Sölden Works As A Stage For Young Gastronomic Talents
The Ötztal Valley once again became a meeting place for young talents from local tourism education. Six schools from across Austria participated in "Sölden Seeks the Gastro Supertalent." A total of 36 students competed in teams in the three disciplines of cuisine, service, and marketing – demonstrating innovative ideas, commitment, and a great deal of personal responsibility. The coveted title remained in Tyrol in 2025 and went to the Wilder Kaiser Tourism School. Second place went to the Vienna School of Hospitality, followed by the Bludenz Tourism School.
The event put the students at the center of attention. They planned menus, implemented service processes, and presented their innovative marketing concepts – all under realistic conditions, including time pressure. The focus is not on showmanship, but on solid craftsmanship, teamwork, and solution-oriented thinking. The goal of the competition is to raise the profile of young professionals in tourism and give them a worthy stage on which their skills are recognized. This is underscored by the high-caliber composition of the expert jury, which included well-known names, including two-toque chef Stefan Lenz from Vorarlberg and his colleague Peter Fankhauser from Zillertal, who holds a Michelin star. "I think it's important to put young people and tourism professions in the spotlight. Sölden is thus a role model for everyone else," said top chef Stefan Lenz. The presence of stars from the sports and social media sectors also generated enthusiasm. In addition to Kitzbühel winner Thomas Dreßen , who took the students out onto the slopes of Sölden after the competition day, influencer Nathan Goldblat was also there. In addition to fulfilling selfie requests, the Instagram star with more than 600,000 followers reported on his daily (online) life.
Tyrolean winners
Following the triumph of the Tyrolean Vocational School for Tourism and Commerce from Landeck last year, first place again went to Tyrol this year. The team from the Wilder Kaiser Tourism School impressed across the board in all categories with a well-thought-out menu, a well-coordinated service team, and compelling marketing ideas ranging from social media campaigns to portals using artificial intelligence. Second place went to the Vienna Hospitality School, followed by the Bludenz Tourism School, which participated for the first time this year. Having traveled the furthest, the Tourism and Hotel Management School from Oberwart in Burgenland was delighted to win the day's victory for its kitchen team. "The event is a unique platform for young students, and Sölden provides them with a fantastic stage that we cannot offer them in everyday life," said Hermann Wachter, a teacher at the Bludenz Tourism School. Samuel Jordan from Längenfeld and Fabian Frischmann from Tumpen competed in the kitchen competition for the Landeck Vocational School. "If you love creativity, then gastronomy, especially cooking, is a fulfilling challenge," the two young Ötztal chefs agree about their career choice. They impressively demonstrated this approach with a book titled "The Ötztal Boys," created especially for the competition.
Sölden invests in young talent
The competition is part of a larger idea: Sölden wants to empower young people – not just as guests, but as shapers of the industry. Since its launch in 2023, the format has established itself and evolved. "It's a joy to see how motivated the young people are to take part in the competition. This attitude encourages us to create such an event," says Angelika Falkner, host at the 5-star Das Central Hotel and head of the "Destination Employer Branding" working group for the Zukunft Sölden project. Alois Rainer, head of the tourism and leisure industry division at the Tyrol Chamber of Commerce, pays great respect for this. "If we had more tourist regions that put in so much effort, it would be good for the entire industry. With Sölden seeking the Gastro Supertalent, work in tourism is being taken to a whole new level," emphasizes Rainer.
