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© Foto Oberösterreich Tourismus GmbH/Martin Fickert: Fritz Grampelhuber beim Plättenfahren am Hallstättersee bei Bad Goisern.
Ein Mann Männer steht auf einer traditionellen Plätte am Hallstättersee bei Bad Goisern. Im Bildhintergrund ist das Seeufer zu erkennen, an welchem Wohnhäuser stehen.
Ein Mann Männer steht auf einer traditionellen Plätte am Hallstättersee bei Bad Goisern. Im Bildhintergrund ist das Seeufer zu erkennen, an welchem Wohnhäuser stehen.

The chef
trusted by
the national football team.

Fritz Grampelhuber, Steegwirt: The chef behind Austria’s national football team

If the word passion needed a face in the dictionary, it would be Fritz Grampelhuber’s. This chef from Goisern is the culinary maestro for the Austrian national football team and his love for the Salzkammergut region and his establishment, Steegwirt, is evident. He runs the place with his brother Tamino, nurturing it through its almost 20th generation with dedication and a great sense of teamwork.

Fritz knows everyone and knows precisely what brings a smile to their faces. “David Alaba’s favourite is the Gamskäsekrainer – chamois sausage infused with cheese. I’ve even shipped it to him in Madrid. You can’t farm such delicate game meat; it’s a speciality from the Salzkammergut region,” Fritz shares with a mischievous grin. There’s a twinkle in his eyes reminiscent of a young boy receiving his first football jersey at Christmas. “For Michael Gregoritsch, I’ve managed to send a Beuscherl, a dish made of innards, all the way to Vienna from Goisern. He loves it that much. And Marko Arnautović? He’s all about Risotto, meat patties and suckling pig.”


I can’t imagine life without his food; I look forward to it every time we train.
Konrad Laimer, Austrian footballer
Current club: FC Bayern Munich

Since the 2016 UEFA European Football Championship in France, Fritz Grampelhuber has been the dedicated chef for the national team, effectively making him an integral member of the squad. “I plan the menu myself, then a nutritionist gives it a once-over. We might have roast pork, but never the day before a match.” A permanent fixture on the menu is the legendary chocolate cake with pine ice cream. “Everyone loves it, but Christoph Baumgartner is a particular fan.” When pressed for the recipes, Fritz smiles secretively and says informally, “You can have the cake recipe, but the pine ice cream remains a closely guarded secret. You’ll have to visit us to try that.”

Cooking over an open fire

For two months of the year, the dapper chef travels with his team from one training session to another, cooking in foreign kitchens and consistently delivering excellent quality. “It’s quite demanding because it’s a new workplace every time. In Kazakhstan, we cooked over an open fire. In Israel, from 4 p.m. on Friday due to Shabbat, it was impossible to reach anyone. But the players always need the best possible consistency in their meals to perform at their peak.” This reliability is exactly what the players cherish, right down to the homemade ketchup they’re served.

A chef as a team member

Grampelhuber’s importance to the rest of the team is highlighted in an upcoming Canal+ documentary, soon to also air on ORF. Although it’s still under wraps, we’ve had a sneak peek: “Fritz plays a very special role in our team. His main job is as a chef, and he excels at it. But in truth, he’s the soul of the team, the team mom,” says player Xaver Schlager. And Marcel Sabitzer adds, “He’s truly one of us.”


Fritz plays a very special role in our team. His main job is as a chef, and he excels at it. But in truth, he’s the soul of the team, the team mom.
Xaver Schlager, Austrian footballer
Current club: RB Leipzig
© Foto Oberösterreich Tourismus GmbH/Martin Fickert: Fritz Grampelhuber vor dem Steegwirt in Bad Goisern am Hallstättersee.
Ein Mann mit weißer Kochbekleidung steht vor dem Steegwirt in Bad Goisern am Hallstättersee. Er hält seine Hände vor seiner Brust verschränkt.

It’s not unusual for Fritz’s phone to ring with a player on the other end asking for recipes. “The boys are connoisseurs who enjoy cooking themselves. They’re well-versed in gastronomy and dine at the world’s best restaurants. So, the standards are quite high.” Fritz is always ready to provide cooking lessons over the phone. A genuine friendship has developed among the men. “The training camps are like school trips. Everyone really looks forward to them.” Often, a player will drop by Steegwirt to go fishing with Fritz and Tamino on the local lake, where lifelong friendships have been forged. They take family holidays together, share laughs and muse about football and life in the Salzkammergut region.


A genuine person, one of the best you could meet in life.
Michael Gregoritsch, Austrian footballer
Current claub: SC Freiburg

He’s truly one of us.
Marcel Sabitzer, Austrian footballer
Current club: Borussia Dortmund

Team spirit in the business

What applies on the football field also holds true in business: The success story of Steegwirt is only possible with a well-coordinated team. “I’m the public face, but I couldn’t travel around the world if things at home were falling apart. Without the close-knit Steegwirt clan, including my brother, an understanding partner, hard-working parents and a dependable team in the kitchen, none of this would be feasible.”

And how does someone who is always on the go find time to relax? “I don’t, really. I always need to be doing something.” Perhaps that’s why the dreams of this Goiserer have been gradually coming true: “As a child, I used to say I’d be on the national football team one day. And in a way, I am.”

Did you know…

  • that a professional football player burns between 1,100 to 1,500 calories per game? 
  • that Upper Austria is a popular training destination for international football clubs? Top teams often practice their skills at the National Park Resort Dilly. Around 20 hotels across Upper Austria host football players to hone their games and tactics. 
  • that there are 380 clubs registered with the Upper Austrian Football Association?  
  • that goalkeeper Heinz Lindner of Union Saint-Gilloise is not only from Upper Austria but also a regular at Hotel Guglwald? 
  • that Hotel Freigold and the Loxone Campus are also set to start welcoming top football clubs soon? 
  • that Football professionals train six to seven times a week, twice a day? They train even more frequently before major tournaments. 
  • that Clubs like 1860 Munich, Fortuna Düsseldorf, Slavia Prague and Slovan Bratislava are regular guests in Upper Austria?
© Foto Oberösterreich Tourismus GmbH/Martin Fickert: Fritz Grampelhuber in seiner Küche beim Steegwirt in Bad Goisern am Hallstättersee.
Ein Mann, bekleidet mit weißer Kochbekleidung steht in seiner Küche beim Steegwirt in Bad Goisern am Hallstättersee. Seine Hände sind auf der Arbeitsfläche abgestützt, in seiner rechten Hand hält er einen Kochlöffel.

Learn more about Steegwirt and the region