubs have been awarded the prestigious AA rosettes, which were the first national scheme for grading the quality of restaurants and are recognised across Europe as a guide for assessing the standards of food and service in a venue.
Initially ignored by the guide, pubs are now being included after several years of hard work. The Petrus debacle has left inspectors and entrants worried their efforts will be now be useless if the guide's authority is challenged.
Related articles:
AA editor quits over Ramsay veto (5 August 2002)