In autumn 2024, Marco Campanella was named ‘Chef of the Year 2025’ by GaultMillau and earned his 19th GaultMillau point with the restaurant ‘La Brezza’ at the Hotel Eden Roc in Ascona. With ‘La Brezza’ at the Tschuggen Grand Hotel in Arosa, he was once again awarded 18 GaultMillau points. The SNOWTIMES team would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Marco once again!
Despite his successes, the 32-year-old chef of the year is not a bit aloof, but has a likeable modesty about him. For this year’s SNOWTIMES Arosa Lenzerheide, we spoke to Marco Campanella and wanted to know what his personal favourite dish is and where his passion for cooking comes from.
‘One of the most important things I have learnt is that you can achieve your goals with patience and time.’
– Marco Campanella
Cavatelli with tomato sauce and spareribs…
When asked what his favourite dish was, the Chef of the Year replied: ‘Cavatelli with tomato sauce and spare ribs’. So here, too, his favourite dishes are anything but out of the ordinary. The cavatelli with tomato sauce comes from his childhood and also his passion for cooking, the chef continues. ‘My parents ran an Italian restaurant on Lake Constance for 30 years. I used to run to my dad in the kitchen after kindergarten, stand on an upturned beer crate, watch him cook and get to help out. That was such a great time! With my dad in the kitchen, but also with my mum, who worked behind the counter. I remember, for example, how my father always prepared the tomato sauce. He always said: ‘You need patience if you want it to be good – don’t rush it, take a few extra minutes, because in the end it’s the result that counts. I also take this to heart at La Brezza, and not just when cooking. What are the signature dishes of the newly crowned ‘Chef of the Year 2025’? ‘I currently have three: tomato tartare with basil and pine nuts, beef tartare, AAL, kohlrabi and short rib, beech mushrooms, BBQ’, they all sound deliciously tempting.
Learned from one of the best Swiss chefs
Andreas Caminada was once Marco’s teacher and he was able to pass on a great deal to him along the way. ‘One of the most important things I learnt from Andreas is that you achieve your goals with patience and time. Step by step.’ For Marco Campanella, the team is also one of the most important factors for success. His motto day after day is therefore: ‘one band one sound’. Marco also emphasises that without his fantastic team behind him, his awards would hardly have been possible.
Cosmopolitan – light – familiar ingredients
Marco Campanella uses these three words to describe his own style of cooking. ‘I’ve been cooking for 14 years. In my opinion, the cuisine has become much more reduced, clearer in flavour. It is focussed on using local products from the respective region. And there has also been a huge increase in vegan dishes and alternatives.’ Marco Campanella received the best compliments for his cookery skills from two hotel guests. ‘They stayed with us for a whole month and came to our restaurant once a week. They were so fascinated by what we do with all the produce – from the vegetables to the fish and meat.’
‘Relaxation, pleasure, aesthetics.’
Silvana and Ingo Schlösser
Not only the cuisine is world class
But not only the cuisine is world-class, the ski-in ski-out Tschuggen Grand Hotel is an absolute leader in all areas and the management couple Silvana and Ingo Schlösser offer their guests everything their hearts desire under the motto ‘A new dimension of relaxation, enjoyment and aesthetics’.
Take the Tschuggen Express directly to the ski piste
The ski-in ski-out 5* hotel takes its guests to the Arosa Lenzerheide ski area in just a few minutes with its private mountain railway, the Tschuggen Express, the only one of its kind in Switzerland, and, in addition to top-class cuisine, offers wonderful relaxation in the multi-award-winning spa after an eventful day of snow sports. In addition to ‘La Brezza’, guests can choose to indulge in international dishes in the ‘Grand Restaurant’ or in ‘The Basement Restaurant’ with delicacies based on grandmother’s recipes.
128 luxurious rooms and suites
The Tschuggen Grand Hotel, situated in the middle of the Arosa mountains at an altitude of 1800 m, has 128 luxurious rooms and suites, all of which have been created by interior designer Carlo Rampazzi with high-quality furnishings and coordinated colour compositions and offer a unique view of the snow-covered Arosa mountain panorama.
A 5000 m2 spa with Mario Botta’s signature
The Tschuggen Bergoase, created by star architect Mario Botta, offers 5,000 square metres of spa pleasure at the highest level with an indoor and outdoor pool. This place between heaven and earth opens up a new dimension of space and cosiness, of nature and geometry, of warmth, rock, light and water. Mario Botta has created a 5000 m2 realm for the senses, a place of well-being and complete relaxation and has placed this refuge directly in the mountain. Opulent glass and steel sails give the sky and mountains access to the deepest interior of the wellness oasis, flooding the four floors with light and breathtaking panoramic views.
Mountain lofts with privacy
The Mountain Lofts, which were refurbished last year, offer guests a new way of living at 1,800 metres, complete privacy, their own sauna and wellness area, as well as access to the hotel’s amenities and services with 5-star service. The Mountain Lofts are available from one-bedroom to three-bedroom lofts – also ideal for a longer, completely private break.
Tschuggen Grand Hotel
Tschuggentorweg 1
7050 Arosa
+41 81 378 99 99
info@tschuggen.ch
www.tschuggen.ch
