Leon

The young chef is the fifth generation of Rajhs in the kitchen. He enjoys researching old family recipes, updating them with precision and respect for heritage, and offering them to guests in a refreshed and appealing form. In 2020, he took over the kitchen at the local Gostilna Rajh in Bakovci.

Born into a family of innkeepers, he took his first steps in cooking while in primary school, helping his parents at the inn. He followed his passion and enrolled in a secondary school for catering. He then went to Vienna, where he trained in prestigious restaurants such as Fabios with the outstanding chef Christoph Brunnhuber, and at Steirereck, which has held two Michelin stars for several years now.

There he gained valuable experience, and also learned order and discipline, which has certainly enriched his cooking style. Despite the wealth of experience Leon has gained abroad, he has always been aware of his roots and has always wanted to join the team of his home restaurant.

Leon says it’s important to respect our history and traditions, but he is also aware that there is a future ahead of us, one that we are creating now. Differently, but in harmony. The intense interplay between traditional and contemporary dishes is his greatest desire and his greatest challenge. He wants more lightness and freshness on his plates, without betraying tradition.

Leon also draws inspiration when he walks or cycles along the river Mura. There, he listens to what nature is telling him, and remembers where he lives and what surrounds him, which is why he always uses local ingredients in his cooking. He is passionate about reviving very old recipes, and his aim is to make his guests feel as relaxed as possible, leaving them with an indelible memory of the flavours they have experienced in his dishes. Given Leon’s background, it comes as no surprise that he is very fond of pumpkin seed oil, which he particularly loves to use in his starters.

In 2021, he was recognised as a Young Talent by Gault&Millau Slovenia. His restaurant, Gostilna Rajh, was awarded Michelin’s Bib Gourmand in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, a remarkable achievement for him and a testament to his hard work and passion for the culinary arts.