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<\/p>\nFrom the snow-capped mountains of Switzerland to the sun-drenched shores of the Balearic Islands, Ren\u00e9 Schudel\u2019s journey has seen many exciting twists \u2013 and, amongst them, some significant turning points. Yet, somehow, the renowned chef and restaurateur\u2019s path always leads him back to Ibiza.<\/p>\n
Originally hailing from the Interlaken area in the canton of Bern, Ren\u00e9 was only seven years old when he visited the White Island for the first time with his father. He recalls that when the plane doors opened, his parent told him, \u201cThis is the moment when you decide if you will never come back \u2013 or you\u2019ll return time and time again.\u201d And return, he would \u2013 and more than that, leave his mark on the island\u2019s culinary scene.<\/p>\n
What captivated Ren\u00e9 on these early family holidays, when he would stay in the Hotel Ses Savines in San Antonio, was that inimitable \u2018Ibiza vibe\u2019 his father had told him about. It lured him back year after year, and, as fate would have it, he almost became a professional DJ.<\/p>\n
Ren\u00e9 says, \u201cIn the 1980s I was super into music and even produced my own electronic tracks. But my father told me I had to do an apprenticeship, because he didn\u2019t believe (that) DJing was a proper job. So, completely randomly, I chose to train as a chef to keep him quiet \u2013 because I thought afterwards I can do what I want!\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the first things he did after finishing his chef\u2019s training, was to book a flight to Ibiza, where he spent two years at Club Punta Arabi in Es Canar as a DJ and entertainer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI played everywhere; at Cafe del Mar in Es Paradis, it was madness,\u201d he laughs. \u201cOne special evening, there were a few of us DJs hanging out together and I ended up cooking for everyone \u2013 and my friends told me that I cook better than I play music.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was a true Sliding Doors moment for Ren\u00e9 \u2013 one that led him to make a life-changing choice between his two passions. With chefs enjoying \u201ca bit of a cool moment\u201d thanks to young and hip kitchen maestros like Jamie Oliver and Tim M\u00e4lzer, he chose to fully commit to his culinary career. His first restaurant followed soon, and the rest, as they say, is history. \u201cI still have my old record collection at home, though,\u201d Ren\u00e9 says. \u201cOver 14,000 vinyls and CDs \u2013 it\u2019s huge! I got many records at Delta Discos in Ibiza Town \u2013 back then you could still buy them by the kilo price.\u201d<\/p>\n
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It\u2019s a choice that he doesn\u2019t regret, and, looking back over his many culinary achievements to-date, it\u2019s easy to see why: From multiple successful restaurant projects in Switzerland as well as the popular Green Ibiza pop-up in Marina Botafoch a few years ago to his own cooking shows and a stint as a TV judge on the Swiss edition of \u201cFamily Food Fight\u201d, Ren\u00e9\u2019s ascent in the world of gastronomy has been nothing short of stellar.<\/p>\n
Not one to rest on his laurels, his latest venture sees Ren\u00e9 apply his expertise as a star chef to the world of kitchens \u2013 a natural and confident next step. Created in collaboration with his friend, an expert kitchen manufacturer from Switzerland, the Marti Outdoor Kitchen (MOK) by Ren\u00e9 Schudel is an impressive allrounder of a cooking station that not only catches the eye, but will also capture the heart of professional and home chefs alike \u2013 and BBQ maestros looking to \u2018beef up\u2019 their own island kitchens can see the masterpiece on display at island-based stockists GO PLUS\u00a0 in the Montecristo industrial estate on the San Antonio road between Ibiza Town and San Rafael.<\/p>\n
Designed in all-chrome stainless steel with sleek, minimalist lines and a touch of industrial edge, the one-piece outdoor kitchen was inspired by South American \u2018asador\u2019 grills \u2013 and Ren\u00e9\u2019s love of cooking on open fire!<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a gastronomic kitchen built to gastronomic norms, but it fits into every household. We spent a long time working on it, and I\u2019m super happy how it turned out,\u201d he enthuses. \u201cIt\u2019s super diverse: You can work with skewers, you can smoke things, you can fillet meat and fish \u2013 and you can work directly on the fire. It\u2019s the perfect tool to prepare everything that is so amazing to eat here in Ibiza: From fresh seafood to a classic \u2018pollo payes\u2019 or a succulent lamb.\u201d<\/p>\n
Foodies who are keen to get some cooking tips and tricks from the kitchen star himself for creating an Ibicencan feast should tune into Ren\u00e9\u2019s popular TV show \u201cSchudel\u2019s Food Stories\u201d, broadcast twice a year on ProSieben Schweiz and available for streaming on Joyn. The master chef has shot no less than eight episodes on Ibiza, tackling Balearic specialities such as Bullit de Peix fish stew and Eggs Benedict with Sobrasada sausage.<\/p>\n
Speaking of Ibiza\u2019s rich culinary offering, when Ren\u00e9 isn\u2019t cooking himself, the gastronomy expert prefers the simple pleasures the island has to offer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love the simplicity of classic \u2018chiringuitos\u2019 like the little beach bar in Pou d\u2019es Lleo \u2013 no WiFi, no credit cards. I don\u2019t need to come to Ibiza to eat caviar, I can get that in any city in the world. I just want to have amazing gambas al ajillo, a squeaky wooden chair, and sit amongst the cool old Ibicencos \u2013 because I\u2019m in Spain!\u201d<\/p>\n
Instead of the glitzy global chains that continue to arrive on the island\u2019s shores, Ren\u00e9 is more impressed by the regenerative agricultural efforts of local farms such as Terra Masia and Juntos Farm, which belongs to one of his good friends.<\/p>\n
So could Ibiza tempt him again to start another venture in the future? \u201cImmediately,\u201d he says, \u201cIf the right project comes to me that would allow me to do work from my soul. And, of course, it has to make some sort of financial sense. When the big chain supermarkets arrived on the island, an old Ibicenco told me, \u2018Most people arrive here with suitcases \u2013 but many go home with plastic bags\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
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