Russell Brown to be first UK chef to cook at Austria's Culinary Jakobsweg project
Dorset restaurateur Russell Brown is to be the first UK chef to feature in an annual international summer culinary festival in Austria.
Brown, who runs the Michelin-starred Sienna in Dorchester, will appear at the Culinary Jakobsweg project, which is in its sixth summer and will launch at the beginning of July.
Culinary Jakobsweg is named after the ancient pilgrims' path which crosses the Silvretta Mountains in the Paznaun valley of Tirol and has become a popular draw for holidaymakers who appreciate great food. The project is led by top Austrian chef Martin Sieberer, who has a restaurant in Ischgl, and is supported by Austrian Chef of the Century Eckard Witzigmann.
In addition to Russell, the three other international guest chefs for summer 2014 are Alfio Ghezzi from Italy; Dieter Müller from Germany; and Giovani Oosters of Belgium.
Each of the four guest chefs creates a recipe for one of the four main mountain lodges along Jakobsweg and teaches the kitchen staff how to prepare it all summer long for holidaymakers.
Brown said: "I am delighted to have been asked to take part in the Culinary Jakobsweg in the Austrian Tirol. My menus are based on simple dishes using the best regional produce and my wife and I both enjoy walking on the West country coastal paths and beaches so an event involving regional food and hiking seems a perfect fit! At the heart of my dish for the Jamtalhütte is a beer braised beef cheek and there is an abundance of the high quality ingredients required in the region."
Paznaun-Ischgl tourist director Andreas Steibl said: "We are so pleased to have a UK chef participating in our popular Culinary Jakobsweg this summer. He will add a new dimension to our summer culinary event. We are looking forward to welcoming him and many British holidaymakers to this very special area of the mountains this summer."
The dishes will be on the summer menu of each mountain lodge until 21 September. On opening day at the beginning of July, the four guest chefs will hike with holidaymakers up to the HeidelbergerhÁ¼tte above Ischgl, where they will prepare and serve their dishes to visitors.
