News

Star chef Thomas Kellermann becomes new chef de cuisine at Wernberg Castle

Wernberg-Köblitz, May 2008

From June 2008, star chef Thomas Kellermann will be the new head chef at Wernberg Castle Hotel, replacing Christian Jürgens as the chef de cuisine after seven successful years of service. 38-year-old Thomas Kellermann, who spent a number of years working for Hans Haas at Tantris in Munich and most recently was the chef de cuisine at the “Vitrum” gourmet restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Berlin, is one of the most promising chefs in the upper echelons of the catering industry in Germany. He has picked up numerous awards during his career to date. He currently holds one Michelin star, 17 Gault Millau points, three Feinschmecker Fs, four diamonds and a Varta Tip in the Varta Guide, 3.5 wooden spoons in the Aral Schlemmer Atlas and four crests in the Bertelsmann Guide.

Return to Bavaria

Born in Bavaria, Kellermann is essentially returning to his homeland because some of his family come from the Upper Palatinate region, not far from Wernberg Castle. "My father was also a chef and he was the one who inspired my passion for cooking,” recalls Thomas Kellermann. But it is not just his family roots which fit in well with his new environment. With ambition, expertise, his natural, likeable style and a refreshingly clear view of gourmet cuisine, he represents the precise values on which entrepreneur Klaus Conrad bases his recipe for success: sophisticated, contemporary and honest cuisine served in a unique ambience combining historic and modern elements. The careful use of outstanding ingredients, the blending together of different spices and aromas and the development of new innovative creations have always filled Thomas Kellermann with enthusiasm. He describes his dishes as clear and full of flavour, although they do not necessarily conform to any particular trend. He also considers it to be particularly important to have contact with his guests at all times. "Ultimately, it is these people whom I and my team in the kitchen seek to please."

Exciting future at Wernberg Castle

Hotel director Ralf O. Leidner is also looking forward, like Klaus Conrad, to an exciting working relationship: "For 10 years now, we have been one of the top venues in Germany for people who appreciate special things. I am convinced that Thomas Kellermann will continue to advance our recipe for success with his own creative flair. It will not just be our guests in the Kastell restaurant who will benefit from his perfectionism and his love of excellent cuisine. His Bavarian roots and his creativity will also be a real asset to our Konrads castle restaurant and our seminar and events area." The Relais & Châteaux Wernberg Castle Hotel, which belongs to the Conrad Group, boasts 25 rooms and five suites, its own registry office, a castle chapel, elegant ballrooms and the Kastell gourmet restaurant.