Chef Domingo, Silver Duck, Class Reunion

March to the Federal Parliament Building. A procession in white, causing quite a stir, strolled through Bern's city center last week and posed in front of the Federal Parliament Building – the heads of the Jeunes Restaurateurs (JRE) association. The previous evening, JRE members had elected two new board members: Helena Collaud from "Le Pont de Brent" (16 points) and Pascal Melliger from "Wein & Sein" in Bern (15 points). Helena Collaud is the new EU delegate for the association of young, independent restaurateurs. "I'm looking forward to my new role, the travel, and the exchange with JRE members abroad," says the sommelier and hostess, who, along with her partner Jeoffrey Fraiche, the owner of "Le Pont de Brent," has been a member of JRE for four years. "I think it's important that the JRE board isn't just made up of bosses and men," she adds with a smile.

Wine, Being & Tavern. Also new to the board is Pascal Melliger from "Wein & Sein" in Bern. Ten months ago, he and his partner Daniela Jaun opened a second establishment, the "Burgunder Taverne" on Speichergasse, a cozy wine bar with bistro cuisine. And nine months ago, the couple became parents to a daughter. Managing two businesses and a baby is quite a lot of work, but Melliger didn't hesitate to accept the board position at JRE. "I'm happy to invest the time. All the members are so passionate and dedicated that it doesn't feel like work," Melliger explains. "We are proud and happy to continually attract highly motivated people to the board," says Denis Schmitt, long-time president of JRE Switzerland and chef at "Restaurant Le Murenberg" in Bubendorf.

The allure of Silver Hill duck. The day after the AGM, the JRE family met for lunch at Domingo S. Domingo's "Mille Sens" in the Schweizerhof Passage in Bern. In the covered courtyard, JRE's partners presented their specialties, served as amuse-bouches. New to the event was Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board. From the Emerald Isle came Silver Hill Duck. The duck impressed Pascal Melliger so much that he spontaneously ordered some for his fine-dining restaurant, "Wein&Sein." "You won't find duck this good in Switzerland," Melliger enthused.

Irish lamb, market vegetables. The dry-aged delicacies from John Stone and the salmon from Valentia Smokehouse also impressed the chefs. Irish lamb was also included in Domingo S. Domingo's menu, a duo of breast and loin, accompanied by Bernese market vegetables, mascarpone polenta, and pomegranate jus. Earlier, Domingo's creation of bacon, shrimp, Alpine perch, pasta, and coconut-ginger-lemon emulsion had already delighted the JRE family. For a sweet finish, there was a Tarte Tatin made with Ermelsburg Boskoop apples, Calvados-vanilla ice cream, and salted caramel with fermented pepper.

A meeting place for independent restaurateurs. When members are asked about their motivation for joining JRE, the answer is always the same: the sense of community. "As young, independent restaurateurs, we all share the same joys and sorrows," says Pascal Melliger. "We can discuss these at JRE meetings or during reciprocal visits. Learning that others have the same problems and how they solve them is very helpful for us independent entrepreneurs." The importance of the JRE network was evident in the large number of guests who traveled from all corners of Switzerland. And the association's importance for up-and-coming talent was demonstrated by the presence of many new members at the partner day in Bern. These included Sara and Ben Jan from "Essort" in Bern and Andrea Maugeri from "Nuovo Bourg" in Saillon.