Holiday region Gstaad: Alpine and regional produce

You can see a hand with a Hobelkäse standing over a cheese slicer. Below it are many sliced cheese rolls on a plate. — Hobelkäse

On a table with a red and white tablecloth are different kinds of cheese. Ten small Mutschli, a large cheese with a section on top and a basket with Hobelcheese. On the table there is also a slicer and a small bouquet of flowers. — Different kinds of cheese

Six different types of cheese are presented on a platter. Each cheese is labelled with a sign. Charme de Möser and Gstaader Rahmli are white soft cheeses. Hornbergmutschli and Gstaader-Bergkäse are already hard cheeses. The last two cheeses cannot be clearly identified. — Regional products from the Gstaad holiday region

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Hobelkäse, mountain cheese and alpine cheese

What are the differences? Alpine cheese is a full-fat hard cheese made from raw alpine milk with a firm rind. It is round and weighs five to 14 kg. When it is processed into sliced cheese, it becomes an extra-hard cheese, which is traditionally cut into fine slices before serving. All other types of cheese that are not produced on the alp in the Gstaad holiday region are called mountain cheese.

Cheese, glorious cheese!

Regional ice cream

The holiday region Gstaad has various ice cream producers who mainly use local suppliers. The fresh milk comes from the Saanenland and Simmental and in summer also from the various alpine farms. The delicious ice cream can be purchased in various shops.

Mountain Ice Cream

Ruci Swiss Ice Cream

Saanen ice cream

Delicious ice cream served in wooden tubs. — Ice Cream

A scoop of yellow ice cream sits on a light blue plate. Around it are some roasted nuts and liquid caramel flows onto the ice cream from above. — A scoop of ice cream

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On a table is a round wooden bowl half-full of sliced cheese rolls. Next to it you can see various pieces of cheese wrapped up and waiting for a buyer. — Cheese market table

A piece of bread speared on a fork lifting fondue from a black caquelon. — Black fondue caquelon

On a traditional wooden table with grooves for the whey to drain off, there are many small containers with fresh cheese in them. — Small fresh cheese

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Other regional delicacies made from milk

The various dairies in the villages have even more regional products in their range. From local milk, their own fondue and fine raclette cheese to Saanen goat cheese and fine yoghurts or cottage cheese.

Dairy Gstaad

Dairy Schönried and Zweisimmen

Meat products from Simmental cattle and other animals

Whether dried or as a fine fillet - the regional meat products are characterised by their high quality. The farmers here mainly keep Simmental cattle. Its dried meat is a real regional speciality. Tip: try the flavoursome Simmental dried meat on its own or with a little Saanen mustard.

The various fireplaces are perfectly equipped to grill the fine regional meat.

Buuremetzg in the Saanenland

Stephan's Metz'g in Zweisimmen

Barbecue areas

A white/reddish spotted Simmental cow looks curiously into the camera. Behind it you can see its green meadow and some wooden chalets. — Simmentaler cow head

A white Saanen goat without horns looks friendly into the camera. — Saanen goat

Cows grazing in a mountain pasture in summer. — Cows in a mountain pasture in summer

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Two regionally produced Saane Gutsch beers lie in a sea of yellow flowers. The beer on the left has a pink label with the title Amber. The right bottle has a light yellow label and it is beer no. 3. — Saane Gutsch in the flowers

Two bottles of the regional Saanen Gutsch beer are standing in the snow. On the left is Saane Gutsch Nr 3 with a light yellow label and green cap. On the right is the Amber beer with a pink label and pink cap. — Saanen Beer

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Saanegutsch Beer

The Saanegutsch Beer was created seven years ago during a beer round with colleagues. At first they brewed it in their own garage for their own use and, above all, tried it out a lot. Today, around 35'000 bottles are produced each year. There are four different varieties, whereby the mango flavoured beer is also very tasty for non-beer lovers. «Saanengutsch» can be found in almost every regional restaurant and retail outlet. Cheers!

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Kobi Eggs

The Zeller family has been producing free-range eggs for over twenty years. They put their heart and soul into caring for almost 2'000 chickens on their farm in Grund near Gstaad.The family packs and processes the eggs at home and their products are sold in retail outlets as well as in local and regional hotels and restaurants.

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Many brown and white chicken run freely in a large fenced enclosure. The ground is mainly covered with grass. It also has a wooden box that provides shade. In some places the chickens have scuffed up the earth. — Chickens in the pasture

A brown/white feathered chicken stands proudly on its two feet. In the background are green meadows. — brown chicken

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A beekeeper in a protective suit lifts a full honeycomb into the air — Beekeeper with honeycomb

Four wooden beehives stand twice on a grassy hill. They are painted light green at the bottom and decorated at the top in all colours and with various motifs such as the sun and butterflies. Behind the beehives you can see many alpine roses. — Beehives in the field

In the foreground are five different jars of honey on a wooden table. Behind them you can see a small wooden chalet with eight entrances for the bee colonies. There is grass all around and trees and firs can be seen behind it. The sky is a cloudless blue. — Honey jars in front of the apiary

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Local honey

Over 70 beekeepers look after around 700 bee colonies in the holiday region Gstaad.This results in a bee population of around 28 million bees during the foraging period, which feed on wild and garden flowers.Some beekeepers move their colonies, like the cows in summer, to higher areas where there is a different floral splendour. This results in honey of different consistencies and colours. Regional honey can be found in the retail trade or in the Landi. Many beekeepers also sell their honey directly from the farm.

Beekeeper- Association Saanenland

Beekeeper Associtation Obersimmental

Saanen mustard

Every family has its own well-kept secret recipe.

Saanen mustard is one of the holiday region's specialities, served with ham and sausages. Traditionally, mustard is made from mustard seeds and grapes. In Saanenland, the main mustard ingredient is cherry puree. And, for holders of the digital guest card (Gstaad Card), the locals are happy to reveal their recipe and show interested parties how this unique product is made.

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A glass cup full of dark red Saanen mustard with a teaspoon in it. Next to it is a yellow flower on the table. — Saanen Mustard

A brown/white spotted calf tastes the hand of a farmer. It has a small bell around its neck and the farmer is dressed in jeans and a brown/black shirt. — Simmental calf

Two people are walking behind cows on a gravel path. They are on an alp and it is autumn. The fields are in yellow and brown. — Visit to the farmer

There are plates and cutlery on the table in the alpine hut. There is also a basket with bread, a wooden container with cream, a cheese board with pieces of hard cheese, pieces of alpine cheese and a jar with rolled sliced cheese. Behind it you can see the farmer stirring the milk in the cheese vat. — Alpine products on the table

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340 farmers take care of the landscape

Most farms operate on 10–30 hectares of farmland with almost 11,000 cows and are pure family businesses. In summer, the dairymen spend 8–10 weeks with their cows on the Alp, where they produce the special Alpine cheese. Besides cheese, our farmers also produce other local products (herbal tea, syrup, butter, dried sausages, «Nidletäfeli» caramel and more). Some of them sell these in their self-service boxes along hiking trails, directly from the farmstead or on the Alp.

Direct sales

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Products from the Alpenruhe – different and yet the same

The Alpenruhe Foundation offers people with special needs jobs in various areas. Products are made from various materials and delicious local specialities are on offer. The cosy Café Alpenruhe invites you to linger and children can let off steam in the adventure world with its large playground, children's railway, petting zoo and adventure garden.

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