Crossing the Julier Pass with Wagyu and Oysters
The fact that gourmets in St. Moritz lack for nothing is thanks to unsung heroes like Mato Sisic from Bianchi.
December 2025
“There is really no such thing as ‘no’.” Anyone wishing to supply the icons of the Swiss hotel industry and the country’s finest restaurants with exclusive delicacies must be wide awake at the crack of dawn. And so, as early as 4:30 AM, the Bianchi premises in Zufikon are already a hive of activity. Around 250 people are on duty at this hour! We meet Mato Sisic, who has worked for us for 28 years and is today steering a truck toward the Engadin. The destination is Badrutt’s Palace in St. Moritz—a hotel dedicated to fulfilling its guests‘ every wish, and which therefore relies on partners who work with the same passion. “For us, there is really no such thing as ‘no’,” says Luca Bianchi, who holds one of three CEO positions in the family business and, like his cousin Dario, is at the command post from 4:00 AM during the week. Our service goes so far that we have even flown a helicopter with meat, fish, seafood, and caviar into a snowed-in winter resort.
Filleting requires extensive experience and skillful hands.
Filleting requires extensive experience and skillful hands.
In the dry-aging cabinet, the aroma of the fish intensifies.
In the dry-aging cabinet, the aroma of the fish intensifies.
Pure luxury: Bianchi caviar is stored in a specialized cabinet.
Pure luxury: Bianchi caviar is stored in a specialized cabinet.
High spirits and Wagyu worth 8,000 francs. But back to Mato Sisic and his truck. The man with the infectiously good mood has an hour and a half left to bring the precious cargo on board his delivery vehicle, which bears our red lobster logo. Particularly striking are the brightly decorated boxes containing the finest Wagyu from the Japanese prefecture of Kagoshima. These alone are worth around 8,000 francs and are already eagerly awaited by the team from the top Copenhagen restaurant “Kong Hans Kælder.” As a pop-up, “Kong Hans Kælder” is occupying the rooms of the former “Igniv” at Badrutt’s Palace until January 29. But of course, the Wagyu beef is by no means everything we are delivering to St. Moritz today. There are also Gillardeau oysters, Gamberi Rossi from Mazara del Vallo, and magnificent halibut fillets. In short: everything that makes the luxury life just a little more enjoyable.
Swiss Salmon – premier quality from Lostallo.
Swiss Salmon – premier quality from Lostallo.
The Kingfish, with its wonderfully melting flesh, can be recognized by its yellow fins.
The Kingfish, with its wonderfully melting flesh, can be recognized by its yellow fins.
Well-packed: An employee transports the fresh cargo.
Well-packed: An employee transports the fresh cargo.
A favorite of top chefs: Scallops are always in demand.
A favorite of top chefs: Scallops are always in demand.
Efficient: Loading the trucks takes about an hour and a half.
Efficient: Loading the trucks takes about an hour and a half.
We also offer the perfect products for a classic shrimp cocktail.
We also offer the perfect products for a classic shrimp cocktail.
Filleting included. While Mato Sisic loads his delivery van, we follow Logistics Manager Adriatik Pergjegja into the large hall where the fish—one of our most important product groups—are processed. Three men with highly skilled hands are responsible for the filleting. Whether it is halibut, salmon, or sea bass, their knives flash with maximum speed and precision along the bones until only perfect fillets remain. When you order from us, you can choose whether you want whole fish or those already processed; the price remains the same. We can hardly take our eyes off the dew-fresh catch from seas and lakes. Particularly impressive: wild-caught pike-perch from Lake Maggiore weighing 10 to 12 kg. To be able to offer such magnificent specimens, one needs an excellent network of relationships—another of our core strengths.
“There is really no such thing as ‘no’”: Dario and Luca Bianchi want to make even the impossible possible.
“There is really no such thing as ‘no’”: Dario and Luca Bianchi want to make even the impossible possible.
The Bianchi fan from Denmark. There is even a great Bianchi fan in a place that we do not even serve: in Gentofte, on the outskirts of Copenhagen. More precisely, at the three-starred restaurant “Jordnær.” Its head chef, Eric Vildgaard, stayed at Badrutt’s Palace with his entire team for two months the winter before last and was delighted by how reliably we could fulfill even his most unusual seafood wishes. “When we went to eat at his place in Denmark, he recognized us immediately and gave us a warm welcome,” recalls Dario Bianchi.
140 Bianchi trucks swarm out from Zufikon in all directions every day.
140 Bianchi trucks swarm out from Zufikon in all directions every day.
To the Engadin via the Julier Pass. It is already 6:00 AM—time for us to set off. The drive from Zurich to St. Moritz via the Julier Pass takes about three and a half hours, including a break. And part of our service is to always be punctual. Mato Sisic’s truck is one of 140 vehicles in use today, with St. Moritz naturally being one of the most frequented destinations. You can see our trucks in this noble resort six times a week. Four to five arrive in the morning, and another a few hours later. The “afternoon truck” does not start from Zufikon for the Engadin until 11:00 AM, in order to keep the ordering window open for the chefs for as long as possible.
The Bianchi transporters represent top service and absolute freshness.
The Bianchi transporters represent top service and absolute freshness.
Arrival in St. Moritz: Mato Sisic with a crate of “Bianchi Golden Shrimps.”
Arrival in St. Moritz: Mato Sisic with a crate of “Bianchi Golden Shrimps.”
Airlift from Norway. At Bianchi, the rule is: Always go the extra mile! For the “Kong Hans Kælder” pop-up at Badrutt’s Palace, we sourced, among other things, hand-dived scallops from Norway. Rare goods that have to be flown in specially from the far north. “You are on tenterhooks a bit,” admits Luca Bianchi. “In the end, however, the plane with the scallops arrived in Switzerland on time, and we were able to make an important customer happy.”
Pure joy: Antonio Pavone, Sous-Chef at Badrutt’s Palace, welcomes Mato Sisic in front of the hotel.
Pure joy: Antonio Pavone, Sous-Chef at Badrutt’s Palace, welcomes Mato Sisic in front of the hotel.
Mission accomplished! After the drive over the snow-covered Julier Pass, the Bianchi truck arrives punctually at 9:30 AM in St. Moritz and parks in front of Badrutt’s Palace, Gault&Millau’s “Hotel of the Year 2026.” There, Antonio Pavone, one of the house’s sous-chefs, awaits him. The joy over the excellent products is written all over the chef’s face. Oysters, lobster, gamberi, salmon—everything is finally here!
Crucial for the guests of Badrutt’s Palace: Fresh oysters in abundance.
Crucial for the guests of Badrutt’s Palace: Fresh oysters in abundance.
Curious glances. There are many curious glances from passers-by. Mato Sisic—an old acquaintance for the Badrutt’s team—now transports the precious cargo by handcart to the goods receiving area at the back of the hotel. “Mission Palace” accomplished! But the driver’s working day is not over yet. First, he must head to a few more addresses in the Engadin, then the return journey to the “lowlands” is due. And the next day, the next trip from Zufikon to St. Moritz is already waiting. We are always there for our customers.