Episode 185 of the Restaurant-Ranglisten.de podcast takes us to the heart of the Bavarian Forest – to the Landromantik Hotel Oswald in Kaikenried. In this interview, hotelier Andreas Oswald provides insights into the development of a family business that has grown from a small inn with a butcher's shop to one of the most distinguished gourmet and wellness hotels in the region. The basis of its success: long-term thinking, clear visions and the courage to go its own way.

Oswald describes himself as a member of the management team of a family business that has been in existence for around 70 years. After training as a chef at the Residenz Heinz Winkler and spending his first few years travelling, family circumstances led him back to his parents' business. "You feel connected to home," he says – and began to apply what he had learned in fine dining in Kaikenried.

A key milestone was his collaboration with Thomas Gerber, his former trainer and now head chef at Oswald's Gourmetstube. Together, they came up with the idea for the fine dining restaurant, which opened in 2015. For Gerber, the project meant great creative freedom: a new kitchen, a new restaurant and "a great deal of creative freedom," as Oswald emphasises. The fact that Gerber and his family took the plunge and moved to the Bavarian Forest is mainly due to his down-to-earth nature – "his family is his support."

The award was not long in coming: just six months after opening, the restaurant received its first Michelin star. "We really didn't expect that," recalls Oswald. The second star followed years later – for him, "absolutely incredible". The key was not to put too much pressure on themselves: "Everything is possible, nothing is mandatory." The initial focus was on consistency and further development, not on maximum awards.

The operating concept is remarkable: the hotel restaurant and gourmet dining room are run from a single kitchen, both under Gerber's responsibility. The gourmet restaurant has to be economically viable – and it is. "We have always been in the black with the gourmet restaurant," says Oswald. Nevertheless, the hotel restaurant is the economic basis of the establishment.

Culinary, the team focuses on a classic French basis with a modern interpretation: lighter, more concentrated, with fewer products on the plate. Regionality is not a dogma, but a matter of course where quality and availability are right. "For us, the most important thing is quality," emphasises Oswald – and that takes precedence over any debate about origin.

Another central topic of the conversation is employee management. Oswald is responsible for personnel issues throughout the company and reports high satisfaction and hardly any staff turnover. Flexible working time models, paid overtime, staff apartments and company cars are part of everyday life. "We always try to tailor the job to the right employee," he explains. This appreciation is also symbolically demonstrated: a prominent employee wall in the hotel makes everyone visible – "whether they are a Michelin-starred chef or a dishwasher".

The generational change is also deliberately smooth. The parents are gradually stepping back, but remain present. "It's not a hard cut, but a very smooth transition," says Oswald – a model that creates stability and enables learning.

The hotelier is optimistic about the future. Regions such as the Bavarian Forest in particular could benefit from the desire for gentle, individual tourism. Personal relationships and reliable quality are crucial. Oswald sums up his conclusion in a simple phrase: "Quality always endures."