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Augarten Rheinau
Article in collaboration with Nicole & Anica Schmid
Eating with soil awareness
© Züriplausch, Sarah Blattner and Soil to Soul
Young | Fresh | From Their Own Farm
In 2019, the two sisters, Anica and Nicole Schmid, took over the carefully renovated, Guesthouse Restaurant Augarten, which, in addition to the restaurant, features a brewery called "Braugarten" for their "Huusbier" (house beer), and three hotel rooms. The Augarten is located right at the entrance to the Rheinau Monastery. Locals and gourmets gather in the restaurant and the magnificent garden with a gravel square and chestnut tree, while many excursionists in the region also come by. They walk along the Rhine from Schaffhausen – highly recommended – or drive directly to the Augarten: Everyone is warmly welcome.
For Anica and Nicole, their philosophy of regional and seasonal cuisine is not just a current trend promising success. They continue to develop their cuisine as they lived and learned it at home on the farm in Appenzell.
They source their meat exclusively from their own farm, operated by their parents in Dörflingen (SH). Butcher Walter Ehrensberger from Öhrlingen (ZH) slaughters and cuts the animals for the restaurant. Vegetables are sourced from their own farm whenever possible, otherwise only from surrounding farms. Fruits are available only in the current season, and flowers are dried for winter decoration.
The team cooks and runs the restaurant just like it's done on a farm. There is a familial yet focused atmosphere, and the restaurant uses only seasonal ingredients. An innovative dish made exclusively with Swiss ingredients is appreciated by both villagers and city dwellers alike. The Augarten is a place for everyone.
Nicole Schmid (Managin Director), Anica Schmid (Managin Director)
FOCUS TOPICS
Seasonal and Regional Cuisine
The products primarily come from the family farm and the dishes are tailored to the different seasons.
Food Waste / Food Utilization
Due to a small menu and good logistical planning, they have no food waste at all.
Organic Products and/or Other Sustainable Labels
Thanks to the consistent use of Swiss ingredients, they are sustainable without prominently featuring organic labels and their farms. Their farm itself is a mixed form of husbandry; sheep, cattle, and chickens live in the pasture, and the pigs are raised in IP Suisse conditions.
Use of Fresh and Minimally Processed Foods
They cook with fresh ingredients from their farm in Dörflingen, operated by their parents.
Close Relationship with Regional Producers
The majority of the products are from their own farm, operated by their parents. But they also maintain a close relationship with the remaining producers.
Vegetarian / Plant-Based Cuisine
Meat is seen as a "Sunday dish" at Augarten, so they offer elaborate vegetarian dishes as well.
Utilization of the Whole Animal
For the restaurant, utilizing the entire animal is a given. The meat comes directly from the parents' farm and is slaughtered and butchered by their butcher.
Existing Collaborations with Associations
They collaborate with Slow Food.
Fair Working Atmosphere & Compensation System
The team is characterized by their familial, ambitious, and young individuals.
Well-Being of the Employees
Only when the well-being of the employees is at the forefront can long-term employment relationships be established.
Attention to Sustainability in Kitchen and Restaurant Equipment
In the restaurant, only self-made wooden decorations from the farm adorn the space. There are no cut flowers from florists on the table; instead, flowers from flower meadows decorate them.
THEIR PRODUCERS
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Own Farm
Meat, vegetables, and fruits
In the garden of the farm, kitchen herbs, kale, and pumpkins thrive. In the forest, rose hips and walnuts are collected for their own oil, and pigs, cattle, chickens, and lambs live on the Schmid family farm. -
Gut Rheinau
Cheese
Gut Rheinau is managed in a biodynamic manner. Profits generated are not taken out of Gut Rheinau but reinvested in the soil, animals, and human community. -
HerterWein
Wine
The winery operates with the goal of nurturing a vibrant soil and healthy vines that regain their ability to make autonomous decisions. They consciously refrain from using pesticides such as chemical fungicides or herbicides. This approach enables them to offer lively, healthy wines and spirits.