Head chef found for IGNIV Andermatt

ANDERMATT, Andreas Caminada and Andermatt Swiss Alps AG are planning to jointly open a new gourmet restaurant "IGNIV by Andreas Caminada" in Andermatt in mid-December. Preparations for this new opening in the Andermatt Reuss part of the village are in full swing. It is now known who will be responsible for the kitchen and service management in the restaurant designed by Patricia Urquiola. Valentin Sträuli will take over the kitchen sceptre together with sous-chef Florian Gauster. Hannah van den Nieuwenhuizen will be the hostess together with Alexandra Kraxner.

As with previous IGNIV restaurant openings, the restaurant will be entrusted to a young chef from Andreas Caminada's talent factory. The new IGNIV - which means "nest" in Romansh - is headed by 27-year-old chef Valentin Sträuli. Caminada has found the right man for Andermatt in him: "Valentin is a great young person. Highly motivated, creative, passionate and reliable. I'm excited to see how he will fulfil his potential at IGNIV," says the Graubünden chef and entrepreneur.

Perfect conditions

Born in Zurich, Sträuli went through Caminada's school. After completing a cookery apprenticeship at LaSalle in Zurich, he began his career at IGNIV Zurich and has been working as head chef at the Caminada Group's flagship restaurant, Schloss Schauenstein in Fürstenau, since 2023. "It fills me with incredible pride to be able to follow in the footsteps of some of my role models and open my own IGNIV. The bar has been set high; thanks to Andreas' meticulous preparation and coaching, we will achieve the goals we have set ourselves," says Valentin Sträuli. "Andermatt is young, dynamic, international and rich in tradition all at the same time. The perfect conditions for moulding the proven IGNIV concept with our own personality," he adds.

After Bad Ragaz, St. Moritz (open until March 2023), Zurich and Bangkok, Andermatt is already the fifth location where guests can enjoy the fine dining sharing concept: Eating at a very high culinary level, sharing while promoting togetherness and enjoying relaxed feel-good moments. Guests are served several bowls, platters and plates with one dish per course. A menu can therefore consist of up to 20 different dishes. The theme of domesticity in a bird's nest and sharing is omnipresent during a meal at IGNIV. From the signature dish, a seasonally changing Oeuf Royal, to the wine accompaniment from double magnum bottles shared with other guests - guests can sit back, feel cosy and enjoy themselves in this "nest".

Restaurant manager Hannah van den Nieuwenhuizen is very familiar with the sharing principle. She has been part of the team at IGNIV Zurich since it opened in 2020 and currently welcomes guests as Chef de Service alongside Ines Triebenbacher. She can hardly wait for the intensive pre-opening phase: "I'm looking forward to the responsibility and the unique team spirit that is in the air at a new opening."

Cooperation with Spanish star architect

Caminada is also relying on Spanish star architect Patricia Urquiola for the offshoot of his successful restaurant group in Andermatt. The restaurant is prominently located at the end of the new Furkagasse in the Andermatt Reuss neighbourhood, on the ground floor of the Maya apartment building, whose 17 luxury flats were also designed by the Spaniard.

Andermatt Swiss Alps AG is on the lookout for talent with a roadshow from 5 to 9 July 2024 and is recruiting the remaining 15-person team. The exact dates of the stops in Zurich, Locarno, Lucerne and other locations will be available at www.andermatt-swissalps.ch/jobs from 28 June. A for adventure, A for atmosphere or A for Andermatt is the name of the game when Andermatt Swiss Alps stops in five locations and presents itself to potential employees.

From midday until the afternoon, employees from the HR team will be present with a trailer at busy locations in the towns. In addition to discussions about possible jobs in Andermatt, there are also small snacks for interested candidates.