New members at JRE Austria

Two new members for Jeunes Restaurateurs (JRE): Anja Petschauer and Florian Satran are passionate about a modern interpretation of fine dining. At Stiftschmiede am Ossiacher See, a renowned fish restaurant housed in a former smithy, the pair are reinventing regionality and tradition. Their culinary philosophy: don't worship the ashes, pass on the fire.

Top chefs decorated with two toques are not exactly a dime a dozen in Austria. However, there are two of them in the kitchen at the Stiftschmiede in Carinthia: Anja Petschauer and Florian Satran. Both have now been accepted into the elite circle of Jeunes Restaurateurs. The association of young Austrian top chefs "stands for quality, regionality and passion for products and craftsmanship," explain the new members: "JRE is a strong network at the highest professional level. We look forward to exchanging ideas with like-minded people, joint projects and inspiration for the further development of our culinary concept."

Passionate about fish and fine dining

Where the Stiftschmiede, one of Austria's best fish restaurants, stands today, iron was once forged. Much has changed since then at the picturesque Lake Ossiach, but the family has also preserved some things over generations and centuries. Their love of craftsmanship and the region, for example. The wood-fired oven, which creates a cosy atmosphere in the Stiftschmiede and is still used to prepare food today, also harks back to the building's past. "Today, we no longer forge iron here, but culinary ideas. We are passionate about Carinthian tradition, but we combine this respect for our past with a spirit of innovation and are always open to new ideas. After all, we want to pass on the fire – not worship the ashes," says Florian Satran.

It is precisely because of this attitude that Satran and Petschauer and the Stiftschmiede are a perfect fit for JRE, says chairman Vitus Winkler: "The communication style in the kitchen is also refreshingly modern and forward-looking, deliberately moving away from outdated hierarchical ideas. You can sense in every detail that this young duo not only preaches the creative reinterpretation of traditional fish dishes, but also lives it – and always with a good dose of Carinthian local colour."

Florian Satran: Purism on the plate, respect in the kitchen

Florian Satran was practically born with a wooden spoon in his hand. In addition to the family business, he also cooked in America and Switzerland, at the renowned Ikarus in Hangar 7 in Salzburg and with his Carinthian JRE colleague Thomas Gruber at the Schlosshotel Wörthersee (now head chef at Haus Zirngast in Schladming), where he also met his partner Anja Petschauer. In 2022, Florian Satran finally took over as head chef, while his father now looks after the guests.

For the purist, the focus is always on the ingredients and their natural flavour. The main ingredient is usually freshwater fish from the surrounding area, paired with seasonal products from regional producers. Fermentation also plays an important role at the Stiftschmiede. The old wood-fired oven and open-flame cooking ultimately add a fiery touch, the signature of the Stiftschmiede.

The new JRE member does not believe in strict hierarchies in the kitchen: "Respectful treatment and clear performance standards are important for attracting young people to the catering industry and retaining them in a business in the long term."Satran also sees his work as a contribution to exemplifying future-proof forms of top-class gastronomy that Gen Z also finds attractive – both as guests and as employees.

Anja Petschauer: "Top-class gastronomy must become more female."

So it's only logical that he has been running the kitchen in tandem with his partner Anja Petschauer since this year. Unlike Satran – who actually wanted to become a helicopter pilot – she always knew she wanted to be a chef: "It may sound a bit corny, but being a chef was my dream job even as a child. When I was about seven, I was given a cookbook by Sarah Wiener and that was it for me."

Petschauer brings multi-professional expertise to the Stiftschmiede. After completing her culinary training, Petschauer also studied hotel management and worked as a management consultant. She therefore knows the industry from several perspectives.

New buddy project from JRE

In 2025, Jeunes Restaurateurs (JRE) launched its first offer for new members. In keeping with the community spirit of JRE, each chef is paired with an experienced member. The young talents benefit from the wealth of experience of their colleagues, who in turn draw inspiration from the fresh ideas of the newcomers. The buddy for the Stiftschmiede duo is Roman Pichler from Restaurant Moritz. With his restaurant in Grafenstein, which seats only 25, the three-toque chef focuses on intimate moments of enjoyment in line with the slow food philosophy.