Zenhäusern

A Valais bakery group with a catering arm

Zenhäusern is a bakery, restaurant and catering company based in Sion, the capital of Valais, run as Zenhäusern Frères SA from Chemin du Lazaret 5. Its "Qui sommes-nous ?" page says the business has represented five generations of artisan baking since 1982, and that today it has an ultramodern bakehouse, 14 branches in the canton and more than 470 employees. Catering is one of its three pillars alongside bakery and restaurants, and the catering page names weddings in its first sentence: «un apéritif entre amis ou un repas de mariage» (an aperitif with friends or a wedding meal), for which the company says it has a suitable solution.

How the family business grew

The history page traces the family through Bürchen and Rarogne before Gerhard Zenhäusern, the second of six sons of a baking family from Rarogne, took over the Richard bakery in the center of Sion with his wife Andrea in 1982. The company became a public limited company, Zenhäusern Frères SA, in 1991, founded with his brother Marco and Andrea, and the younger brother Jörg came in with his wife Tanja. Shops and bakery-restaurants followed across the canton, in Sion, Grône, Sierre, Savièse, Conthey, Martigny and later Monthey. In 2015 the company opened an ultramodern bakehouse, a bakery-restaurant and a banquet hall at its Centre Zen in Sion, and in 2016 it merged with Volken Bäckerei AG and centralized its production in Sion.

Ownership changed in 2026. The history page says the founding brothers Gerhard and Marco retired and sold their shares, Jörg stays on as co-owner and CEO, and the company DS Restauration became the majority shareholder. It is no longer simply a family-held business, although the Zenhäusern name and CEO remain.

The wedding offer

The catering page (also published in German as "Party-Service") sets out two routes.

A made-to-measure offer, from 15 people. For a wedding, an aperitif, a company party or a family meal, the catering team offers:

• buffet, plated service, cold or hot variations;
• delivery to the venue or collection from a Zenhäusern shop;
• with or without service staff;
• a cook on site (plating, party grill and similar);
• a banquet or meeting room on request.

This route starts with a personalized consultation and a quote «sans engagement», without obligation.

A turnkey offer, up to 15 people. This is an online shop for aperitifs and desserts, ordered in a few clicks and collected at one of 13 points of sale. It suits a small apéro or a dessert table rather than a full wedding dinner. The homepage links to an e-brochure, "Apéritifs & Desserts", which is the quickest way to see what that shop offers. It also features the Abrinelles, made with the Distillerie Morand in Martigny from Abricotine AOP and 60% chocolate, a Valais product that couples looking for guest favors could ask about.

The banquet room is the company's own: the history page records the opening of a banquet hall at the Centre Zen in Sion in 2015, and the quote form lists "Salle de banquet" among the services to tick. The pages do not give its capacity, so ask how many guests it seats.

How to ask for a quote

The catering request form asks for contact details, the number of people, the date, time and place of the event, and which services you want (aperitif, buffet, meal, banquet hall, dessert, other), plus a message. The page asks couples to fill it in as precisely as possible so the quote fits their expectations. The general contact is +41 27 327 27 27 and info@chezzen.ch; the page about visits gives traiteur@chezzen.ch for catering-related requests.

The team page names the people behind the catering: Vincent Tritter manages the pastry, confectionery, catering and cleaning departments, Amela Babachikj heads the catering sector in production, and Samuel Briand is responsible for the catering service on the administration side.

Produce, awards and a visit

The "Qui sommes-nous ?" page stresses the use of regional raw materials and a commitment to sustainability, and the history page lists the company's first carbon balance (2023), its "marque Valais entreprise" certification and a first sustainability report (2024). The homepage quotes Sylvain Planchamp of the Boucherie Planchamp in Vouvry, a partner rather than a customer: «Ensemble, nous unissons nos forces pour mettre en avant les magnifiques produits de notre canton» (together we join forces to showcase the wonderful products of our canton).

The awards on the history page are bakery awards: the UBS Sommet prize (2009), cantonal champion at the Swiss Bakery Trophy (2012, 2016 and 2021), the "Couronne boulangère" (2013), best Swiss producer in the bakery and pastry category at the regional products competition (2015), and the best Valais rye bread prize from the Association du Pain de Seigle Valaisan AOP (2024).

For groups from 15 people the company also organizes a visit to its production center in Sion followed by an aperitif or a meal, which could work as a guest activity the day before a wedding.

What the site does not settle

The site publishes no prices, no per-person rates and no wedding menus; the made-to-measure route is quote-only. It does not state the banquet hall's capacity. The site is in French and German, with no English version, and it does not say whether the catering team plans events in English. It does not say how far from Sion the company delivers or sends staff, which matters for a wedding in a side valley or at altitude, or whether travel affects the price. It does not describe tableware, drinks or decoration.

Who it suits

Zenhäusern suits couples marrying in central Valais who want a large, well-staffed local company with its own bakery behind the menu, and who value regional produce. The option of its own banquet hall in Sion, together with a cook on site and service staff, makes it possible to book food, staff and room from one supplier. The 15-guest minimum rules out only the very smallest weddings, and those can use the online aperitif and dessert shop instead.

The caveats: no English on the site, no published prices, and a banquet room whose size you have to ask about. Send the form with as much detail as possible and ask about language, travel and room capacity in the first message.