An inspiring chef who revolutionised the food industry lives a full and energetic life, writes Aneeta Sundararaj
NOTE to self: do not wear high heels when visiting a golf club. The undulating terrain will be unkind to one’s feet, even if the distance is merely from the car park to the reception area. I recall being ever so grateful when the executive assigned to introduce me to Chef Anton Mosimann (OBE) said on that morning of our interview: “It’s OK. I’ll take you in the buggy to the meeting place.”
Styled as “Chef to the Stars”, Chef Anton played a huge role at the recent Maybank Championship 2017, themed “Golf Like Never Before”. Seeking to expand the appeal of golf and highlight its inclusive nature, the campaigns throughout the championship were aimed at elevating our five senses.
His participation came under the sense of ‘taste’ and Anton was tasked with preparing various dishes for the guests. This partnership underscores the bank’s enduring goal to establish and build upon the shared values and beliefs of people from different cultures and backgrounds.
NATURAL CUISINE
As he makes his way to the seat prepared for him, the only departure Anton makes from the traditional chef’s uniform of the hat and white double-breasted jacket together with houndstooth-patterned, black-and-white pants, is a bow tie. Once he’s comfortable, Anton shares that as the son of farmers who also ran a small restaurant in Nidau, Switzerland, he imbibed all the basics of cooking from his parents.
When he was old enough, he ventured out on his own and worked at some of the leading restaurants in the world.
Having a reputation for being in complete control of himself, both inside and outside the kitchen, Anton confides that he learnt an important lesson early on in his career. As a 16-year-old apprentice in a restaurant, he observed two men and how they reacted differently to challenging situations. One didn’t shout, but the other did. “I decided that when I had my own restaurant, I would stop (shouting).” Likening his job to that of a musical conductor, Anton adds: “If you know what you’re doing, there is no necessity to shout.”
Aware that the food served in many restaurants was generally unhealthy and masked the taste of food, Anton was determined to revolutionise cooking methods. He wanted to find a way to avoid using fat, butter, cream and alcohol when cooking. In 1970, during a trip to Japan, he found his inspiration for what would become his signature style of cooking —cuisine naturelle. Quite simply, this style of cooking emphasises the use of healthy and natural ingredients. The focus is concentrated on the flavour of the individual ingredients. The conduit of taste is not necessarily ingredients like butter, cream or alcohol. Instead, it could be herbs and spices, or even the manner of cooking.
Elaborating on this, Anton uses the example of what he’d cooked the previous day. The scallops were cooked for only 20 seconds. His tone soft and soothing, Anton adds that these lightly cooked scallops were delicious. Their texture remained soft, rather than rubbery or hard to chew.
RESPECT FOR ALL
By the time he was 28, Anton was appointed Executive Chef at the Dorchester in London. During his 12 years there, he was awarded two Michelin stars and raised the standard of cuisine to new heights.
Today, he owns the old Belfry in London, Belgravia and has transformed it into a legendary private dining club. The Swiss version of this is housed in a castle. He also operates a successful cooking school in London and travels extensively to participate in activities centred on the culinary arts.
As a testament to the high quality and standards Anton adheres to, he has been awarded a royal warrant and the following words are embossed in gold lettering on his calling card: ‘By Appointment to HRH The Prince of Wales’. In the past, he’s led the culinary teams serving five British Prime Ministers and catered for the evening reception following the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
He has also been the catering partner for the three latest Olympic Games. In spite of cooking for royalty and celebrities the world over, Anton feels most honoured having cooked for veterans.
“Some of them have only one arm. When I cook for them, they hug, kiss and thank me for cooking for them,” he says, with tears in his eyes.
Shaking his head, he adds: “Food always brings people together. It’s friendship.”
Such friendships, he continues, includes the people in local markets. With the memory of visiting local markets with his father to pick fresh fruits and vegetables still vivid in his mind, the underlying value of such visits is respect. “I get to understand the produce (when I visit a local market),” says this grandfather of five. “It’s all organic and seasonal. We get to respect the people and their culture.”
Looking forward to his visit to a wet market in Kuala Lumpur the next day, he is also keen to experience once again what he describes as “the delicious smell of an enormous mix of spices.”
FASTING BENEFITS
It’s not all cook-and-no-play with Anton. In fact, in the run-up to his 70th birthday, he’s busy with the publication of his autobiography, Life is a Circus. Richly illustrated, he says there are exclusive photographs of famous people included, personalised dedications by people he’s met, his pursuits as a licensed private detective and, of course, his recipes.
Indeed, one of his hobbies includes rallying, which is described as ‘a form of motorsport that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars’.
Having rallied all over the world, one of his more memorable holidays is in India. Indeed, in Kerala, Anton was also introduced to the benefits of fasting in Ayurveda. Recalling this memory leads Anton to highlight one of his more recent accomplishments.
In 2016, in partnership with the Swiss Education Group, Anton opened a museum in Switzerland. There, he shares his private collection of culinary memorabilia. These include 50 gold medals from international culinary competitions, 120 diplomas and awards and 250 menus. One of the oldest menus dates back to 1850, and another is from a monastery where the monks often observed a fast for religious purposes.
Ultimately, Anton hopes that his story will inspire present and future generations of chefs. Hopeful, he concludes: “I want people to visit (the museum) and think, ‘He’s still alive and can have this museum. If he can do it, I can’.”