The beginning
Andreas began his career as an apprentice at the Kaiserhof Merano. The Kaiserhof Merano is a time-honoured culinary institution that has produced generations of top chefs, hotel managers and tourism masterminds. After graduating, he landed gigs all over Europe, shaping his craft to perfection in multi-award-winning kitchens under multi-award-winning chefs.

Difficult times
But it wasn't always easy for him: Andreas still lived through the time that is so often referred to as "the old world of cooking". Working as a chef in a restaurant was not always as glamorous as it is today. Back then, when chefs worked every day like renegades in a windowless room at 60 degrees Fahrenheit, surrounded by large, sharp and pointed knives, with hellfires from ovens and screaming cooks, it got to some people pretty quickly.

Not so with Andreas: "Despite all the stress, the 12-hour shifts and the hard work, this time still helped me a lot to form my character and my craft, I must say. It certainly wasn't always easy, even my mother wanted to pull me out of it, but I wanted to and I didn't give in.

It was hard and tough but it was worth it and I think a lot of young chefs and apprentices would also benefit from such difficulties. It improves discipline, manual skills, and also the ability to deal with difficult and stressful situations," Andreas comments on this extraordinarily exhausting time.

The basics of his craft
Today, he is chef de cousin of our award-winning La Fucina. Awards that we wouldn't have won without him and his team, of course. Awards that mean very little to him, however: "It's never about the awards, it's about making the guest happy - that's all that matters. "

The foundation of his craft is found in regional, seasonal and sustainable products that tell a story and have a soul in them.

His down-to-earth attitude, tireless work ethic and perfect craftsmanship make him the ideal chef for our kitchen La Fucina.

We are proud to have you in our kitchen, Andi.