Welcome
Our credo
The name, which means “culinary workshop”, says it all. In the open-view kitchen inside the workshop loft, Christian Thierstein and his team create culinary delights inspired by local seasonality, accented with a whisper of exotic flavors from faraway lands.
Be our guest – during the day for our business lunch, for dinner in a private setting, or for individual celebrations and seminars. Here, you’ll discover select wines as well as exclusive whiskeys and cigars. Or you can even become the chef – under expert guidance, you’ll prepare a multi-course meal with a team, after which you’ll dine together and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Practically everything is possible at the Kochwerkstatt.
We are looking forward to you
Christian Thierstein
NEWS
Dear guests, even during Covid-19 times we are happy to treat you to a 4-course business lunch menu at lunchtime.
Our spacious rooms offer space to place our guests with sufficient distance to the next table, through the curtains we create cosy separees. There is also plenty of space in the garden if the weather is enjoyable.
CULINARY
Christian Thierstein is a master of his art: the art of setting the perfect stage for the synergies of different tastes and thus for the authenticity of local and seasonal quality products. Pur, uncomplicated, modern – often with a twist and flavourful nuances of faraway places.
OFFER
Business Lunch
Mon – Fri: 11:30 am to 3:30 pm, on reservation only.
We offer you a different four-course business lunch every day – let Christian Thierstein surprise you with what he conjures up on the plates in collaboration with the season and the region. Enjoy all four courses at your own pace – you can shorten or extend them as desired.
Experience something special!
Seminars
The perfect setting for workshops and seminars – from 2 to 56 people. We will treat you to culinary delicacies all day long – for a mid-morning snack, lunch, an aperitif during downtime or for dinner – and after your work is done for the day, the Smokers Lounge will welcome you with a reward. Everything is open and follows your schedule.
Cooking Events
Instead of just sitting down and enjoying a meal, your culinary adventure begins much earlier – in the kitchen with us. You and your guests will prepare the ingredients and cook a meal – an unforgettable occasion for private celebrations or for team-building events with your colleagues.
Dinner
For groups of 10 persons or more, we open the Kochwerkstatt in the evening as well. Let us advise you and let us know what you would like – we are very flexible when it comes to options and culinary offerings.
Special Occasions
Birthday parties, holiday dinners, company anniversaries, confirmation celebrations – there are no limits to the possibilities at our establishment. We can serve up to 60 people in the loft-like restaurant and adjoining rooms.
Catering
You can also enjoy our culinary delights at home or at a location of your choice. We would be happy to advise you personally.
Smokers Lounge
An exclusive selection of whiskeys, wines and cigars is stored in the treasure chests of our lounge. Reward and enjoyment – you deserve it.
Cooking Events
Instead of just sitting down and enjoying a meal, your culinary adventure begins much earlier – in the kitchen with us. You and your guests will prepare the ingredients and cook a meal – an unforgettable occasion for private celebrations or for team-building events with your colleagues.
Team
Christian Thierstein
Kitchen / Management
Sanja Schmid
Service and wines
Christina Bohny
Service
Tina Hari
Administration
Celeste da Silva Santos
Housekeeping
Room
“Kochwerkstatt” – the cooking workshop – got its name for a good reason.
Built in 1912, the stately building was used for the production of espagnolettes – also known as “window fittings” – for USM. Long before the “USM Haller” furniture classic was born, the family business had already made a name for itself in its first generation here. In 2016, the facilities were transformed by the renowned design studio “atelier oï” with gentle yet effective contemporary touches.
In 1885, Ulrich Schärer founded his hardware store and metalworking shop in the Hinterdorf section of Münsingen near Bern, Switzerland. By 1912, his expanding business demanded larger workshops, inspiring the construction of the current building at Bahnhofplatz.
When Paul Schärer, Jr., Dipl. Ing. ETHZ, joined USM in 1961, the company relocated to Thunstrasse 55 in Münsingen and commissioned architect Fritz Haller, Prof. Dr. h.c. Architect BSA to design the new production and administration buildings.
In 1992, USM discontinued its production of window fittings in order to focus on modular furniture. The USM building continued to fulfill various purposes, including serving as a testing and assembly workshop, but it wasn’t until 2002 that it was converted into the Kochwerkstatt and led by Fritz Wittwer.
Urs Hauri and his team have been running the Kochwerkstatt since 2016, which has been fully renovated and expanded to include seminar rooms and a lounge. In autumn 2020, Christian Thierstein – former employee of Urs Hauri – took over the management.
Workpieces
In the Kochwerkstatt, contemporary design meets timeless classics – inside the building in which the development of the USM design classics first began.
This encounter is being cleverly developed by atelier oï, which in turn is influencing the classic styles with its own designs. For example, the four-meter-long USM Haller Table is topped with a surface made from richly shimmering red cedar wood. The Fibula lights, developed especially for the location, are inspired by the Fibula curtains. These shape the room, creating flexible dividers and infusing the space with warmth and intimacy.
USM
USM has been crafting modular furniture systems for timeless, ever-changing living and working environments for more than 50 years. USM Modular Furniture Haller opens up new realms of freedom in design and can be tailored to each user in form, function and color. Understatement coupled with a wealth of functionality have made the design classic, praised as a “work of applied art”, into an icon. All products by USM are manufactured in Münsingen, Switzerland, using first-class materials and made with exquisite craftsmanship and incredibly precise workmanship.
atelier oï
atelier oï was founded in 1991 in La Neuveville by Aurel Aebi, Armand Louis and Patrick Reymond. “oï” is derived from the Russian word troika – or “trio”, referring to the dynamics within a team of three. The three founders have backgrounds in architecture, design and shipbuilding.
Together with their team, they work on projects in design, architecture, interior design and scenography in an international environment. A key basis for atelier oï’s work is the intensive examination of a single material or of a certain construction method. In general, the experiences gained in this process stimulate several projects that are, in principle, independent of each other.
Contact
Have we whetted your appetite for culinary treats?
Contact us by phone or simply fill in the form below and be our guest.
Kochwerkstatt
Bahnhofplatz 9a, 3110 Münsingen
Telefon 031 / 721 88 11
hallo@kochwerkstatthauri.ch
The Kochwerkstatt is right next to the railway station, at Bahnhofplatz 9a in Münsingen.
A limited number of parking lots are available on site,
further parking possibilities are available in the immediate vicinity.