PASSION STORIES No. 2 Farmer & Chef – a partnership of equals. Wishful thinking or reality? An increasing number of farmers and chefs are passionately engaged in close collaborations. JRE establishments, above all, showcase how perfectly this can work. 10 Lake Weissensee in Carinthia is enchanting in every season. Anyone who swims in it during summer or seemingly glides over its smooth-as-a-mirror ice in winter knows the lake’s magic personally. The collaboration between chefs and farmers here is just as idyllic. In theory, these cooperations might serve as textbook examples in the first semester of sociology studies. But at Weissensee, they’re a reality. Specifically, the event series “Farmer & Chef” is considered a model of excellence. Its initiator is Hannes Müller from Geniesserhotel Die Forelle. A top-notch chef, Müller also understands the challenges of modern, sustainable farming – he runs a small sheep farm along with his hotel and restaurant. That said, he is personally well-versed in the ins-and-outs of both professions – and the relationships between them, which aren’t always easy. All too often, chefs may bask in the spotlight while still opting to resource products wholesale, leaving the people behind the produce in anonymity. Yet, farmers aren’t barcodes. They have names like Eva, Ottmar, or Fritz. And they deserve a stage too. Müller pulls back the curtain. “Without farmers, our culinary achieve- ments wouldn’t be possible. And those farmers often go unseen. We want to change that. So that consumers become more grateful for the food and more appreciative for the people behind it,” says Müller. Five years ago, he kickstarted the Farmer & Chef event, inviting both groups of key players to participate. Text: Philipp Braun Photos: Joerg Lehmann Jeremias Riezler & Jodok Fritz Roman Pichler & Eva Nuart serving a meat broth in a cow horn,” he says. It is this appreciation that drives them both – working as equals and maintaining a partnership of trust. Like a stone thrown into Lake Weissensee creating ripples, Hannes Müller’s initiative spread first throughout the region, then across all of Austria. For instance, to the westernmost corner – Vorarlberg. NOSE-TO-TAIL NOT JUST A HOLLOW SLOGAN It’s always about knowing where and from whom my food comes. I trust a farmer I know personally more than a wholesaler,” says Jeremias Riezler from Kleinwalsertal. Owner of the Walserstuba in Riezlern, recently honored in the 2024 Guide Gault Millau for his sustainable “green” cuisine, has elevated Alpine culinary artistry to a whole new level and honors his farmers daily. Jodok Fritz is one of them. A competitive skier, he took over the family farm this year. He likes to compare the work of farmers with that of chefs and professional athletes. “It’s all about hard work. You need to have a goal in sight and see the bigger picture. As a farmer, I can’t just focus on a single cow that yields the most profit. Similarly, as an athlete, training only for short-term success gets you nowhere. As a chef, you need to be versatile and think bigger,” says Fritz. For Fritz, it’s also important not to reduce animals to mere schnitzels and fillets, but to make use of everything. “Jeremias even uses the horns of our cattle, storing spices in them or FARMER & CHEF Photo: Oliver Farys “
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