Mr. Mosimann Forever

I’ve cooked in 75 different cities

Anton Mosimann OBE, 61, was born in Switzerland to parents who owned a restaurant. He runs a cooking academy and owns a private dining club in London’s Belgravia. He has cooked for royalty, presidents, prime ministers and many celebrities. He has a royal warrant awarded by Prince Charles and is catering for the International Olympic Committee in Beijing.

How many homes do you own?

Two at the moment. I have a mews house in Belgravia and an apartment in Montreux on Lake Geneva. I always wanted a mews and had been looking for 10 years and viewed 200 houses. I had almost given up the search and had told the estate agent not to bother looking any more. Then, in 2006, I found what I wanted. As soon as I walked in I knew this was where we would live. I saw it at 4pm and had bought it by 6pm. I was so happy, relieved and excited. We moved weeks later. I have never regretted the purchase. Before that, the family (my wife, Kathrin, and sons, Philipp, 33, and Mark, 31) had lived in a four-bedroomed house in Kensington for 22 years. The boys had grown up and moved out and we needed to downsize.

What attracted you to the London house?

The mews is minimalist, just like my food. I love the pale wooden floors throughout and the light walls. The kitchen is open-plan and mocha-coloured and not entirely to my taste. It had just been redone the year before we moved in. You have to live in a place for a while to change it exactly to what you want. I like the fact it’s streamlined because I hate clutter. The main dining area has a huge white settee along with a black dining table and chairs. I like to stretch out on the settee in the evening and watch the news on TV.

What’s your favourite part of the house?

It has to be the roof terrace. I love to cook outdoors. I’ve planted Japanese shrubs, which have produced leaves of yellow, red and dark green. They are very elegant. There’s also a Japanese water fountain out there.

Do you enjoy living in Belgravia?

Certainly, the mews is in a cul de sac and is very quiet even though we’re in the centre of London. It’s also got a garage to park my E-type Jaguar and it’s minutes from the dining club.

What is the Lake Geneva property like?

It’s a large apartment with stunning views in a block built in 1904. The first time I climbed the stairs to the second floor I was blown away by the most beautiful scenery. The sun glistened on the lake, the mountains were snow-peaked. It was like magic.

And the apartment?

It is a lot more spacious [than our London house] – about 150 sq metres in all. It’s a two-bedroomed apartment with an enormous living room and an open kitchen as well as a roof terrace, which is twice the size of the one in Belgravia. It’s got marble floors (with underfloor heating in the winter) and everything is white. Of course, I grow herbs in both homes – rosemary, thyme, basil and my favourite, coriander. I love to watch lightning storms on the lake. In summer time it rains in sheets. I stand behind the big glass windows in the safety of my home and watch all hell breaking loose as nature gets angry.

What makes you happy about Montreux?

The fact that as a young man in the 1960s I worked nearby and used to pass the building daily. I always admired the architecture and the setting. I never dreamed that one day I would get to live in that apartment block.

How many different countries have you lived in?

Eight. I always check out the market wherever I’ve landed. I’ve cooked in 75 different cities and one of my most memorable times was when I was invited to the White House to cook for three presidents – George Bush Snr, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. Mr Carter was so delighted with my bread and butter pud that he asked me for a doggie bag.

How did you get the Olympics catering gig?

It was by pure fluke. I met two chaps from the IOC in a Swiss hotel and they then came to sample my food at the dining club in Belgravia. They offered me the contract straightaway. I was surprised, and delighted too. It means cooking daily for 600 people including VIPs, delegates, presidents and heads of states. It’s a massive operation. Philipp has been out there three times to organise it, setting up kitchens and equipment. There will be 12 staff including two managers and 10 chefs. We will be using hundreds of local staff, both in the kitchen and with the serving. We will be using as much local produce as possible, especially lots of fish. But some items, like beef, will have to be flown in from Australia.