Top French chef Alain Senderens has decided to hand back the three Michelin stars his Paris restaurant, Lucas Carton, has held for the past 28 years.

Senderens, a pioneer of nouvelle cuisine in the 1970s, said he wanted to move towards a simpler and more modern style of food.

The 65-year-old chef denied his decision had anything to do with fear of losing the accolades.

A statement explained that he wanted to break free from the restraints that Michelin standards imposed economically and on the way the restaurant interacted with staff and guests.

In 1999 UK chefs Marco Pierre White and Nico Ladenis handed back their three Michelin stars, heralding White's move into management and Ladenis's pursuit of a simpler style.

The stress and financial hardship of maintaining Michelin's standards drove German chef Matthias Dahlinger to give up his star in 2003.

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