Celebrity chef Christian Jürgens has been released from running his gourmet restaurant "Überfahrt" on Lake Tegernsee. This was announced on Friday by the Althoff Hotels, in whose hotel the restaurant is located.

Previously, the "mirror" had reported on allegations by former employees against the 54-year-old three-star chef for inappropriate behavior. According to "Spiegel", Jürgens rejected the allegations as "untrue" through a lawyer. The events described had not occurred "at any time".

Allegations to be dealt with

The statement from Althoff Hotels said: "First of all, we would like to make it clear that we are still shaken by the allegations. With effect from 5 May 2023, we have therefore decided to release Christian Jürgens from his duties." The allegations must now be "examined in detail and clearly clarified".

A law firm has been commissioned to investigate the allegations, the hotel chain said. "As a company, we generally condemn assaults of the kind described here or similarly. The well-being of all our employees and education are now in the foreground."

Jürgens is one of Germany's best-known and most successful chefs. His career took him from his native town of Unna in North Rhine-Westphalia to Munich via his training in Bad Homburg at the end of the eighties. There he worked at Feinkost Käfer, then at "Tantris" and, after stations in Aschau and on Sylt, finally ended up in Eckart Witzigmann's "Aubergine".

Since 2008 he has been head chef at the gourmet restaurant "Überfahrt" in Rottach-Egern on Lake Tegernsee. It was only at the beginning of April that the Michelin Guide awarded Jürgens and his restaurant three stars again.