Andreas Schögl is Bad Ischl's first chocolate sommelier

BAD ISCHL – With passion, expertise, and a great deal of finesse, Andreas Schögl, master confectioner at Konditorei Zauner, has made history: He is the first certified chocolate sommelier from Bad Ischl. This year, for the first time in Austria, the state-recognized training program for chocolate sommeliers was offered to confectioners. The new advanced training program launched in February as a collaboration between the Academy of German Baking in Weinheim and the Food Academy.

As part of his project work, Andreas Schögl visited the Leopold Hasner School in Bad Ischl and took the children on a delightful journey of discovery into the world of chocolate. Together, they tasted various types of chocolate, engaging all their senses. "It was very important to me to convey the fascination and diversity of chocolate in a playful and sensory way," said Andreas Schögl. "Children, in particular, react without prejudice and with honesty – that made the tasting especially valuable."„

The dedicated confectioner Andreas Schögl has not only further developed his own professional repertoire, but also enriches the Zauner product range with a very special creation: As part of his further training, Andreas Schögl has developed an exclusive hazelnut chocolate.

But the new specialty is not only a treat for the palate, but also a contribution to a good cause: Part of the sales proceeds will benefit the Leopold Hasner School in Bad Ischl. Furthermore, the Zauner confectionery will double the proceeds. With this initiative, the Zauner confectionery, together with Andreas Schögl, aims to demonstrate its social responsibility and specifically support children and young people in the region, for example, by funding speech therapy or school facilities.

Confectionery manager Philipp Zauner is proud: „It’s impressive how much dedication and innovative spirit Andreas showed in completing this training. We are especially pleased that we can now present the fruits of his labor to our guests and at the same time do something good for Bad Ischl.“

The new hazelnut chocolate is now available in the Zauner confectionery shops and in the online shop at www.zauner.at – as a special moment of enjoyment, a gift idea and a sign of lived regional responsibility for the children of the Leopold-Hasner-School.

On October 21, 2025, Philipp Zauner, together with his wife Verena and chocolate sommelier Andreas Schögl, visited the Leopold-Hasner School and presented the new chocolate to both the director Theresa Schögl and the children.