Chefs Chapter
Welcome to an exceptional culinary society, a vibrant global community where passion for the culinary arts transcends borders. Our society is a distinguished, private, non-political, and not-for-profit chapter of the HoteliersGuild, dedicated to elevating and supporting the world of gastronomy. At the heart of our mission is the unwavering support for our chapter's member Chefs and Cheffes - the established maestros of today's culinary scene, as well as the bright, aspiring young talents destined to become the culinary leaders of tomorrow.
Here, we forge a nurturing environment that celebrates innovation, tradition, and excellence in the culinary world. Through mentorship, scholarships, and a plethora of opportunities via our global network, we aim to empower the next generations of chefs, ensuring that the future of food is as diverse and rich as the cultures that inspire it. Join us in our journey to honor culinary mastery, to nurture emerging talent, and to shape the future of gastronomy on a global stage. Welcome to our society, where culinary dreams are nurtured, and the future of food begins.
Elena Arzak, SIRIUSACADEMYAWARDCHEFE Laureate and a wonderful valued Supporter for our Cause.
“ We are living through unsettling times. As we deal with the challenges of a changed world we can care for our friends and families and members of our communities by cooking and eating together. Food joins people - it soothes and reassures. Now is a time to gather around the table and to share joy. It’s part of our DNA as cooks. We can’t wait to welcome guests back into our restaurant and our kitchen. Cuisine is a form of communication. It always has been, and it’s ever more so these days. We contort reality and we transform it, reinterpret it as a transfer of new ideas and meanings through innovation, or through old ideas in new formats. But it’s always a message.
All of this helps us to develop a dialogue with our guests. We ask a lot of ourselves in the kitchen but none of it would make sense if it didn’t end with a smile at the table. That’s the moment we look forward to when everything comes together in pure enjoyment. It’s the ultimate goal. It’s what we do at Arzak. Converge, Gather, Join. Again and again. “
Thomas Bühner, Chefs Chapter’s Ambassador Culinaire.
“ I am absolutely delighted to support this noble cause and I invite our colleagues to join us. We must defy to admit defeat, so let us stand together in these challenging times, and I wish all of us continued resilience and strength to swift adapt, to become even stronger and to provide service experiences to guests that make a real difference. “
Our members
Thomas Bühner
Ambassador Culunaire
Former 3-star Michelin Chef at Germany’s La Vie restaurant. Entrepreneur and for over 20 years at the top league of German chefs.
Elena Arzak
Supporting Cheffe
A true living legend with four generations of culinary excellence. Spain’s National Gastronomy Award winner and snce 2012 Veuve Clicquot’s World’s Best Female Chef
Antonio Bachour
Founder President of HoteliersGuild and its initiatives.
Independent luxury hotelier, CEO of CoutureHospitalityConcept and Selected Hotels Promotion L.C.
Jessica Préalpato
Chef pâtissière chez Restaurant Alain Ducasse.
Passionate about cooking and baking from an early age as her parents were also in the same line of profession.
Eckhard Witzigmann
Chef of The Century - A true legend
Paolo Casagrande & Martin Berasategui
Restaurant Lasarte, Barcelona
Sky Zhang
Exec. Sous Chef, Peninsula, Shanghai
Chef Jacky presides at the Michelin stared Chines Yi Long Court restaurant at the Shanghai Peninsula Hotel.
Charles Benoit Lacour
Chef Benoit is on the helm of Shanghai’s Sir Ellis Restaurant at the Peninsula Hotel.
Manu Buffara
Owner Cheffe of MANU, Alameda, Dom Pedro, Brazil
For Manu, cooking is an expression of love, knowledge, technique, authenticity and respect. Respect for the product, for the farmer, for the chef, for her apron and her family.
Dimitris Katrivesis
Owner Chef of THAMA, Greece
Longtime member and outstanding Chef
Giorgio Diana
Exec. Corporate Chef, Atico Group
A mover and shaker
Ricardo Camanini
Owner Chef one of Italy’s most famous restaurants LIDO84 and has a Michelin star to his name.
Àngel León
Owner Chef of APONIENTE, Puerto Santa Maria, Spain
Legendary 3-Star Michelin Cuisiner
Matthias Hahn
Excecutive Chef Maison Culinaire TANTRIS , Munich, Germany
Internationally renowned and the most iconic restaurant in town
Anton Gschwendtner
Chef de Cuisine, ATELIER, Munich, Germany
Art Cuisine on 2-Star Michelin level
Mario Gamba
Owner Chef ACQUARELLO, Munich, Germany
Since two decades, Munich’s and Germany’s finest Michelin stared Italian restaurant
Francis Mallmann
Argentinian celebrity Chef and international restaurateur of Netflix Chefs Table fame.
Holger Deh
Executive Pastry Chef, Rosewood, HongKong
With a very sweet tooth and a motto: “Be curious and don’t be afraid to make mistakes - do better next time!”
Megin Meikle
Compassionate Pastry Chef, South Africa
Formerly with Pot Luck Club, Cape Town. Now Head Chef Patessiére at Zioux Bar & Restaurant, Johannesburg
Luke Dale-Roberts
Owner Chef The Test Kitchen, Cape-Town
Placed 45th in the Elite Traveler’s 100 Best Restaurants in the World
René Frank
Co-Owner Chef at CODA, Berlin
With 2 Michelin Star, named “World’s Best Pastry Chef” 2022 by San Pellegrino
Melissa Coppel
Renowned Chocolatier from Cali, one of the few women at the top of her field. Worked with Joel Robuchon , before co-founding her own chocolate company and school.
Michael Bartocetti
Reputed and compassionate Pâtissier at George V. Paris. worked with Guy Savoy, Alain Dcasse and Christophe Moret
Cédric Crolet
One of Paris’ finest Pastry Chefs.
In just a few years, Cédric Grolet has become a key figure in the French pâtisserie and is today regarded by international critics as the best pâtissier. A symbol of the new generation of chefs.
Chef Kayla-Ann Osborn
Delaire Graff Restaurant's Head Chef. At the helm of this beautiful restaurant in Stellenbosch is Kayla-Ann Osborn, the Head Chef. Kayla-Anne is Delaire Graff's first female head chef.
Chef Virgil Khan
INDOCHINE at Delaire Graff Estate, Stellenbosch, S.A. Head Chef Virgil Kahn is behind the evocative, fine dining food theatre that is Indochine. He comes to Delaire Graff Estate from an esteemed background, having cooked at Gordon Ramsay’s Maze and Nobu at The One&Only Cape Town
At HoteliersGuild we support and celebrate young aspiring talents.
Christo Pretorius
Since 2013 Executive Chef at The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa, Camps Bay, Cape Town. Over the years Christo has made his mark: Winner of American Express Platinum Fine Dining Awards every year from 2013 to 2018; Red Carnation Hotels Chef of the Year in 2013, 2014 and 2018.
Marco Pierre White.
The legendary and outspoken Marco Pierre White in conversation with Heleri Rande on everything from the relevance of Michelin to his plans for the future, lessons he has learnt and what models he feels work best for growth.
A big thank you to all the wonderful Chefs for their gracious contributions
ELENA ARZAK
Restaurante Arzak, San Sebastian, Spain.
“ Since I was a child I was passionate about the atmosphere I saw in the kitchen, the dishes...and I always wanted to cook, make new recipes and be with the customers....”
Anton Gschwendtner
ATELIER at Hotel Bayerischer Hof, Munich, Germany
“I don't want to be labelled in any way, as I am very open-minded and keen to experiment. However, my focus is clearly on the products. My line is purist, with a slight French touch and Asian influences. I try to surprise guests with tastes and combinations that they might not expect.”
CHEF OF THE MONTH OF SEP. ‘22
The King of Outdoor Cooking
CHEF OF THE MONTH OF AUG. ‘22
The World’s Best Pastry Chef 2022
CHEF OF THE MONTH OF JULY ‘22
OUR DISTINGUISHED HoteliersGuild CHEFS CHAPTER MEMBER
PAOLO CASAGRANDE
Who am I?
I am from Italy, from a small town called Susegana, Treviso. I am the first professional chef in a family who loves cooking. Since the time of my late grandmother, the family has spent many hours in the kitchen, and our life as a large Italian family has revolved around the table. When I was around 13-14 years old, I realized that what I really wanted to become in life was a cook.
How it all began
From a young age, I was the one who cooked at home when my parents worked or when we got together as a family to eat. It was my father who helped me make my way, as he encouraged me to find and choose a cooking school. That is how I started my cooking studies at Alfredo Beltrame School in Vittorio (Veneto) while I worked on weekends and during vacations.
Working with Martin Berasategui
While working with Martín Berasategui and all the “large family” around him, I have encountered many core values that have been instilled in me since I was a child, that have made me feel I was on the right track and that have helped me to get trained and grow as a person. These values
have been and still are a reflection of my daily life, inside and outside the kitchen: respect, humbleness and generosity. From Martín I have learned other very important values, such as commitment, team spirit, effort, accuracy, courage, competitiveness, improvement, creativity ...
The sky is the limit
In 2012 I landed in Barcelona to lead the cooking team at Lasarte Restaurant in Barcelona. The cuisine at Lasarte is true to all my values and to those of Martín Berasategui. It is respectful, generous, creative and faithful to everything that is cooked in the headquarters at Martín Berasategui Restaurant. But it is also a kitchen with the personal touch of Paolo Casagrande, with highly Mediterranean influences where local produce predominate and, of course, with some Italian influence. Lasarte’s cuisine is constantly looking for flavour contrasts, it is an elegant cuisine that will not leave anyone indifferent. Our kitchen is more mature every day, leaving behind everything unnecessary.
PAOLO CASAGRANDE
Head of Cuisine Lasarte Restaurant***
Italian born and very passionate of kitchen from an early age, Paolo Casagrande studied at the Alfredo Beltrame Hospitality School in Vittorio (Veneto) in northern Italy. From a young age he made his way through numerous restaurants in Italy to discover new techniques, discipline and creativity in the world of cooking.
He perfected his culinary skills in prestigious fine dining restaurants in Milan, London, Paris, with internationally renowned chefs such as Alain Solivérès at Les Elysées du Vernet** and at Taillevent***.
It was Alain Solivérès himself who in 2003 put him in touch with Martín Berasategui. And that is how Paolo Casagrande ended up at the Martín Berasategui Restaurant in Lasarte- Oria (Guipúzcoa). What was to be a one-year experience has turned into a solid, professional, friendly and complicity relationship which lasts already 18 years. His great capacity of work, his commitment and his meticulousness captivated Martín Berasategui from the very beginning of their professional encounter. In 2005 Berasategui placed him in charge of his first restaurant in Tenerife, the renowned M.B. at the Ritz-Carlton Abama (Tenerife) where he obtained the first Michelin star for the Restaurant in 2010.
In 2012, after a break of just one year to explore new paths, Paolo Casagrande rejoins Martín Berasategui. The complicity and mutual trust between them makes Berasategui place him to lead Lasarte Restaurant in Barcelona. Just 4 years after his arrival at Lasarte, the restaurant obtained the third star in the Michelin Guide 2017.
Since February 2016, Paolo Casagrande has been in charge, under the direction of Berasategui, of the entire gastronomic project of Monument Hotel, the new Grand Luxury Hotel in Barcelona that houses Lasarte Restaurant (3 *** Michelin ) and also Oria Restaurant (1 * Michelin).
His career has been characterized by the depth of his commitment, coherence, perseverance, effort, respect and of course his passion for cooking.
First sniffing of stars
After military service, I traveled to France, where I spent a few months in Chateneuf du Pape at Pierre Pommel’s Restaurant, and then I went to Paris for 3 years to work with Alain Solivérès, first at Les Elysées du Vernet** and then at Taillevent***.
Soup
Sopa de Carabiñeros, tomate, apio y manzana
Salad
Ensalada templada de crustáceos sobre un fondo marino, Jerez fino y mayonesa de sus corales
Oysters
Ostra escabechada al hibiscus, ajoblanco y granizado de siso morada
Pigeon
Pichón de las Landas en su jugo, mermalada de fruta acidulada y toques vegetales
Modern and luxurious hotel located on the iconic Paseo de Gracia, the main shopping street in the city and home to major national and international luxury brand shops, opposite the celebrated La Pedrera building, a few metres from Casa Batlló and close to the many other points of architectural and cultural interest that make Barcelona one of the most attractive and cosmopolitan cities in Europe
CHEF OF THE MONTH JUNE ‘22.
RICARDO CAMANINI
LIDO 84 RISTORANTE | LAGO DI GARDA | ITALIA
Chi è Riccardo Camanini
PHILOSOPHY
‘Our philosophy for the restaurant was to pay homage to the quality of time,’ continues Riccardo. ‘We look at the dining experience as a whole; every detail counts and our dishes must show respect to the ingredients we use and the customers who come through our doors. I respect the products, the techniques and the mystery that can be found in every plate of food.’
CACIO E PEPE
Perhaps the most obvious example of Riccardo’s cooking philosophy is his infamous dish of cacio e pepe cooked inside a pig’s bladder – quite possibly one of the most Instagrammed dishes in Italy.
‘The idea came about one day after work when I went back to my brother’s house,’ he explains. ‘We poured a glass of wine and watched television. I had been thinking about creating a spicy, strong dish for the menu but didn’t know which direction to go in. I’d read about this Roman technique of using animal organs as containers to cook in – Bartolomeo Scappi, the Pope’s chef in the 1500s wrote a whole book about it. After trying a few different pasta dishes that turned out too al dente, I decided cacio e pepe had just enough cheese and liquid to make the pasta soft enough. It took a long time to get the dish right but it is a favourite of mine.’
Ricardo and his brother Giancarlo who manages the Front of the House
Working with Italian legend Gualtiero Marchesi and Le Manoir’s Raymond Blanc made Riccardo Camanini see cooking as more than just a job – it became a passion. Now he owns one of Italy’s most famous restaurants and has a Michelin star to his name. Born in 1973, Bergamasco, he has in his curriculum the Albereta of Erbusco with Gualtiero Marchesi, Le Manoir aux Quat Saison with Raimond Blanc, La Grande Cascade in Paris, with Jean Louis, which is like saying Alain Ducasse, and the Villa Fiordaliso, Michelin star in Gardone Riviera, interspersed with incursions in various cuisines around Europe.
Eventually it was time to return home, and Riccardo accepted a job as head chef at the Villa Fiordaliso, on the shores of Lake Garda, when he was just twenty-four. For the next sixteen years he immersed himself in the role, learning how to manage chefs, organise the business and accept complete responsibility for the whole operation. He completed stages all over the world whenever he could to further his knowledge, working in the kitchens of restaurants such as Mugaritz and under great chefs including Hélène Darroze.
After turning forty, Riccardo was tired of working in someone else’s kitchen and decided to open his own restaurant with his brother in 2014. ‘We found a retro lido [outdoor swimming pool] by Lake Garda which was owned by an old lady and her family,’ he explains. ‘We wanted to respect her legacy and kept the name Lido 84. In fact, we made very few changes to the actual building, but designed a décor that was inspired by the colours of the lake, 1960s art deco and the works of Italian actor Riccardo Fellini.
Let’s say it’s good
Let’s say it’s delicious
Let’s say I care you
Let’s say rather then be silent
Restaurant of the month - May ‘22
INCOCHINE, DELAIRE GRAFF ESTATE, STELLENBOSCH, SOUTH AFRICA
Head Chef Virgil Khan “I like food that is light and clean. Food with various flavours. My palate is used to all the different spices used by the Malay community of Cape Town.”
ART CUISINE
One of the earliest meeting points between East and West, Cape sailors returned from Asia’s spice lands with great riches, and it is these flavours that are celebrated at Indochine, together with the expression they found in South Africa’s Cape Malay cuisine.
Balancing authenticity and innovation, Head Chef Virgil Kahn draws on old Cape Malay family recipes and his frequent trips to Asia to offer fresh, delicate food as light as it is satisfying, served with an imaginative touch of theatre
HoteliersGilde is proud to support the management of Delaire Graff Estate by affiliation with our private society of discerning luxury leaders.
Indochine isn’t a typical Stellenbosch restaurant. In an area known for its high-reaching places serving South African or European cuisine, Indochine is a breath of fresh mountain air. At this luxury restaurant Kahn serves vibrant and creative Indo-Asian dishes inspired by the live-fire cooking of Cambodia, Thailand, India and Japan but filtered through a South African lens. It is food befitting of the restaurant’s spectacular views.
I” wouldn’t describe our cuisine as Asian food, it is new Asian,” says Virgil. “My style is modern Asian/South African cuisine that builds on the heritage of well-known Asian dishes.”
Restaurant of the month - April ‘22
ÁNGEL LEÓN, Owner Chef of APONIENTE
Aponiente is the ground-breaking, award-winning restaurant of Angel Leon, Chef del Mar, in El Puerto de Santa Maria.The restaurant offers diners an exciting, immersive marine experience, from the location to the food and décor. In 2017, Aponiente earned its third Michelin star (the first and second were won in 2010 and 2014), making it Andalucia's first-ever three-Michelin-starred restaurant.d territory thanks to his prodigious technical ability, boundless creativity and, above all, a constant love affair with the sea.
Immerse yourself in the fantasy culinary world of Ángel León, a gastronomic visionary. He has taken his cooking into unchartered territory thanks to his prodigious technical ability, boundless creativity and, above all, a constant love affair with the sea. a
Angel’s creations will make you hungry for Sustainable Seafood!
Chef of the month - February ’22
Anton Gschwendner | Executive Chef ATELIER, Hotel Bayerischer Hof, Munich, Germany
Munich restaurant Atelier has reopened its doors with a new Chef de Cuisine at the helm. The acclaimed German chef Anton Gschwendtner has succeeded Jan Hartwig in running the kitchen at the three Michelin-starred restaurant, which is located in the luxurious Hotel Bayerischer Hof.
Atelier gained its coveted third star under Hartwig, and Gschwendtner’s aim is to continue to drive this success. A Bavarian local, he is known for using principally regional and seasonal products for his elegant French dishes, enhanced by Asian flavours and ingredients. His haute cuisine is contemporary and modern, with a focus on sustainability.
ANTON GSCHWENDTNER
Anton, who has achieved two Michelin stars with OLIVO in Stuttgart, is the new head chef at the Bayerischer Hof Hotel's ATELIER restaurant, which currently boasts three stars. He took over from Jan Hartwig, who decided to become self-employed, in August 2021.
The career of the 37-year-old Anton Gschwendtner include a variety of the most renowned restaurants in Germany. His last venue of work was the gourmet restaurant OLIVO (2 Michelin stars and 16 Gault Millau points) at the Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin in Stuttgart. Here he acted as Chef de Cuisine since July 2018. Before that, he worked in the same position in Vienna, at "DAS LOFT" (1 Michelin star and 16 Gault Millau points) at the Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom hotel. Just last year, the Freising native was voted "Rising Star of the Year" by the restaurant and hotel guide "Der Große Guide" and one of "Germany's 100 BEST CHEFS" in the ROLLING PIN Awards. In 2018, ROLLING PIN had also named him Rising Star of the Year in Austria.
Cuisine and Art
Watch as pleasure becomes a work of art on a plate, created by head chef Anton Gschwendtner since November 2021 on the foundation of haute cuisine. (Awards as of August 2021 by head chef Jan Hartwig: Three Michelin stars, 19 in Gault Millau, 10+ pans in the German culinary guide Gusto, 5F from the German restaurant guide Feinschmecker). Gschwendtner will endeavour to continue the highly successful path of the Atelier. The definition of delight and delectation take on a whole new meaning with Gschwendtner’s puristic and elegant French cuisine enhanced with Asian flavours and ingredients.
You will experience the flair of an artist’s studio with an intimate atmosphere in designer Axel Vervoordt’s simple yet luxurious creation. Discover behind a mobile wall made by Dirk Vander Eecken a cozy Privé or a little terrace furnished with fire maple, the Silent-Garden. Here you can enjoy excellent service and perfectly harmonised wines.
Design insights from Axel Vervoordt
The award-winning Atelier restaurant is located on the ground floor of the hotel. It was designed by renowned Belgian art dealer Axel Vervoordt in a tastefully luxurious style reminiscent of an artist’s atelier, with the low ceiling lending the room an intimate atmosphere. The Atelier private room, which is tucked away behind a mobile wall designed by Dirk Vander Eecken, leads to a small terrace nestled in Amur maple, known as the silent garden. Together with the aperitif bar, the ensemble is perfect for events in select company.
Join HoteliersGuild culinary journey around the globe. Vol. IV by members of our Chefs Chapter. Coming soon.
Hotel Bayerischer Hof.
An urban retreat. A recreational and a culinary destination in itself. As soon as you set foot in the hotel, you will be struck by the sense that this is a luxury establishment with a personal touch. What’s more, people are delighted to see you.
THE SIRIUS ACADEMY AWARDS
RAISON D’ÊTRE & FORMAT
The SIRIUS ACADEMY AWARDS have evolved from the long established HoteliersGuild, the private society for international hospitality leaders with a pledge to Sustainable Luxury. The not-for-profit awards campaign is hosted by the HoteliersGuild Academy of Hospitality Arts and curated by its honorary co- founder Lindsey Ueberroth of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, who has donated a significant grant to provide scholarships for underprivileged aspiring students at e.g. Ecole hôtelière Lausanne, Institut Paul Bocuse, Lyon and other universities. It is also generously supported by contributions from some of the best HoteliersGuild members and their companies.
Developed to identify, highlight and reward excellence throughout the global hospitality industry, the SIRIUS ACADEMY AWARDS mission aims to recognise, promote and support talents from hospitality’s GenerationNext through scholarships and to pay tribute to Chefs, Architects&Designers, Suppliers...for their contribution to a DEEPER and more SUSTAINABLE LUXURY.
A big thank you to Innegrit Volkhardt, owner of Munich’s iconic Hotel Bayerischer Hof for her generosity! All donors may be viewed HERE
