Martin Öfner, born in Innsbruck and raised in Stans in Austria’s Karwendel Alpine Park, grew up in a community deeply connected to seasonal traditions. Inspired by his grandmother’s nose-to-tail cooking, he decided at age seven that he wanted to become a chef. After beginning a general tourism programme in his teens, he shifted into a specialist culinary track grounded in traditional Austrian cuisine and classic French technique, training in several of Tyrol’s top hotel kitchens.

His early international experience took him to Zurich’s Restaurant Parkhuus, known for its open-fire cooking and acclaimed approach to Alpine ingredients. Driven to learn from highly awarded restaurants, he returned to Austria to work under Simon Taxacher, developing his skills in heritage produce, fermentation, and preservation. A short residency in the Italian Tyrol further deepened his understanding of regional sourcing philosophies.

Öfner later expanded his horizons in Copenhagen and the Netherlands, focusing on seafood, fermentation, and ingredient-driven research. A formative internship in Stockholm led to a long tenure at Frantzén, where he rose to Senior Sous Chef and later spent a year in China exploring regional culinary traditions. In 2024, he moved to Singapore and is now Executive Chef of Zén.