Client:
Effilee MagazinAustrian chef Max Stiegl runs an award-winning restaurant in an old square farmstead in Purbach near Neusiedler See. Originally from Slovenia, his name was Željko Rašković but he was nicknamed Max for simplicity’s sake during his training as chef in Salzburg. And rumour has it that Max owes his surname to his favourite beer, Salzburg’s Stiegl Bräu. Max received his first Michelin star at the age of 21, making him the youngest Michelin star chef in the world. As of today, at the age of 45, he has been running Gut Purbach for 10 years. The Austrian Gault Millau named him Chef of the Year in 2020. Between November and January Max hosts an event called Sautanz, a traditional slaughter festival where a pig is slaughtered by the local community and then cooked in its entirety. It is an old custom in village communities as animals were vital sources of food in lean times such as winter. Nothing is wasted, the whole animal is enjoyed as meat was far too valuable. And also, respect for the animal demands that everything be used, from nose to tail. Max is particularly keen for children to become aware of food, to understand how valuable meat is and how carefully we must treat animals.
