The 18th edition of the annual S.Pellegrino Sapori Ticino gourmet festival celebrates Germany, with over 20 events planned between September 19 and November 24, 2024. During this time, nearly a dozen Michelin-starred chefs working in Germany will travel to Switzerland. They will be hosted by some of the country’s top hotels and restaurants. I attended one of three invite-only Gala Dinners planned for the festival, which took place at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva. Michele Fortunato, executive chef at the hotel’s Il Lago restaurant, partnered with four chefs from Ticino to prepare an exceptional menu for approximately 80 guests. 

Sapori Ticino Gala Dinner Menu

After an apéritif with champagne and savory amuse bouches, with a view of Geneva’s famous Jet d’eau from the balcony, we enjoyed a 5-course dinner in the Salle des Nations of the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues. This elegant ballroom was originally created to host the inaugural League of Nations, often considered the precursor for today’s United Nations.

Vitello Tonnato
by Chef Michele Fortunato – Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues Geneva

Blue lobster, caviar, yuzu
by Chef Federico Palladino – Osteria Enoteca Cuntitt, Castel San Pietro

Sole role, pumpkin candy truffle potatoes, mushroom broth
by Chef Marco Badalucci, Ristorante Badalucci, Lugano

Duck ravioli, orange, balsamic pearls
by Chef Eugenio Belfiore, Villa Sassa, Lugano

Venison filet with autumn flavors
by Chef Alessandro Boleso, Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola, Lugano

Tiramisu
by Chef Lyece Major, Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues, Geneva

Wines

SanZeno Viognier, Bianco Ticino DOC, 2022, Tamborini Vini
SanZeno Mosaico, Bianco Ticino DOC, 2022, Tamborini Vini
Quatromani, Ticino DOC Merlot 2021, Delea, Gialdi, Brivio and Tamborini
Champagne Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé

Sapori Ticino’s Commitment to Hospitality

At the start of the meal, Sapori Ticino CEO and founder Dany Stauffacher, enthusiastically welcomed us to the Gala Dinner. A consummate host who has been with the festival since it started in 2007, he talked about this year’s partnership with the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL). One of the world’s top schools for the hospitality sector, EHL prepares future generations for the gastronomy sector. Given this new collaborative partnership, on Monday, November 18, the Seven Lugano restaurant will host Chef Lucrèce Lacchio of EHL’s Berceau des Sens restaurant with students from the school.

With a focus on the future of gastronomy, four Sapori Ticino events also feature Swiss finalists of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef competition. The first of these events took place at the Grand Hotel du Lac in Vevey on October 10. The hotel’s executive chef, Guy Ravet, hosted Raul Garcia, winner of the Western European regional final. Ravet served as Garcia’s mentor during the competition, and they cooked together for this special Young Chef Night at the hotel.

Back in the historic ballroom during the Gala Dinner, Nathalie Seiler-Hayez, managing director of Swiss Deluxe Hotels, a partner of the festival, also spoke before the invited guests. Four Season Hotel des Bergues is one of this association’s 42 member hotels, all of which have a five-star rating. She described people working in the hospitality field as “artisans du bonheurs” (craftsmen of happiness). An approach that certainly matches the objectives of S.Pellegrino Sapori Ticino, with its dedication to hospitality, quality and gastronomy.

Sapori Ticino, Via Beltramina 15b, 6900 Lugano, +41 (0)91 976 06 00, info@saporiticino.ch.