View into the Plansee kitchen: Transparent on the plate

Breitenwang/Reutte, November 6, 2023 – Since September, large kitchens in Austria have been required to label the origin of meat, eggs, and dairy products. At "Kulinario," the company restaurant of the Plansee Group at the Reutte/Breitenwang site, the origin of products has long been a focus and is communicated to employees. The emphasis is on serving what is locally and increasingly seasonally available.

Venison from our own hunting with croquettes and red cabbage, beet patties with fried egg from the Lechtal and potato-lamb's lettuce salad, or milk cream strudel made from Austrian milk with vanilla sauce: an excerpt from the menu at "Kulinario" at the Plansee Group headquarters in Reutte/Breitenwang. Since September, the law requires large kitchens to label the origin of meat, eggs, and dairy products. This aims to provide more transparency on the plates and more visibility for regional agriculture.

However, this is nothing new for Plansee. "We have long been committed to regionality and transparency and are increasingly focusing on seasonal dishes and salads," emphasizes Christian Bartel, head of the kitchen and company restaurant. "Since 2014, we have been preparing all dishes from regional ingredients as far as possible. The labeling allows our guests to make conscious decisions when choosing their lunch and, in case of doubt, to opt for the more regional variant."

At Plansee, eggs, beef, trout, baked goods, and dairy products come from the region – venison has been sourced from our own hunting for decades. Local and regional products are also purchased through local wholesalers, especially dairy products and seasonal vegetables. Fresh produce is preferred over frozen food.

Demand Meets Supply

In principle, it is a challenge for large kitchens to source all food from the region due to the sheer volume. "Kulinario" at Plansee had around 260,000 guests in the 2022/23 fiscal year – including events and catering. Not all goods are reliably and year-round available in the required quantities from the region. Nevertheless, Plansee is keen to continue this path – for the benefit of local agriculture, employees, and the environment.

To make the menu even more regional, Plansee relies on the support of local farmers. Christian Angerer, district chairman of the Tyrolean Chamber of Agriculture in Reutte, is committed to this. "We see that the demand from large kitchens, such as at Plansee, is there. Now the supply from farmers in the region should also be expanded to source more food from Tyrol. For example, lamb does not necessarily have to come from New Zealand. We are working to meet the demand regionally."