Chef Heinz Hanner was raised as a “Restaurant Child” in his parents’ hotel, The Marienhof, just outside of Vienna. After he graduated from the College of Tourism in St Plten, he worked in various Viennese restaurants, before returning home to work in the Kronprinz Restaurant, within the family hotel, as Executive Chef. In 1990, Chef Hanner took over his family’s hotel, and renamed the restaurant “Hanner”.

In 1997, the Great Chefs television crew arrived on the scene to begin producing Great Chefs of Austria for the Austrian Network ORF. Chef Hanner was the first chef we were taping for the series. He prepared a Spring Roll with Lamb Sweetbreads appetizer, a Squab entrée, and one of those famous Viennese desserts, Bitter Chocolate Truffles. They were later reconfigured to appear in the Great Chefs of the World series, episodes 144, 165 and 136, for the Discovery Channel.

The series aired nationally in 1998 over ORF and in 1999, Chef Heinz and his “Hanner Restaurant” received its first Michelin star. In 2007 he secured his second star, and later he received three toques and 17 points from Gault Millau, indicating the perfection of his restaurant and the creativity coming from his kitchen.

Just recently Chef Hanner was given the title of “Chef of the Year” for the country of Austria.