About fall recipes and pottery

It is a warm late summer's day when our editor makes her way from the lively town centre of Zell to the Schmittenhöhe. The lake glistens in the afternoon sun, the town vibrates with life and although September has already arrived, you can feel that summer in the mountains is far from over. Her destination is Hotel Martha, nestling in the hillside above the town with a view of Lake Zell. The open front door invites to step inside and feel at home - a feeling that lasts all afternoon.

THE KITCHEN - THE HEART OF THE HOTEL

Our editor is greeted by Florian Zillner, the young chef and son of the hotel owner, with a warm ‘hello’ from the kitchen and a firm handshake. The small kitchen is one of the three places that take centre stage during today's visit. The food cooked here is harvested from the garden and served on plates from the hotel’s own pottery. The kitchen is small, but for Florian and his team it offers enough space to create culinary delights. ‘Of course, a larger kitchen would be nice, but here we always have everything we need ready at hand,’ smiles Florian as he prepares the final ingredients. The dishes served on that day are inspired by autumn: ‘Bolognese of venison with homemade tagliatelle’, ‘Braised kohlrabi’ from the hotel’s garden and ‘Pickled root vegetables’ - a tip and a simple but delicious recipe for anyone who wants to enjoy fresh vegetables even in winter.

While Florian prepares the dishes in the kitchen, our editor looks eagerly over his shoulder. It smells wonderful from the many pots and pans. And while the Bolognese and kohlrabi simmer and stew, he shares his knowledge of how quickly and easily you can preserve freshly harvested vegetables from the garden for winter. Our editor even gets to take a look inside the pantry: An ornately forged door opens the way from the hallway into a room full of preserved and fermented products, full of wines, homemade juices and schnapps stored closely together on old wine barrels. A real treasure trove! But before getting lost among all the treasures, the kitchen is calling - it's time to plate up.

Florian skilfully places the Bolognese and kohlrabi on the plate, and then it’s time to enjoy the dish together in the public room. ‘There's no better compliment when guest savour my dish, close their eyes and sigh with delight,’ says Florian at the table. No words are needed to compliment him on these two recipes.

Our editor's verdict: you must definitely try them!

Here are the recipes to try!

And for all those who don't like cooking: Visit Flo's restaurant and let him cook for you!

A GARDEN LIKE A PICTURE POSTCARD

After the dishes have quickly found their way into the tummy, Florian leads his visitor through the cosy public room out onto the terrace, where she pauses in amazement: The lovingly designed terrace, the rock garden dotted with colourful flowers and the sweeping swimming pond blend perfectly into the natural hillside structure. Hand-pottered figures can be found throughout the garden - even in the gaps between the stone slabs. These works of art come from the hotel's own pottery, which is just a few minutes' walk away and is run by Florian's mother.

Having become intrigued, our editor and Florian walk to the pottery. Mama Zillner teaches hotel’s guests and interested parties the art of pottery at an old, nostalgic cottage that has been leased by the family for years. Here she creates garden sculptures and ornaments as well as the plates on which Florian serves his dishes. Plates specially designed for specific dishes are already waiting to be baked in the oven to form the artistic basis for Florian's culinary creations.

A CHEF WITH PASSION AND VISION

But who is Florian Zillner actually? Over a cup of hot coffee, brewed with beans from a small Austrian roastery, the thirty-something tells us more about himself: Florian Zillner was born and raised in Zell am See and knew from an early age that he would take over his mother's business. During his training at the tourism school in Bad Hofgastein, he gained his first experience in Alpine cuisine with 5-Toque chef Andreas Döllerer. After a few stops elsewhere in between, Florian soon returned to his native home to invigorate the hotel and the kitchen with fresh ideas. ‘I may have missed out on the years of travelling that chefs should do. But by returning home sooner, I was able to develop my very own culinary line,’ says the young chef.

Florian took over the business together with his mother in his early twenties. The qualified interior designer had taken over the former B&B from her grandmother and gave Florian and his partner Hannah free rein with the design. And although not every experiment was a success, his mother always said: ‘A failed idea is always better than no experience at all.’ Following this credo, Boutique Hotel Martha, Flos Restaurant and the Zillner family continued to thrive. One iron rule applies: despite all passion, work is work, and private is private. ‘If you don't set clear boundaries here, then at some point you won't get on with each other, and that's the most important thing for us. We still discuss business when we walk home, but as soon as we open the front door, we're just family.’

In his kitchen, the traditional Austrian art of cooking combined with a good pinch of courage and eagerness to experiment is important to Florian. Just like the vegetable garden that nestles in the landscape below the swimming pond. Mama Zillner takes care of its maintenance. Kohlrabi in particular, which Florian considers to be one of the most versatile vegetables, is often harvested here. ‘Whether raw, braised or pickled - the variety of flavours of this simple vegetable never ceases to fascinate me.’

His dishes are characterised by a passion for high-quality products and the desire to delight guests with something special. He is inspired by the wishes of his guests and develops his cuisine to appeal to all age groups. Because Florian has two children himself, he is aware of some of the difficulties parents face when they want to eat well on a family holiday. ‘As long as the children like it and there's nothing green on it, the normal Bolognese can sometimes be a Bolognese of venison,’ smiles the young father.

For him and his family, the business takes centre stage, and together they are creating a place, where tradition and innovation blend harmoniously.

A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE

Anyone who would like to enjoy Florian Zillner's cuisine outside of Flo's restaurant will have the opportunity to do so on 30 September at the Festival of Alpine Cuisine in Zell am See-Kaprun. There he will create the Alpine Lunch together with his former mentor Andreas Döllerer, the local hero - and good friend of Florian - Christof Schernthaner from the FinESSEN restaurant in the TAUERN SPA Zell am See-Kaprun as well as the young chefs Viktoria Fahringer and Jaimy Reisinger. His signature dish? The ‘braised kohlrabi’ - an example of how the simplicity of Alpine cuisine can unfold impressive complexity.

Florian himself will also be a guest in the audience for the entire day of the event. He is really looking forward to meeting Austrian cooking legends Karl and Rudi Obauer, whose cuisine Florian considers to be one of the best in Austria. And to Sven Wassmer, who is shaping the future of the industry with his focussed Alpine cuisine.

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For the culinary future of Zell am See-Kaprun, Florian Zillner would like to see even more specialisation and the courage to pursue an individual, personal line. He is convinced that the combination of traditional Austrian cuisine and international influences can create a diverse potpourri of culinary possibilities. And who knows - perhaps his dishes and philosophy will inspire others to find their own way when it comes to cooking.