Twice a week, supplies for the family mountain restaurant are loaded onto the gondola lift and sent up to Hannigalp. The list of food items is long: litres of drinks, vegetables, fruit, meat from the local butcher and various other regional ingredients needed to conjure up a tasty menu for guests.
The entire catering team is needed to ensure that the process runs smoothly, from order processing to flawless delivery and storage to preparation. What's more, guests should not only be full, but also satisfied and well looked after.
In winter, in addition to the family mountain restaurant, which is self-service, the Hannighüsli restaurant is also open, serving genuine Swiss classics such as fondue and ‘Ghackets mit Hörnli’ (minced meat with macaroni). There is also the Stafelbar, which offers a snack menu, delicious drinks and regular live music, as well as the Schnööbar with its magnificent view of the mountain scenery.
Marc Brunner is head of catering at Berg. He is putting together the current team for the winter season with the existing crew: ‘With around 48 people, we have a significantly larger team than in summer, consisting mainly of seasonal workers. The number of guests and therefore the workload are many times greater.’
The employees work in the kitchen, at the buffet, in service, restocking, but also in the warehouse and cleaning. Not only are the four locations regularly supplied with materials, but there is also a lot of empty containers and waste to return. Instead of cars, they use snowcats or skis to get around.
Preparations are currently in full swing in the kitchen of the Hannigalp family mountain restaurant. Much of the food can be prepared in advance and frozen, leaving more time for other tasks in winter. 4½ tonnes of food, to be precise. Marc and his crew are preparing 160 litres of goulash soup, 300 litres of onion sauce, 700 kilograms of Bolognese and 4,000 of the popular nut rolls – after all, the restaurant has a capacity for around 1,000 people in high season.
The biggest challenge during peak season is still the weather, explains Marc: ‘Unexpected changes in the weather make planning difficult, especially when it comes to fresh produce. We calculate as best we can based on statistics from previous years, the forecast weather report and the expected number of visitors to the mountain.’
In addition to satisfied guests, the aim is always to be sustainable: "We don't want to waste food. This means planning and designing our offerings as sensibly as possible. In other words, the offering must be in line with the conditions of the location. The menu is appealing, but also efficient and works well for large quantities.
According to Marc, the restaurant's visitors tend to be uncomplicated and prefer hearty cuisine when skiing. This is also reflected in the most popular dishes: classics such as rösti and Älplermagronen.
Would you like to work where others go on holiday, experience winter and work in the catering industry at its best, and be part of a great team? Marc and his crew are looking for motivated support for the four TUG catering establishments for the winter season. It's time for Grächen!
You can find all the information and application documents here:
Steve is the head chef at the Hannigalp family restaurant in the mountains. He moved to Switzerland with his family two years ago, settling straight away in Grächen, and will be back at the stove again this winter.
Steve, what do you like most about your job here at Hannigalp?
I love cooking just as much as I love working as part of a team in the kitchen. The first week is always a bit tough until everyone has settled in. After that, everything runs like clockwork and we all work together seamlessly.
What challenges does working in a mountain restaurant present compared to other establishments?
Unlike many other places, the team is always changing. Seasonal workers come and go, which requires flexibility and good communication. Internal team rules and mutual understanding are important for getting the day-to-day business done.
How do new chefs learn the dishes in such a short time?
We have an efficient system for this, in which every dish is listed and visually represented and demonstrated in advance. The chefs can use this as a guide. We also have a ‘everyone does everything’ attitude. This applies to cooking, serving and also tidying up and cleaning at the end.
Finally, what is your favourite dish on the menu?
‘Ghackets mit Hörnli!’
