Helvetia St.Gallen

Article in collaboration with Team Helvetia

Eating with soil awareness

The Restaurant Helvetia was opened in mid-may 2020 on Vonwilstrasse by Svenja Bellmann and Adrian Nessensohn. When the two met, they found that they shared the same conviction and pursued the same goals. The opportunity to realize this conviction is offered to them through self-employment.

Svenja Bellmann and Adrian Nessensohn are both trained chefs, with Svenja having worked as a pastry chef for seven years. She then worked in service at Lampart's, always with the aim of running her own business in the future.

Svenja and Adrian celebrate a light, product-focused cuisine and use almost exclusively Swiss products, preferably sourced from the region. Since the kitchen in the restaurant is very small and Adrian cooks alone, a sharing concept was developed. The dishes are served in the middle of the table for sharing and come in four courses.

The vision of the restaurant is to bring local ingredients closer to the guest and showcase their diversity. They want to contribute to people eating more consciously again. This means they should question more and engage with where the products on the plate come from and who or what is behind them.

Adrian Nessensohn (Managing Director), Svenja Bellmann (Managing Director)
© Thomas Staub

FOCUS TOPICS

Seasonal and Regional Cuisine
Helvetia primarily uses Swiss products, preferably sourced from the region. Vegetables are obtained from the farmer's market in St. Gallen (various vegetable farmers from the St. Gallen region). They exclusively purchase meat, fish, poultry, and shellfish in Switzerland.

Food Waste / Food Utilization
Thanks to the sharing concept, where plates are beautifully and elegantly served in the middle, there is rarely any leftovers, resulting in very little waste or overproduction. They strive to use products holistically and often source whole animals such as deer, stag, Alpine pig, rabbits, and fish.

Organic Products and/or Other Sustainable Labels
The two do not exclusively use organic products. They explain that there are many producers who work biodynamically but do not have the money for organic labels or do not see the point in them because they work biodynamically regardless of labels. However, they regularly source products from Adrian's brother's Bio- and Demeter-certified farm.

Use of Fresh and Minimally Processed Foods
The restaurant has a few products that are not homemade. With few exceptions, only fresh products are used, and in the summer, much is also preserved in jars. Preserving allows them to offer a wider range of flavors in the winter months.

Vegetarian / Plant-Based Cuisine
Helvetia's cuisine places a strong emphasis on vegetables, allowing vegetarians to enjoy a great selection.

Close Relationship with Regional Producers
These close relationships are extremely important to them, which is why they have contact with farmers and producers and are constantly in communication with them.

Utilization of the Whole Animal
Whole animals (deer, buck, stag, hind, goose, duck, and fish) and second cuts (beef, lamb, veal, and Alpine pigs) are used.

Fair Working Atmosphere & Compensation System
The working atmosphere is familial, and there is a friendly approach to each other. Helvetia St. Gallen is a small business with only 2 permanent employees, so a familial and friendly atmosphere is quickly established.

Well-being of the Employees
When employees feel comfortable, they also do better work, which is why they eat together and promote friendship.

Sustainability in Kitchen and Restaurant Equipment
Svenja and Adrian purchased a large part of the equipment used from their former employers second hand. The house where the restaurant is located dates back to the 1950s, as does much of the interior. The kitchen was partially renovated last year and made more energy-efficient. The two always pay attention to quality and durability when choosing equipment. For example, the table mats are made from Alpine leather by an Appenzell saddler.

Environmental and Climate-Friendly Measures
Sustainable electricity is sourced from solar and water.

THEIR PRODUCERS

Lauftenhof

meat, vegetables, fruits, blossoms, charcoal, and must

At Lauftenhof, there are smaller quantities of many different products, so they are usually only available for a short time and in limited supply. Since 2020, they have been producing their products according to Demeter guidelines, and since 2021, they are officially Demeter certified.

In their agriculture, they harvest corn, wheat, oats, spelt, and barley. And in a small amount, potatoes and carrots. Last autumn, they were also able to harvest 120kg of kiwi, which are preserved until approximately April.

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Norwyk

fresh trout

Hannes John operates his own fish farm in Weinfelden. Since 2001, he and his team have been refining NORWYK smoked salmon. NORWYK stands for first-class and meticulous craftsmanship. Their many years of experience, combined with state-of-the-art technology, result in very high-quality fish products.

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Thurnheer Gemüsebau

root vegetables and unusual vegetables and salads

The family business based in St. Margrethen offers many Spezierara-varieties (old varieties that have been forgotten) and also has a stock of vegetables that are otherwise only available from abroad. They are present at the marketplace in St. Gallen every Friday throughout the year.

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Hofladen Sager

vegetables and fruits

The Sager family offers fresh and local products directly from the farm. They are at the farmers' market in St. Gallen every Friday from April to the end of November. During the remaining months, they make deliveries towards Lucerne once a week, allowing the Helvetia restaurant to order vegetables or fruits without needing an additional transporter.

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Schrofen Hof

beef

The Somm butcher raises its own cattle and is authorized under the "Schrofen Label" to purchase cattle from other farmers, including Adrian Nessensohn's brother (organic cattle from Lauftenhof), in the region. The condition is that these farmers have particularly animal-friendly husbandry practices. With this concept, Helvetia can also source lamb, veal, or pork from local farmers.

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Zellweger Commestible

pike and whitefish

Zellweger collaborates with fishermen from the village of Staad (St. Gallen). They receive fresh fish from Lake Constance nearby on a daily basis. They fillet the fish and sell the fresh produce in their store.

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Troxler Schlossguet

vegetables, berries, fruits, and pumpkins

Even though they are not certified organic, the farm operates according to organic guidelines. They can be found at the marketplace in St. Gallen from April to the end of November, selling cucumbers, eggplants, various tomatoes, bell peppers, herbs, fruits, and berries. These are planted and freshly picked by a family member of the Troxler family in Goldach.

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