British action man chef takes on a new challenge in the Alps
AWARD-WINNING British chef Michael Wignall is poised to conquer a new challenge in the mountains of Paznaun-Ischgl in the Austrian Tirol this summer.
He will hike up to a mountain lodge at almost 2000m and create a special dish for the hikers and bikers who flock to the area in the summer months.
Michael is one of five guest chefs from Michelin-star restaurants across Europe to headline the area’s Culinary Jakobsweg programme, which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary.
They each adopt a mountain restaurant and create a hearty dish using locally sourced ingredients, which then becomes that lodge’s seasonal special on the menu.
Before studying to become a chef, Michael was a professional BMX biker and today when not in the kitchen, he enjoys extreme sports such as wakeboarding and mountain biking.
“I’m so looking forward to this new challenge,” said Michael. “My dish is braised venison sausage with pickled root vegetables. And I hope to get in some mountain biking and have a go on Ischgl’s zipline, too.”
Michael has a list of award-winning restaurants to his credit, including Gidleigh Park in Chagford, Devon, and is poised to launch a new venture in Yorkshire later this year.
His new dish will be on the menu at Almstüberl, above the village of Kappl. The other four chefs are Harald Wohlfahrt and Heinz Winkler from Germany, Sven Wassmer from Switzerland and Belgian Arabelle Meirlaen. Their four adopted lodges are in the mountains above Ischgl, Galtür and See.
To book a holiday in Paznaun-Ischgl this summer, go to paznaun-ischgl.com and choose from the range of accommodation, where five nights’ bed and breakfast is from €153 pp, including the local Silvretta Card which entitles guests to many free services, such as use of cablecars and chairlifts.
