Nordic Food Destination

Goes to a society, an institution or a community, who has assembled producers of raw ingredients, restaurants and other local actors to lift a geographic destination through food-culture, cooperation and unity.

The Nominees are

 Farmers, food producers and restaurants collaborate to highlight the food of Åland. They invite you to explore the countryside and the genuine food production which teaches children as well as today's urbanized population more about the origin of food and life in the countryside. The Harvest Festival's business concept is to promote production and strengthen confidence in Ålandic products and activities. High quality, order and creativity are the north star of the participants. The festival inspires the participants to try and implement new, permanent activities and find new partners and concepts. The event will inspire consumers to demand local products all year round. The Åland Harvest Festival is the highlight of the autumn season in Åland and the engine and beating heart of Ålandic food culture. For three delightful September days you can enjoy Åland’s countryside in the midst of the most abundant harvesting time, learn about rural life, buy directly from the producers and eat fantastically good food founded on local and seasonal raw ingredients. http://www.skordefest.ax
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Melstedgaard, Bornholm is nominated for EMBLA 2021 due to their extensive work to place the island of Bornholm on the gastronomic world map, thus ensuring a widespread recognition of Bornholm's extraordinary work with local food products and gastronomy. Located in traditional homestead, built in 1801, Melstedgaard has become THE scene for gastronomic innovation, experiences and education for professionals and tourists alike. Melstedgaard is Denmark's first regional food culture house. The location also houses Bornholm’s Madkulturhus (Foodculture Venue), Frilandsmuseet (Museum of local agriculture) and has its own farmshop – bursting with local artisan products, unique to the island. At Melstedgaard, guests can experience historical food production, cooking traditions of the past and the islands' flourishing current food culture. Working closely with local agencies, such as Destination Bornholm, Melstedgaard is the ultimate destination for sustainable development of local food producers AND gastro-tourism. https://gaarden.nu/
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Gásadalur is a stunningly beautiful village situated on the island of Vágar, and it is one of the last places on the main islands to be connected to the road system. In order to save the village from depopulation, a 1700 m. long tunnel was constructed to the valley (population: 16). Since the tunnel was finished in 2004, Gásadalur has been a popular tourist attraction, catering both with its scenery and its food. The fertile valley of Gásadalur, the nearby pastures of Víkar and the bird cliffs have always been regarded as a good larder, and the entrepreneurial villagers have revived and developed these resources. People from Gásadalur have pioneered the growing of vegetables, and the valley is one of the few places you can grow barley on the Faroe Islands. This barley is, together with water from the local stream, used by the local brewery Föroya Bjór to create “Múlafossur Red Ale”, a special beer named for the iconic waterfall in Gásadalur. The village slaughterhouse is converted into a restaurant (when not in use), which serves local products, and the villagers have developed new takes on traditional fare, fx. a fermented beef soup. https://www.visitfaroeislands.com/place/gasadalur/
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The Kuopio region and the province of Pohjois-Savo are the first regions in Finland to receive the European Region of Gastronomy recognition for 2020-21, which can be compared to the title of Capital of Culture. In addition to culture, ERG recognition also develops a wide range of gastronomy and food events, food tourism, agriculture, education and entrepreneurship, and emphasizes responsibility. The ERG entity has been implemented as a project collaboration between ProAgria Eastern Finland & the Women of Agriculture and Housekeeping, the City of Kuopio, SavoGrown and Savonia University of Applied Sciences. More than 80 companies, event operators, educational institutions, and development organizations from all over the province are involved in the development work. Recognized by IGCAT, a network of European regions, it promotes cross-sectoral cooperation in the fields of food culture, tourism, urban culture, and the arts. For tourists, Pohjois-Savo's treasure chest offers authentic Savonian gastronomy, new experiences and diverse events wrapped around food. The main theme of the anniversary is foraging - life according to the rhythm of nature. Pure nature and local food on a plate: delicious Horta, sweet summer, harvest season flavors and first-class natural delicacies. The ERG logo communicates local and genuine, responsibly produced products…
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Every summer, Otto, Paarnannguaq & Nukappiaaluk Nielsen opens their farm and arms to the local South Greenland community to host Tasiluk Food Festival. As a self-sustaining fishing, farming and hunting household, they have the privilege of accessing the most delicious Greenlandic ingredients from soil and sea. They feel a strong sense of connection to their surroundings, and that includes their community. They believe everyone should have the opportunity to eat quality Greenlandic food in the company of their family and friends, served with heart and soul. Therefore, they work all year long preserving and preparing beautiful dishes that highlight the food they grow, hunt and fish themselves, and they have done so for the last ten years. Eating in a “hyper-local” way may be the trendy word for their Tasiluk Food Festival on Tasiluk Sheep Farm, but for them, it is their daily life and cultural tradition. https://visitsouthgreenland.com/tasiluk-staycation/ https://visitsouthgreenland.com/tasiluk-staycation/
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Unique food experience in the Westman islands The Westman islands are a archipelago south of Iceland, in the whole 15 islands with about 30 small cuts and drangar. The southern most island is Surtsey and the northern most is Elliðaey. Heimaey is the largest of the islands and the only one which is inhabited, where the town of Vestmannaeyjar is placed with 4200 inhabitants. The name Vestmannaeyjar is often used as a synonym for the town of Vestmannaeyjar. Vestmannaeyjar are the 12th most populous settlement in Iceland where fisheries are the main industry. The Westman islands has always been a food chest where fish play a central role. In the history, puffin-catching was for a long time the second biggest industry in the islands and there are many narrations on the use of seaweed and söl. A lot of herbs were used for medicine purposes and for example cabbage, which was picked in the nearby islands, saved the islanders from scurvy. Most of the farms that were placed in Heimaey went under the eruption in ** and therefore the history of farming in the island isn´t rich although there are still some small-scale farmers in the island. For a long…
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Kvitnes Gård offers world-class hyper-local food and accommodation in adventurous surroundings. Here the menus are rooted in local ingredients and the history of the region. The raw materials prepared at the restaurant come mainly from the farm with its own garden and its own animals. What is bought comes exclusively from local producers from the local regions in Vesterålen, Lofoten or Senja. The fish on the menu is fished from the fish-rich seas in the surrounding areas. The moose is shot by the farmer. Every part of the animal is used.  This requires a close collaboration with local producers, fishermen and slaughterhouses. In this way, the restaurant has full control of the entire food value chain, and a long growing season with sun around the clock produces fantastic vegetables and berries. This has undoubtedly been a recipe for success. Kvitnes Gård has become one of the big food talkies in Norway, with a stated goal of getting the first ever Michelin star to northern Norway. The magnificent nature has for a long time attracted tourists to Lofoten. Thanks to Kvitnes Gård, the northern Norway tourist map is expanded, and you go to Kvitnes in Vesterålen to experience local food culture.    https://www.kvitnes.com/   
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In the small agricultural district of Stora Skedvi in Dalarna, Anders Åkerberg has built a now well-attended food destination with a market hall, restaurant, greenhouse, dairy and bakery – all with local food production in the center. A sustainable circular mindset permeates all activities. There is a lot that Anders has created through his entrepreneurial spirit, but to summarize: the history of the agricultural area Stora Skedvi meets the future through the food destination that Anders created for the visitors all over the world. https://skedvibrod.se - This is so much fun and a great honor! The nomination feels like confirmation that the work we have done over the past year has been successful. Nowadays we welcome our visitors to Skedvi Bröd - Sweden's new food destination, says Anders Åkerberg.
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