A Sunday in high spirits

32 appliances in 19 mobile units, and a prominent place for our Food Truck: this was our contribution to the Garden Party, which equates to the social highlight of the culinary year in Switzerland. The GaultMillau Garden Party took place for the third time at the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, with the main players of the afternoon including well-known chefs from all over Switzerland with a total of 317 points between them, producers and other providers of luxury goods.

Following its cancellation last year, it was also a welcome “return to normality”, as 19-point chef Tanja Grandits enthused. The chef at Stucki in Basel was one of four of our ambassadors present at the party in Bad Ragaz. Grandits’ kitchen houses steam cookers and ovens from the new Excellence Line, and her experience in the garden was nothing short of excellent either: “It’s a special day and a special event”, says Tanja Grandits who, together with her team, served a summery combination of pickled pike-perch with green tea, cucumber and basil.

Her colleague from Graubünden, Andreas Caminada, also served a light dish – from his own garden for the Garden Party, so to speak: this included kohlrabi, peas, dill and other herbs. “The weather, the atmosphere, the pleasant mood and the culinary diversity all give the Garden Party its special charm. It gives my team and me great pleasure to be here, every time”, says the 19-point chef, who has become the international face of Swiss haute cuisine.

Many guests were enthusiastic about how another of our ambassadors prepared pasta: young 17-point chef Marco Campanella from Hotel Eden Roc in Ascona stuffed his green parsley ravioli with a creamy sauce made from Pecorino Romano and Maggia pepper, giving the sauce a stimulating freshness with peppermint: “I’ve never had such good pasta – not even during my three-week holiday in Italy”, enthused a visitor to Campanella’s stand.

For the fourth member of the V-ZUG team of ambassadors, Silvio Germann from IGNIV in Bad Ragaz, filled pasta is a not-so-secret passion. He stuffed his raviolo with slow-braised veal tail, added a little veal tail essence and grated foie gras over this indulgent dish. Silvio Germann, who is never less than cheerful, was in high spirits at the Garden Party too. “This weather and the good mood among the guests are making today the best Sunday of the year”, said Germann of the open-air party.