Austria's culinary elite gathered once again in Schladming-Dachstein

Following "The Heart of Food" in March, the next gathering of the local culinary scene recently took place in Schladming-Dachstein: The "Jeunes Restaurateurs (JRE) Austria" held their annual meeting at the Kessleralm on the Planai mountain. Around 80 chefs and partners came together, including Michelin-starred chefs Richard Rauch, Lukas Nagl, Vitus Winkler, Hannes Müller, and Andreas Herbst.

To showcase the region's flavors, the innkeepers of the Sattelberghütte, the Preintalerhütte, and the Wieslechalm prepared dishes from the "Almkulinarik by Richard Rauch" (Alpine Culinary Art by Richard Rauch). The dishes also featured Miasl (a type of Styrian cheese) and Ennstaler Steirerkas (a type of cheese from the Enns Valley).

Thomas Gruber and the Zirngast family coordinated the event. Just last year, in 2025, they celebrated their induction into the JRE group. Culinary delights, tourism, and regional value creation: Back in March of this year, "The Heart of Food" brought together personalities, institutions, and producers from all over Austria in the tourism region.

The highlight of the industry and media event was the presentation of the Michelin plaques at the Dachstein Glacier Restaurant at an altitude of 2,700 meters. “Authentic, down-to-earth cuisine is very important to us – the Alpine Culinary Initiative impressively demonstrates this. We are delighted that so many renowned chefs are returning to us after ‘The Heart of Food’, and this shows how closely culinary enjoyment, tourism, and regional value creation are intertwined here,” said Mathias Schattleitner, Managing Director of the Schladming-Dachstein Tourism Region.

All information about Alpine Culinary Arts can be found online at www.schladming-dachstein.at/almkulinarik