The Spice Maker

For almost 30 years I have been a chef, product developer and entrepreneur. I have built kitchens and led teams, created an ice rink and pop-up hotels, brought a village inn back to life and cooked suckling pig in the ground. Always with curiosity, passion and the ambition to create something real. And yes: I am still not perfect.

My path: from Michelin-starred chef to spice maker

Many stations have shaped the way I look at craftsmanship. I produced cheese with Willi Schmid, made caviar in Frutigen, milled grain at the Altbachmühle and studied the country’s oldest cookbooks at the Swiss National Library in Bern. I built restaurants and led them to distinctions: two Michelin stars, the Green Star, the German Design Award in Gold. But awards were never the goal. What mattered was always the moment a guest says: That was brilliant.

Why spices

Spices have always fascinated me: their aromas, their scents, their complexity and at the same time their simplicity. Today I continue my path in Heiden (AR). In my Manufaktur Funke I roast, mill, sort and blend everything myself, in small batches, without additives and with the greatest precision.

I do not simply want to make good spices. I want to become the best spice maker in Switzerland. That ambition drives me, every single day. Because when someone opens a jar, smells it and immediately feels like cooking, I know: every minute of work is worth it.

Craft, origin, experience

What matters to me is authenticity: the best ingredients, careful processing and traceable origin. That is why the manufactory is not only a place of production, but a place to experience. In the little shop in Heiden, at tastings and in direct conversation, craftsmanship becomes tangible. That is how trust grows. And that is how my spices become companions in every kitchen: from a simple risotto to a festive menu, from the home cook to the professional.

Tobias Funke, Spice Maker