Five Michelin men bounce into a bar…

Or a restaurant, or a garage…

Another eBay shopping accident (blaming this on @coquus69 Paul Cunningham), means that — for not very many of your English pounds — I am now having to decide where in the house to cement these beauties…

He looks to have his located above a stove in restaurant Henne Kirkeby Kro, in Denmark…

My ceramic lovelies were produced in Spain, sometime in the period between 1950 and 1970. Designed originally to be presented to any Michelin tyre dealers who’d managed to exceed their sales targets, each tile shows a different Bibendum-man pose. The Bibendum image — also known as ‘Bib’ or ‘The Michelin Man’ — dates back to the 1890s, when the Michelin brothers created their new mascot from a stack of their own brand tyres which, at the time, were coloured white.

Often seen raising a glass in his ads, with the words ‘Nunc est Bibendum’ — Latin for ‘now is the time to drink’, a phrase I can get behind — his goblet was originally filled with nails and broken glass, apparently in a marketing attempt to

show how tough and hardy Michelin tyres were, and that they would not puncture easily.

Of course, you know what I’m trying to do, don’t you? Yup! Off now, planning on re-creating The Bibendum building, in this little rural Cambs village…

This is an aerial view of our gaff, so plenty of choice. No, wait, that’s wrong, that’s Cunningham’s crib isn’t it? Oh well, I’m sure we have some of our own space, somewhere…

“From little acorns etc etc…”

The Michelin House — designed by an employee, one François Espinasse (1880-1925) — opened on the Fulham Road in 1911 (the same year as they started their (in-)famous food guide), setup as their UK headquarters, which it remained as, for close to 60 years; it was a key part of their then new, brand expansion across the Channel, and here seen lit at night.

Then, after quite a few years of being less than totally loved, in 1987, it went on to be completely re-vitalised, partially re-built, and re-opened as a combination office space, retail outlets plus the Bibendum restaurant and oyster bar, by one, Sir Terence Conran who, quoting Dan Lepard here:

…demanded chefs lead with ingredients and provenance first, and make sure skills and technique only enhanced nature and never masked it.

and then latterly in the 21st C., handed over to the 2-starred Claude Bosi, complete with cuttlefish and tripe dishes, his homage to his dear old Ma…

…and his iconic chocolate Michelin man soufflé

Interestingly, the front of this (now Grade 2 listed) art deco building was originally a tyre-fitting bay for use by passing drivers as well as the ‘touring office’, where these same motorists could plan their onward journeys — using one of the Michelin guides I’d imagine of course — this one showing here the Lincoln roads, not that far away from us now.

And finally? OK, where do we put them?

Acknowledgements:

Michelin, The Guide.