Biography
MIKE WEHRLE
Corporate Culinary Director, The Bürgenstock Collection
Mike Wehrle has been part of the company since 2017 and now heads the entire gastronomic offering for The Bürgenstock Collection. Originally from Waldshutzerland, Mike is responsible for the culinary arts at the Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne, Hotel Schweizerhof Bern & Spa, as well as the Royal Savoy Hotel & Spa Lausanne. This includes 16 restaurants, lounges and bars, all banquets and more than 150 cooks for the entire hospitality group. Additionally, he is in charge of the F&B concepts of The Bürgenstock Collection, the promotion of young talent and the positioning and establishment of The Bürgenstock Collection as an international beacon of fine dining.
Mike Wehrle is renowned for his expertise in French haute cuisine, Asian and Oriental dishes as well as traditional Swiss cuisine. His culinary career spans 29 years, with experience in Michelinstarred restaurants and luxury hotels across Europe, Southeast Asia and the United States.
From 2017 to 2022, Mike Wehrle acted as Culinary Director of the Bürgenstock Resort before taking on his current role as Corporate Culinary Director. Before joining The Bürgenstock Collection, he
managed and cooked in the kitchens of luxury hotels and award-winning restaurants in some of the world's most famous culinary capitals.
From 2008 to 2016, he worked as Executive Chef at The Peninsula hotels in Bangkok, Chicago and Manila. Before that, he worked for five years at the Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa in Interlaken, Switzerland. There he served as Chef de Cuisine at the Gault Millau 16-point restaurant La Terrasse and later as Interim Executive Chef for the five restaurants and bars at this luxury resort.
In 2000, Chef Wehrle began his career at the InterContinental London Park Lane as Chef de Partie. He then moved to the romantic Spielweg Hotel in Münstertal, Black Forest, where he worked as Junior Sous Chef and Pastry Chef. He then worked as second chef at L'Auberge de l'Ill Haeberlin in Illhaeusern, France, which received three Michelin stars. Mike Wehrle completed his training as a federally certified chef at the Hotel & Gastro Formation in Weggis on Lake Lucerne, and obtained a Master's Certificate in Hospitality Management from Cornell University. Wehrle has completed his training as a federally certified chef at the Hotel & Gastro Formation in Weggis by Lake Lucerne. In 2005, 2018 and 2021, Mike Wehrle was responsible for the first and business class menus of Lufthansa and SWISS.
Wehrle has been instrumental in leading culinary innovation at The Bürgenstock Collection. Since his career began at the Collection, he has earned 73 GaultMillau points and a Michelin star in 2020. Additionally, with him at the helm, the Bürgenstock Resort was voted "Hotel of the Year" by GaultMillau in 2019.
In 2023, Bürgenstock Resort marked its 150th anniversary with the release of the celebratory cookbook, The Seven Kitchens of the Bürgenstock Resort, for which Wehrle is the creative force. The cookbook features over 140 recipes inspired by the resort’s seven world-class restaurants, showcasing diverse cuisines ranging from classic French to Pan-Asian delicacies. It offers readers an opportunity to experience the culinary excellence of the Bürgenstock Resort at home, from the simplest to the most gourmet of dishes.
Mike Wehrle's dedication to culinary excellence was recently showcased when he cooked for 57 heads of states, including U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris during the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, held at Bürgenstock Resort. The Vice President was particularly impressed by his mezze recipe, which was one of the highlights of the meal.
Wehrle’s ongoing commitment to gastronomy and hospitality, combined with his extensive experience, continues to place The Bürgenstock Collection at the forefront of luxury dining on an international stage.