Time. Isn’t it a wonderful word? Peace, pleasure, freedom and self-determination immediately spring to mind. When you are young, it goes by unnoticed, but time becomes more and more precious during your life: it flies, it vanishes, it is finite. Fortunately, there are places that seem to cancel this dynamic out. Places where you get the feeling of having all the time in the world for what’s important. Where you can be there for yourself and among friends, where you can feel nature and experience naturalness, where exclusivity appears in a different and new way. Lampart's Val Lumnezia is one such place: It turns time into gold and invites you to recharge your batteries, laugh and – as in this case – cook.
Anyone who meets Anni and Reto Lampart will immediately notice their connection and spiritual kinship. Both are passionate hosts. Both gave up their renowned award-winning restaurant in Hägendorf to seek new awards with their innovative vision. Now, with their guesthouse and VALU Country Club, their unique concept is becoming reality. Unique not just because they deliberately chose a location away from the popular tourist destinations. Instead they opted for the Val Lumnezia in the canton of Grisons, an unspoiled natural idyll with an impressive mountain backdrop. Unparalleled also because they chose a building that had kept its art nouveau history and filled it with a new zeitgeist. And absolutely incomparable because here you get a welcoming luxurious hideaway with exclusive membership principles – virtually private accommodation with the relaxed feeling of being home. In the tranquillity at the end of this valley, which turns towards the famous Greina Plateau at the southern slope of the Piz Mundaun, guests become friends and members of the VALU family: For them, time stands still and they can enjoy some invaluable time out in the perfect 'feel good' atmosphere. Let time and space merge and give your stay precious, lasting value: this is the philosophy that everyone follows here. A well-rehearsed team of individuals, as skilled as they are charismatic, create the perfect setting for this – discreet, easy-going and individual, because they already know in advance what the members desire. Creating quality time that beneficially breaks through the hectic of everyday life: That’s how the Lamparts describe it.
The idea of maximum freedom and creative development opportunities is everywhere: You can, but you don’t have to, stay overnight in one of the five charming suites. And for its members, the VALU Country Club is also open for those intermittent occasions – a business meeting, fondue evening, cooking course, spa treatment or a wine tasting with friends. No booking red tape, no billing lists, everything is simply processed via the Private or Corporate Membership. Arrive and enjoy is the motto. In and around the house you discover numerous, invitingly designed favourite places. Sit on a comfortable sun lounger by the old stone fountain and watch the clouds as they leisurely pass you by or immerse yourself in the evening atmosphere with a drink by the fire pit: Yes, that’s how you slow down during your quality time.
When you talk about an enjoyable break, of course, this has to include sophisticated cuisine. Reto Lampart therefore remains true to high-end gourmet cuisine, while still showing his down-to-earth nature. But more on that later. First, they needed a kitchen that matched their country club concept – an open kitchen-diner that also met professional requirements. Getting Benjamin und Matthias Zbären on board made more than sense, because the owners of the renowned manufacture Zbären Kreativküchen know, like few others, what it means to design and build a kitchen exactly as the client wishes it to be. Today, we are standing in a room, which looks like a private home with its custom-made Molteni oven, wooden cupboards and natural stonework, were it not for the high-tech features of a professional restaurant...
'I am not a fillet chef'
Reto Lampart (2 Michelin star chef from 2OO4 - 2O19)
Do you have to have a passion for cooking to plan a top-class kitchen? We clarify this question at a cooking session where Benjamin and Matthias Zbären are working hand in hand with Reto Lampart. And look: The masters in the craft of kitchen construction routinely work in this area too and know what they are doing. Passion and a focus on the finer details are common denominators both in gourmet cuisine and kitchen construction. The award-winning chef is happy – with the cookery and his kitchen, in which he conjures up the most amazing creations, often from simple ingredients. His appreciation of the resources makes him a master at using vegetables, herbs, meat and fish. A down-to-earth nature that is wonderfully likeable. And enhances this quality time in a very special way.
Zbären Kreativküchen AG Zbären Kreativküchen AG urban design, mountain flair or outdoor kitchen – every one of the luxury kitchens from the Zbären Swiss Kitchen Manufacture is a one-off. Designed in-house, hand-picked materials, a concept that exceeds all client expectations.
Contact
Zbären Swiss Kitchen Manufacture
Saanenmöser/Gstaad + Bern, Switzerland
www.zbaeren.ch
The photographer – Philipp Rohner A man who doesn’t need grand speeches. The Zurich-based photographer makes every subject special and captures this extraordinary moment. His creative portraits and spectacular travel shots speak for themselves: philipprohner.ch
