2024 WINNERS
AWARD CEREMONY
OF THE SWISS CULINARY MERIT
IN THE PRESENCE OF GUY PARMELIN
FEDERAL COUNCILLOR
HOTEL BELLEVUE BERN, MARCH 11, 2024
CULINARY MERIT OF HONOR
CARLO CRISCI
Carlo Crisci dreamed of being an artist. A graphic artist or designer. But his destiny lay elsewhere. It was in the kitchen that his creativity found expression. He was one of the first to bring back to our plates ground-ivy, masterwort root and other wild plants whose delicate aromas our palates had forgotten. Always on the move, his «lively and joyful» cuisine was in tune with the times without following fashions. He was also a graphic artist and designer, creating his own line of jackets, plates and cutlery. For 37 years, with the support of his wife Christine, he turned Le Cerf in Cossonay into an enchanting space. Carlo Crisci is a poet.
CULINARY MERITS
HEAD CHEFS
MARIE ROBERT
A guiding light of modern Swiss gastronomy, the lively Vaudoise chef at Café Suisse in Bex has no shortage of character. And it shows in the creative, seasonal menus and dishes she serves in her constantly changing restaurant. At 35, after a rapid rise to fame, the media-savvy Marie is still going strong. She combines her life as a chef and mother with brio, while modernising her restaurant to make it a more efficient working tool for her brigade and an even more stunning setting for her guests.
DOMINIQUE GAUTHIER
Dominique is an artisan chef who is a great advocate of good, fresh produce from farms and small producers in the Geneva countryside. He has developed a real fervour for a sunny cuisine. Always smiling and enthusiastic, he passionately shares his love of his trade, his spirit of training and his conviction in defending the colours of his fine profession. After more than 30 years in his gastronomic restaurant at the Hotel Beau-Rivage in Geneva, he moved to his new address and excels in his new Restaurant Journe on the Rue du Rhône, where he remains one of the benchmarks of Swiss gastronomy.
PETER KNOGL
Peter Knogl's track record is extremely impressive! There is hardly an award that he has not already received. And rightly so! His cooking style is pure umami! When he started at the «Cheval Blanc», it was less than seven months before he received his first Michelin star. From then on, things only went upwards. He was honoured with the «Chef Mentor Award» and Gault Millau named him Chef of the Year twice. He describes his cuisine as French haute cuisine with Mediterranean and Asian influences. A visit to his «Cheval Blanc» is a feast for the senses in every respect.
NENAD MLINAREVIC
Nenad Mlinarevic trained as a chef at the Dolder Waldhaus in Zurich and went on to work in various establishments in Switzerland and abroad, including Noma in Copenhagen. From 2013 to 2017 he managed the Park Hotel Vitznau's «Focus» restaurant, where he focussed exclusively on Swiss products ahead of his time. For this, he was honoured as «Chef of the Year 2016». He now shapes Zurich's gastronomy scene with restaurants such as the purely vegetarian «Neue Taverne», the «Bauernschänke» and the «Brasserie Süd» where he is co-responsible for the concept.
FABRIZIO ZANETTI
Born in the Engadine, he grew up in St. Moritz, where he remained until the end of his apprenticeship. He completed his training in major Swiss establishments, which he then enriched with experiences abroad. But he returned to his roots. Married with one child, this young man has been in charge of the kitchens of one of Switzerland's top hotels since May 2015: The Suvretta House in St. Moritz. His cuisine is fresh and varied, influenced by all the experiences he has had, without forgetting his origins. His motto: «For me, cooking is not just a passion, it's my life». For his brilliant career, his ongoing commitment to training and to organising the Gourmet Festival in St. Moritz, we are delighted to honour him with the Culinary Merit Switzerland.
CONFECTIONERY CHEFS
SÉVERIN GERBER AND GRÉGORY WYSS
Bakery and confectionery in 2017, restaurant in 2020, tearoom in 2022: in Yverdon-les-Bains, Séverin Gerber and Grégory Wyss are distilling gourmet delights at every turn. With the help of perfectionist Laurena Wyss, the two friends remain at the top of their game: their Paris-Brest are (among) the best in Switzerland, their many breads made with local flours brighten up even the saddest mornings, and what can we say about those intense chocolate sweets ?
THOMAS SCHWARZENBERGER
Born in Zug, Thomas Schwarzenberger has succeeded in developing his pastries in both traditional and contemporary ways. He puts a lot of rigour, love and self-sacrifice into his work. Constantly striving to progress and evolve in this profession that he enjoys so much, Thomas loves challenges and competitions: the Swiss Chocolate Master, the World Pastry Team Championship in Phoenix, US, and the World Culinary Cup in Luxembourg where he always finishes on the podium. This hard worker remains very approachable and always willing to please.
