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Top Swiss chef Sven Wassmer and his wife, sommelier Amanda Wassmer Bulgin, have started work at the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz. At the start of the new year, Wassmer’s kitchen team moved into their kitchen lab in the Sarganserland region. The 32-year-old from Fricktal has spent the past few months recruiting members for his kitchen crew. From July 2019, Sven Wassmer and his team will be welcoming the first guests at the two new restaurants in the Grand Hotel Quellenhof, which by then will have also been completely renovated. 

“We are really excited to get started after waiting for so long,” says Sven Wassmer, Culinary Director of the Grand Hotel Quellenhof in Bad Ragaz. “With such a strong team, we will be able to overcome any challenge.” Sven Wassmer’s team will spend the next few months in their kitchen lab perfecting dishes for the new signature restaurant and health-food restaurant at the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz.

Benedikt Gerster, 27, is the new sous-chef in the signature restaurant and Sven Wassmer’s right-hand man. They are a proven winning team, having worked together previously at the 7132 Silver Restaurant at the 7132 Hotel in Vals. Andy Vorbusch, former Executive Pastry Chef at the Dolder Grand in Zurich and Germany’s Patissier of the Year 2007, is the new pastry chef. Sebastian Titz completes the team. In his previous position as head chef at the Hotel Villa Honegg, he was awarded 14 GaultMillau points and knows precisely how to please guests who expect the very highest quality. He will run the kitchen of the health-food restaurant for Sven Wassmer. The exclusive cuisine will be perfectly complemented by Amanda Wassmer Bulgin’s extensive wine expertise. Sven Wassmer’s wife is currently in stage 2 of her Master of Wine qualification, which has a reputation as the world’s most challenging sommelier course.

Guests who are waiting to sample the exquisite cuisine and fine wine at the two new restaurants will need to be a little patient. The Grand Hotel Quellenhof will be undergoing renovations from the end of January until the end of June 2019. As part of the renovations, the new signature restaurant (with a show kitchen and spectacular wine cellar) and the health-food restaurant (with integrated bar) will fully replace the current Restaurant Bel-Air. The opening of Sven Wassmer’s new restaurants is planned for the start of July 2019.

About Sven Wassmer – Culinary Director at the Grand Hotel Quellenhof:

After training and working in several renowned establishments, including Schloss Schauenstein in Fürstenau, Sven Wassmer became Head Chef of the 7132 Silver Restaurant at the 7132 Hotel in Vals in December 2014, a position he held until May 2018. In 2016, he was named GaultMillau Discovery of the Year and awarded 17 GaultMillau points – the first time a chef had been awarded so many points on their first appearance in the guide. He also received his first Michelin star in the same year, with the second following a year later. In 2017, Sven Wassmer was also named GaultMillau Rising Star of the Year 2018 and awarded 18 GaultMillau points for his exceptional cuisine.

About Sebastian Titz – Head Chef at the health-food restaurant:

Sebastian Titz, 35, hails from Eastern Switzerland and is familiar with GaultMillau points from early on in his career. He trained as a chef at the Schneggen restaurant in Buchs (14 GaultMillau points) before going on to work in a number of five-star hotel kitchens, including the Schweizerhof in Zermatt and the Tschuggen Grand Hotel in Arosa. Titz was behind the stove for seven years at Gasthof Rössli in Escholzmatt (1 Michelin star and 17 GaultMillau points), and his most recent position was as head chef at the Hotel Villa Honegg in Ennetbürgen (14 GaultMillau points).

About Andy Vorbusch – pastry chef:

Andy Vorbusch, 41, is a dessert expert. He made a name for himself as pastry chef at the German gourmet restaurant Vendôme (3 Michelin stars) and has also worked at a number of Germany’s top fine-dining restaurants. He was the pastry chef at Victor’s Fine Dining by Christian Bau and at the Sonnora restaurant, both of which have 3 Michelin stars. Before taking on his current role at the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, Andy Vorbusch was Executive Pastry Chef at the Dolder Grand in Zurich. At the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, he will be responsible for creating the desserts at both of the new restaurants.

About Benedikt Gerster – sous-chef at the signature restaurant:

Benedikt Gerster, 27, is a young German chef who cut his culinary teeth at renowned fine dining establishments across Europe. He trained as a chef at Villino (1 Michelin star and 15 GaultMillau points). He has also worked at Maaemo in Norway (3 Michelin stars) and Belgian gourmet restaurant Hertog Jan (3 Michelin stars). He has been working alongside Sven Wassmer since autumn 2017.