Axel Rüdlin, Executive Chef of five star hotel Park Gstaad has been named as Chef of the Year 2017 by Swiss financial magazine Bilanz.
Rüdlin joined Park Gstaad in Switzerland in 2016, following posts in some of the best restaurants in Germany, Austria and St. Moritz. The judges were impressed with how he has successfully overseen the reconceptualisation of the hotel’s signature restaurant, Avenue Montagne.
Managing Director of Park Gstaad, Stephan Post said: “With Rüdlin’s new restaurant concept for Avenue Montagne, we have brought a whole new culinary dimension to Gstaad. He is a real asset to the hotel and has managed to expand on the already rich culinary offering in Gstaad.”
Rüdlin offers a contemporary regional cuisine based on products from local farms. He describes his style as purified and focused on taste.
The judges behind the prestigous Bilanz award commented: “Rüdlin approaches regional trends from a more confident perspective, combining local ingredients with luxury products, and without falling into the game of creating dishes in which the plates are merely dotted with food. His fondue ravioli with truffles alone is worth a visit.”
Trained at the prestigious Heidelberg Hotel Management School in Germany, Rüdlin went on to work in renowned establisments including Talvo in St. Moritz, Bareiss in the Black Forest, Schlosshotel Lerbach and Dieter Müller in Germany, and the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains in Switzerland.
Park Gstaad is home to four restaurants and two bars. Chubut Food & Fire, opened in 2015, offers a unique Argentinian concept of grilling meats on wood fire, whilst Avenue Montagne, which opened in December 2016, offers sophisticated fine dining.