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FHA-Food & Beverage 2025 is honored to welcome Judge Frank Wiedemann, a champion of culinary heritage and sustainable innovation, to the FHA Culinary Challenge (FCC) as a Restaurant of Nations Judge. As the owner of the two-century-old family business, Widmann’s Alb.leben, a Green Michelin Star restaurant and hotel, he brings invaluable expertise to the Restaurant of Nations Hot Kitchen Challenge. In this FHA Insider, we explore his journey, his commitment to preserving culinary legacy while embracing sustainability, and his vision for the future of culinary arts.
Q: Widmann’s Alb.leben’s Green Michelin Star highlights your dedication to sustainability. How is sustainability shaping culinary creativity and the future of fine dining, and what practical advice can you offer smaller F&B businesses seeking to integrate sustainable practices without sacrificing profitability or quality?
The Green Michelin Star is important for our restaurant as it highlights our commitment to sustainability and regionalism. Unlike in the past, sustainability now plays a crucial role in the restaurant industry, positively impacting both creativity and profitability.
We have shifted towards producing our own semi-finished products using regional ingredients. Additionally, marketing these regional products enhances profitability, allowing us to successfully implement our ‘nose-to-tail’ concept.
Q: Your family’s culinary legacy spans over two centuries, encompassing both your renowned restaurant and your hotel/chalet operations. How has the increasing globalisation of food influenced your approach to balancing culinary traditions with innovation across your diverse hospitality offerings, and could you share a specific example – perhaps an ingredient or technique you encountered at FHA – that illustrates this balance?
Our menu and hotel breakfast are based on regional products. We incorporate modern cooking trends and techniques from around the world into our recipes using these regional ingredients. This approach creates a modern ‘home-style’ cuisine with global influences.
Q: As a Restaurant of Nations judge, you see a lot of global culinary talent. Beyond technical skill, what qualities are most important to you in the competing teams at the FHA Culinary Challenge, and how do you see this long-standing competition contributing to the evolution of gastronomy, particularly in Asia?
The rise of culinary competitions around the world is a positive development. These competitions nurture young talent and provide them with a platform, such as the FHA Culinary Challenge, to showcase their skills and creations to a large audience. Major competitions like the FHA Culinary Challenge, with their long-standing traditions, reflect the culinary standards of an entire continent. Asia, in particular, is experiencing a highly positive and diverse culinary evolution.
Q: What advice would you offer to aspiring chefs and restaurateurs who are trying to navigate this constantly changing landscape?
In today’s culinary world, where imitating and adopting recipes has never been easier, developing a unique signature through carefully crafted dishes is more important than ever. This individuality makes the cuisine of different countries and regions more distinct and independent.
For long-term success, I strongly encourage every young chef to embrace this approach.
Learn from Judge Frank Wiedemann’s insights and experience at the FHA Culinary Challenge 2025. Experience the energy of world-class culinary competition, be inspired by top chefs, and discover the future of fine dining through his unique perspective. Join us at FHA-Food & Beverage 2025!
