Almost 25 years later, the German-born chef has built up a solid reputation through his dedication and hard work at the Chesery, as well as at the Gstaad-Saanenland Golfclub Restaurant. GstaadLife focuses on the man who has proven to be one of the region’s most influential and notable epicureans of recent times.

Robert Speth, is it difficult being Gstaad’s top chef?
Yes, it’s difficult! First of all, getting to the top takes a lot of work. Once you’re there, it takes just as much hard work to stay! The problem in Gstaad is the big difference between the high and low seasons. During Christmas and New Year, as well as our work at the Chesery, we may have several catering contracts all on the same evening: finding extra staff is not easy at this time of year. Also, during such times, staff constantly need to be motivated.

Above, Robert Speth in the Chesery.

You have been honored with many awards: you have a Michelin star, 18/20 Gault Millau points in the 2008 Gault Millau Guide, and were named Gault Millau Chef of the Year 2005. The Chesery’s Yvan Letzer also won this year’s Gault Millau “Sommelier of the Year” award. You are obviously doing a good job motivating your staff.
Nothing is ever simple in this trade. If clients come for a meal, and are expecting to be served by Yvan, they will naturally feel disappointed if it’s his night off. But Yvan is quite impressive. His memory is incredible: he remembers everyone who comes to the restaurant, even if he hasn’t seen them for two years. He also knows how to approach customers and how to advise them within their own budget. You can come to the Chesery and pay SFr 80 for a perfectly good bottle of wine. Other clients will want to pay more: SFr 300 or 400. Yvan has the right feeling for this. He not only knows how to advise clients on what wines to choose, but he’s also able to tell the stories behind every vintage, every label and every vineyard.

Indeed, the list of accolades is growing longer: last year you also won a prize for your Erdinger Weissbier, and the Chesery was heralded by the same company, winning a further award for Bavarian hospitality. But surely we are in Gstaad, not Bavaria, where one might expect to see hearty Frauleins laden with frothing mugs of beer?
Oh yes, the girls! (laughs). The Weissbier began at the Golfclub. Nobody from the region had ever seen beer like this before: they said it was no good, that it was too cloudy! They also said the same about our poached sausages. Here in Saanenland, a sausage is only a sausage when it’s been grilled and is black on at least one side (laughs)! Perhaps the Chesery doesn’t give the impression of being a place where people come to drink beer, but there are plenty of clients who will drink a glass after their meal.

In your opinion, how credible are all these gastronomy guides, such as Gault Millau? Are they important?
A guide book is important for a person who travels a lot, or who is going on holiday and wants to know about the different choices in whatever country he’s visiting. I also think that the guides do have a certain credibility. However, it’s all so subjective. What does it really mean to have been awarded 18 points out of 20? What was the precise merit of these 18 points? Whereas one judge may prefer a lighter, more balanced cuisine, another may appreciate heavier, more traditional cooking with plenty of sauce. Also, the reputation of a restaurant comes from within the kitchen, not from what someone has written in a guide book. For us, the fact that customers keep coming back for more is the ultimate proof of our success.

Gstaad’s reputation as a center for gastronomy is growing rapidly, for example with the annual Davidoff Saveurs festival. How do you see the future of Gstaad’s culinary stardom?
Oh it can only get better! We are lucky to have such an international clientele. However, I am worried that real connoisseurs will end up with less on their plate. If you look at the prices of luxury produce such as caviar, lobster, loup de mer, etc, these have doubled, and continue to rise. It’s the same with limited appelation contrôlée wines. Small vineyards can only produce a certain number of bottles per year, or less in a bad year. During the 80s, it was mostly rich Americans who had the money to pay these amounts. Nowadays, the British, the Japanese, the Chinese and, yes, the Russians also have a strong buying power. Without wanting to make generalizations, many of these people are not connoisseurs: they only want to show that they have enough money to pay for such high-quality luxury produce. Greater demand makes for higher prices, which is a shame for the people who appreciate the true value of such produce.

And what about your own future in Gstaad?
I’m here to stay! I’ve been to work in Mauritius and in the Maldives for the Saveurs festival. I had a lovely time in both these places, but they’re not the same as Gstaad. The Chesery and the Golf Club are complementary. In summer, clients from the Chesery can enjoy a midday meal on the Golf Club terrace, and golfers will often reserve a table at the Chesery for their evening meal.

You have already published Cuisine Pure – based on the Chesery, in German. Are there any plans to translate your book into English, or French, which is the language of gastronomy, after all?
Yes, the book is based on what we do at the Chesery: light cuisine, short cooking times and the use of seasonal, fresh produce. All our veal and game produce is bought locally. As for a translation, there is a project for a French translation, but production is unlikely due to quotas. Perhaps an English translation would be more suitable for Gstaad, although the culinary terms are difficult in English: in French and German, there are common names for the many different varieties of fungus. In English, these all tend to be called mushrooms (laughs)!

Next year will mark your 25th anniversary at the Chesery. How will you be celebrating?
Ah yes the Silver Jubilee! Our celebrations will begin at Christmas 2009.