A Pinch of Motherly Love
When Elisabeth Grabmer was presented with a MICHELIN Star at The MICHELIN Guide Ceremony at Hangar 7 in Salzburg in January this year, she couldn't help but shed a tear of joy – for one, because she cooked up this award together with her son Clemens, with whom she shares the role of kitchen manager at the family-owned Waldschänke restaurant in Grieskirchen. And, secondly, because she had already held a MICHELIN Star from 2007 to 2009, and this latest award speaks volumes about her passion and her life's work.
"Our relationship is about great respect and appreciation. Each of us has our own responsibilities and domains, and there is of course always a pinch of motherly love in the mix," says Elisabeth Grabmer, explaining her recipe for success when it comes to working together as a family. "I benefit enormously from Clemens's presence because he has brought modern cooking techniques and new creativity into our kitchen," she says, recognising the younger generation's strength for innovation: "This is how we have got better and better together. The MICHELIN Star is the crowning glory of this development."
Her development would probably not have taken this successful course had she not continued working in the family business (along with her husband, restaurant manager Heinz Grabmer) after her children were born. "When my children were small, my mother-in-law always helped out with childcare. That meant that during working hours I could concentrate fully on my job. There's no other way to be successful. You can't reach your goal if you aren't firing on all cylinders," says Grabmer, who was able to juggle work and family life. "When the restaurant was closed, we really made the most of spending quality time with the children."
"Wild Women" in the Bregenzerwald
As Head Chef at Schwanen hotel restaurant in Bizau in the Bregenzerwald, Franziska Hiller has been awarded the Green Star and Bib Gourmand. She laid the foundations for this more than 20 years ago when she attended a lecture on the nutritional teachings of medieval nun Hildegard von Bingen with Antonia Moosbrugger, who was Head Chef and manager of the hotel at the time. The guiding principle was that food should be seasonal, regional, wholesome and nourishing for body and soul. From that point on, the two changed their cooking style and turned towards this culinary world view. The Bio-Hotel Schwanen's adapted version of this concept was dubbed Wilde Weiber Küche – Wild Women Kitchen. "It was a radical step back then," Franziska Hiller says with a smile, recalling the reactions of well-meaning friends who said at the time, "If you're brave enough to cook like that, then you really are wild women." The term became synonymous with consistently plant-forward cuisine, in which meat plays a supporting role on the menu. Back then, much more so than today, it symbolised a typically female approach to refined hotel cooking.
For many years, Wild Women Kitchen has sourced key ingredients from their garden: herbs of all kinds, cabbage, pak choi, berries, fruit and much more. Vetterhof in Lustenau, a pioneer in growing organic vegetables, is an important backup. "Our garden and the fields of Vetterhof determine what is on the menu," says Franziska Hiller, describing her concept. "Working in harmony with nature is neither feminine nor masculine, it's just common sense."
Three-Star Chef Elena Arzak – A Role Model
Theresia Palmetzhofer is one of Austria's top female chefs, with her Gasthof zur Palme in Neuhofen an der Ybbs being recommended by The MICHELIN Guide this year, making it one of the 338 best restaurants in the country.
She first learnt the trade from her mother, before clocking up valuable experience in prestigious kitchens. A stint alongside Two-Star chef Konstantin Filippou was formative – at the time he was still working at Novelli in Vienna and his first MICHELIN Star was in the offing. At a|o|c in Copenhagen and with Elena Arzak in San Sebastián, she was inspired to set her sights higher. In 2016, she decided to take over her parents' restaurant, building up an excellent reputation with modern interpretations of regional cuisine. "My restaurant is my baby," she says in response to a question about balancing work and family life. "To run a business, you need enormous stamina, and you can't be put off by setbacks." According to Theresia Palmetzhofer, "Young women often lack confidence, partly because there are no female role models in the industry." Her advice for young chefs is: "Go travelling professionally and gather as many experiences as possible – travel inspires and educates. I had role models in Lisl Wagner-Bacher, Johanna Maier and Elena Arzak, as well as a fixed goal in mind when I took over my parents' business."
Female Management Style
The young Carinthian Verena Stattmann, who was awarded a Star as Head Chef at Austria Stuben in the Gourmet & Wine Hotel Austria in Obergurgl, followed a similar path. She started her career at the renowned Carinthian restaurants Bärenwirt in Hermagor and Das Löwenzahn in Weissensee. In 2019, she moved to the Gourmet & Wine Hotel Austria as Sous Chef and was promoted to Head Chef in summer 2023. She now heads up a young team of up to 15 chefs and is responsible for keeping up to 280 hotel patrons happy: "It may be a stressful job, but it has been my goal from an early age," says Verena Stattmann, seeing her determination rewarded. She describes her management style as "clear and direct, but always compassionate. There is always time for my team to ask questions and I love giving input. I don't want to change anyone. I am convinced that it is best if everyone is given room to develop. That's the best way for us to benefit from each other as a team."The award opened a few doors for Verena Stattmann. In May, she took to the stage for the first time as a speaker at Austria's largest gastronomy fair. "Now I'm where I wanted to be."
Stronger Together
Raphaela Wirrer regards her post at the Interalpen Hotel Tyrol and its Interalpen - Chef's Table (One MICHELIN Star) near Telfs as probably the most important of her career. Here, she rose from commis patissière to chef patissière within four years. This also equipped her for two years in the role at the One-Key Hotel Tannenhof in St Anton am Arlberg, whose fine-dining restaurant was awarded Two Stars in 2025. Furthermore, it is where she met her partner, Jonathan Burger, with whom she moved to New Zealand for two years after her stint at Hotel Tannenhof, cooking as a team in various establishments. Back in Austria, the chef and patisserie duo ended up at the Fine Hotel & Restaurant Hirschen in Schwarzenberg in the Bregenz Forest. "We are only available as a pair," she smiles. "Such a close collaboration wasn't always easy in the beginning, but we've found our groove. Now we understand each other perfectly and are very, very strong as a team." Having the same job as your partner makes it much easier to organise your work and leisure time.Responsible catering is very important to them both. At Hirschen, which has been awarded the Green Star, Raphaela has now found the ideal place to work alongside Jonathan, who is Head Chef here. "It feels as if we've arrived at our destination after a long journey. In this industry you have to try out a lot of things to get to know yourself better. Not every day is a walk in the park. That's exactly why success tastes all the sweeter," says Raphaela in summary. She would do it all again. "You grow steadily along the way and become capable of things that you would never have dared to do at the beginning. I'm proud of that. As a patissière and as a person!"
Five restaurants, five female chefs with a passion for what they do. If you dine in their company, you can expect more than merely good food – you will be immersed in culinary art that inspires and touches. Discover the extraordinary world of women’s culinary excellence.
At these places, you can meet the top five female chefs:
Illustration Image: Chefin Franziska Hiller im Schwanen in Bizau © Rowitha Schneider
