Saveurs Gstaad Spreads its Wings For two decades, Saveurs Gstaad has delighted foodies in the Saanenland. The festival has been an integral part of Gstaad’s culinary offerings, bringing star chefs in for guest stints at local establishments.
Photo: Lukas Neuhaus
Fine Food Event Expands to Include More Offerings
BY GSTA ADLIFE
Now, 20 years after its conception, Saveurs Gstaad has parted with its original sponsor, Davidoff, and now includes fine food throughout the year rather than a concentrated block of ten days. Gourmet Year-Round Beginning now, the celebrated gourmet weeks have become a full gourmet year. The new concept allows a greater diversity of events and meals for connoisseurs. "We want the rest of Gstaad’s seasons to serve as a playground for enjoyment and care," says Thomas Frei, one of the festival’s founders. "The new Saveurs is more diversified and surprising." Saveurs Gstaad will select famous guest chefs and guest winemakers to present
Hans Peter Ruetli, left, and Thomas Frei, right, founded the festival two decades ago haute cuisine Gstaad’s finest establishments as well as something as simple as a beer with Cervelat grilled on a kindling fire in the Saanenländer Alps. More than Meals In addition to classic culinary meals, the Saveurs Gstaad 2016 will incorporate events such as a golf tournament,
train ride to the late Montreux Jazz Festival founder Claude Nobs’ chalet, and a “tourism talk” with prominent speakers. According to the organisers, strengthening ties to the region is very important, including partnerships with regional caterers as well as hotels and more. www.saveurs-gstaad.ch
Charly's Chocolate Factory Iconic Café Reopens After Renovation
Charly’s, the legendary Gstaad café, reopened in July after a threemonth renovation. The tea-room has served as a unique meeting place for locals and guests alike for nearly a century. BY GSTA ADLIFE
Christa Hauswirth and Helmut Haldi are proudly running the café as a team, while the property, Charly’s Gstaad AG, is now owned by an investor group that includes Marcel Bach, Chaletbau Matti, and Dr Jamal Kaddaj. Hauswirth, a longtime Bach employee, manages the front of the house, staff, and service, while Haldi is responsible for production. A baker and confiseur by trade, Haldi brings eight years of experience gained at Early Beck to Charly's kitchen.
How Now, Brown Cow? Current management was able to keep Charly’s bustling ambience and signature baked goods, but some changes to the café will not go unnoticed by patrons. The façade has been stripped and the interior of the tea-room has been completely rebuilt with wood as the dominating material. Seating has been expanded, with hushed earth tones in the colour scheme instead of its former blue. Another switch which takes away a hint of colour is in the logo, which rather than a blue heart, is now a big brown cow. “The biggest change is in the pralines,” says Haldi, referring to the new recipe for the chocolate base used in the confectionary section. Naturally, this has altered the taste of some of the items.
Breakfast of Champions The tea-room has also expanded its morning offerings, with a menu featuring a regal breakfast with local fruit, and a champagne breakfast accompanied by a glass of bubbly. The bread is made at sister location BrotBar, where 10 of the total 30 employees are based. “Together with our team, we are looking forward to giving our guests a warm welcome,” say Hauswirth and Haldi, who hope it will continue to be Gstaad’s emblematic café, where guests and locals can mingle over coffee and more. Charly’s is open from 7:30am to 8pm daily year-round, except for a two-week holiday closure in October.
LOCAL NEWS // GSTAADLIFE // ISSUE 5 // AUGUST 5, 2016
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