Chef Arne Riehn’s journey from intern in German bakery to executive chef of Igniv Bangkok
Arne Riehn of Igniv Bangkok at the St Regis found his calling as a baker. Now its executive chef, his autumn menu highlights local produce
It was only after two apprenticeships and a stint working in a fine-dining kitchen that chef Arne Riehn found his calling as a baker, during an internship.
“The baker in charge of the shop had to leave because his family member got sick. It was a one-man job, and the shop supplies everything from pickles and dried meats and cheeses to beers and wines – everything from the region. You do the baking and you do the selling.”
The diligent Riehn recalls the challenge of using a 40-tonne stone, wood-fired oven for the first time to bake bread, and how he would work weekends as well.
The year was 2015 and the young German had recently joined Fundaziun Uccelin Foundation, a programme set up by Swiss celebrity chef Andreas Caminada and his wife, Sarah, that provides on-the-job training through internships at some of the best restaurants within Caminada’s restaurant empire and among its partners.
