Harald Wohlfahrt
The cook in the kitchen.
Three Michelin stars: quite arguably the glittering apogee of the gastronomic firmament. Many chefs spend a lifetime pursuing this elusive Holy Grail of restaurant rankings issued by Guide Michelin; maintaining it demands a fine balance of flawless consistency and constant reinvention. Harald Wohlfahrt stands apart in the pantheon of culinary icons as the first German chef to retain a three Michelin-star ranking and the only to retain it for 26 consecutive years at legendary restaurant Schwarzwaldstube. Anchoring the precision and discipline that drive Wohlfahrt’s monumental success, however, is a deep-seated passion for food and an unswerving dedication to the regional ingredients that define his sense of place.
Wohlfahrt was born in the town of Loffenau, nestled in the lush rolling hills of Germany’s Black Forest. His grandparents were farmers, and his connection to the land was born from countless childhood days spent planting vegetables, feeding chickens, and helping with harvest. Wohlfahrt’s desire to continue working with and pay homage to the products he so lovingly tended ultimately became the catalyst for pursuing a career in the restaurant industry.
After a three-year cooking apprenticeship at Mönchs Waldhotel in Dobel in the northern part of the Black Forest, he spent two years as a commis on the line at Stahlbad Restaurant from 1974 to 1976. This short kitchen stint in Baden Baden’s two Michelin-starred Stahlbad was his first exposure to the rarified air of the fine dining world. After a brief time in Munich, Wohlfahrt’s next move was one that would forever alter the course of his career: he accepted a sous chef position at Baiersbronn’s historic Traube Tonbach hotel in 1977, where the hotelier at the time, Willi Finkbeiner, quickly spotted his immense talent.
Wohlfahrt completed his Master Chef certification in 1980 and spread his wings once more to intern with Alain Chapel at his eponymous three Michelin-starred restaurant in Mionnay near Lyon. He finally put down roots at Traube Tonbach’s gourmet restaurant Schwarzwaldstube later that year, taking the helm of the then two-starred restaurant as head chef (he left the position in May 2017).