Andreas Caminada and Marcel Skibba: three Michelin stars in one of the world’s smallest cities

Fürstenau has around 350 inhabitants, medieval city rights, two historic castles and a restaurant that has held three Michelin stars since 2010.

Situated in the Swiss Alps, it is widely described as one of the smallest cities in the world. It is not the obvious place to build an internationally renowned restaurant.

That was precisely the risk Andreas Caminada took when he arrived at Schloss Schauenstein in 2003.

Then 26, Andreas took over a former private school which had gone bankrupt and stood empty for two years. There had never previously been a restaurant in the castle and little activity in the surrounding buildings.

More than two decades later, Schloss Schauenstein sits at the centre of a wider culinary destination.

Andreas is now joined by business partner and head chef Marcel Skibba, who first arrived after the restaurant had already earned its third Michelin star and has since helped shape the food, garden and next chapter of the operation.

Building Schloss Schauenstein close to home

While on the face of it Fürstenau was a bold choice to open a restaurant, for Andreas, it was the only choice.

“It was clear that I wanted to have my restaurant in my home region,” he said.

“I grew up 20 minutes from here. Even when I worked in Zurich, I came back to the countryside on the weekends because I love the mountains and the beautiful surroundings.

“There was no other chance to open the restaurant somewhere else. It had to be my home region.

“I was a little bit afraid to take it over because who was going to come here?”

Bringing life back to Fürstenau

In the early years, Schloss Schauenstein stood largely alone. Since, Fürstenau has gradually developed.

“I think we brought back life to the whole town with the restaurant,” Andreas said.

“At one point I thought maybe we needed an architect or a designer to rent an office here and bring some creativity to the town.

“But in the end, we developed the town with food.”

Eight years later, Andreas expanded into the neighbouring property. Michelin Bib Gourmand-rated Casa Caminada followed, alongside a bakery, coffee roastery and other parts of the wider operation.

“That’s something which takes years,” he said. “It was more quiet at the beginning, because it was only the castle.

“We have a big fan base, so we took the risk to develop the place for our guests.”

Marcel saw much of that transformation after joining in 2015.

“When I came here, it was basically just the castle and a little surrounding area,” he said.

“Now we have a little culinary city. I think that is unique to find in a place like this.”

Three Michelin stars with a five-chef team

Schloss Schauenstein earned its third Michelin star in 2010, seven years after Andreas arrived.

“When we gained our third star, we were only four people and me, so five people in the kitchen,” he said.

Earning a third star brought its own concerns, with Andreas fearing it may in fact put people off coming to the restaurant.

“We needed to continue to innovate and force ourselves out of our comfort zone,” he said.

That drive has remained central to Schloss Schauenstein. Andreas insists the restaurant cannot be led principally by retaining its Michelin recognition, even if nobody wants to lose it.

“My main goal is to not stand still,” he said.

“You have to innovate and move forward. That is important to keep this beautiful place alive.”

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Marcel Skibba’s route to the castle

Originally from southern Germany, Marcel was working at three-Michelin-starred La Vie in Osnabrück when Schloss Schauenstein rejected his first application.

He tried again several years later and joined in 2015, intending to save towards completing his master chef qualification in Germany.

“When I arrived, I couldn’t believe that something like this existed,” Marcel said.

What began as a temporary move developed into a long-term commitment. Marcel progressed to become head chef and later Andreas’s business partner and co-owner.

“He is actually like my older brother,” Marcel said.

“He knows exactly what he wants, which can be difficult, but I have learnt a lot from him.

“Over the years, we found a way to work together. I’m learning from him and I think he is learning from me as well. It has become a symbiosis.”

The garden’s influence on the food

Marcel has also witnessed the development of the garden and the move towards more local produce.

“When I started here in 2015, the garden didn’t exist as it does today,” he explained.

“The kitchen was very international. We had many expensive products coming from all over the world.”

From 2016, the team worked more closely with local producers before developing the garden and facilities for preserving produce through winter.

“The garden became a source of creativity,” Marcel said.

“We go there twice a day. We harvest what we need for lunch and then what we need for dinner.

“We take what we need and use it as fresh as possible, so the guests can feel the sun and the freshness on the plate.”

For Andreas, the garden helped give the restaurant a clearer identity. The cooking became lighter, higher in acidity and increasingly driven by vegetables, herbs and flowers.

“We don’t talk about the garden all the time, but you feel it when you get the food,” he said.

“You feel there are elements from the garden in these dishes.”

Seasonal snacks included carrot with horseradish and capers; pickled vine leaf with pepper and grapes; kohlrabi with flowers, asparagus, egg yolk and lardo; and a tomato tartlet with fresh cheese.

A pike-perch dish used freshwater fish rather than seafood, accompanied by tomato, sprouts and berries from the garden. A green vegetable dish brought together lettuce, dill and fresh herbs.

“Our guests should feel the garden and feel our work on the plate,” Marcel said.

“We don’t try to make it too complex. The challenge is creating complexity while keeping the dish as simple as possible.”

Developing the menu together

The menu is renewed approximately every eight weeks.

Andreas and Marcel begin with the season and the ingredients available, exploring possibilities before refining a dish.

“It is nice to have a partner in Marcel,” Andreas said.

“We share our thoughts, challenge ourselves and brainstorm. We talk about what the main ingredient could be, produce lots of possibilities and then begin plating.”

For Marcel, the challenge is to move forward while remaining authentic to the castle, the region and what Schloss Schauenstein represents.

“You have to develop yourself and develop the kitchen without losing the idea and context of what you are doing,” he said.

“We want to move forward and continue developing ourselves and the place.”

A destination worth travelling for

Schloss Schauenstein operates nine services each week, beginning with dinner on Wednesday before serving lunch and dinner through to Sunday.

Its rural location means almost every visit is planned, often around a celebration.

“They know exactly that on the third of March, they are going to the castle,” Andreas said.

“They drive here, they are excited and they have something to celebrate. They already arrive happy when they come through the door.

“If the restaurant were in a (big) city, people might be stressed, coming from business meetings and not having much time. Here, they dive into the experience.”

Guests return for the complete experience Andreas imagined more than two decades ago.

“We don’t just cook food, we create an atmosphere,” he said.

“The stone walls and the history dictate what is on the plate. Here, you look out of the window, see the mountains and see the seasons changing. That tells us how to cook.”

The next chapter at Schloss Schauenstein

Andreas describes his journey at Schloss Schauenstein as beginning with a dream which has never entirely ended.

New projects, changing menus and Marcel’s progression from unsuccessful applicant to business partner have helped create its next phase.

“In five years, I want to be here at Schloss Schauenstein,” Marcel said.

“I want to continue moving forward with Andreas and work to make sure the castle remains one of the best restaurants in the world.”

For Andreas, the achievement is not simply holding three Michelin stars since 2010. It is more than two decades of building a destination in a place where he initially feared nobody would come.

“I love being in a small place and attracting people to come here and enjoy our great food,” he said.

“It started with a dream, and it is still a dream.”