Nordic Food Entrepreneur

Goes to a person, a company or an organization, who has developed a new method which is built on food artisan tradition and has broad appeal and market potential.

The Nominees are

“Våffelrakan” is a foodtruck concept that Michaela and Jack started in 2019. The idea behind the company derived from Michaelas desire to refine her partner Jon’s products (Potato and onion). That wish combined with Jack’s dream of starting a food truck business ultimately led to what today is the unique company Våffelrakan. A Våffelraka is a new take on the traditional nordic dish hash brown where instead of cocking the graded potatoes in a frying pan, the våffelraka is made in a waffle iron with a more fine graded potato mixture and lots of butter. The potato waffle will then be served with different toppings depending on the season. The dish is fairly simple but very tasty and luxurious and both gluten- and completely lactose-free. Våffelrakan strives to only work with products produced on the Åland islands and right now the only thing that isnt is the whitefish roe with hope to get it in the future to  get the concept fully “AXgan” (Produced on Åland). Sustainability is also one of Våffelrakans matters of concern and we incorporate environmental thinking in the whole process including compostable cutlery, mugs and dishes.https://www.facebook.com/vaffelrakan
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Contempehrary is nominated for EMBLA 2021 due to its innovative development of plant-based, natural and flavourful products, with a uniquely Nordic touch. Contempehrary develops and produces a brand-new product, Nordic tempeh. This is an exceptional product developed through fermentation of organic raw materials, exclusively grown in the Nordics, such as peas, hemp, local cereals and beans. Traditionally, Tempeh originates from the island of Java, however, Nordic Tempeh combines local ingredients with the rediscovered method of fermentation, that has swept through Denmark as the new Nordic cuisine redefines the Danish dinnerplate. What makes Nordic Tempeh unique is the fact that it is not a mock-meat or a meat replacement product – it is its very own thing, a tasteful sensory boost to the world of plant based products, proving that plant based foods can succeed on their own merits, and not just as a faux-meat. Furthermore, sustainability, quality and transparency are central to Contempehrary, underlining their vision is for Nordic Tempeh to become the preferred source of plant-based protein in the Nordic cuisine. https://contempehrary.com/
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TARI (the Faroese word for seaweed) is an aquaculture company focused on the sustainable farming of macroalgae in the Faroe Islands. Harvesting or farming of macroalgae for food is not an established industry in the Nordic countries, and they thus represent an untapped nutritional resource. Macroalgae can be cultivated, without the use of fertilizer and pesticides, in places where the natural ecosystem isn’t affected and can therefore play an important role in sustainably feeding the planet. Founded by the siblings Agnes Mols Mortensen, a researcher with a Ph.D. in macroalgae biology, and Mortan Mols Mortensen, a commercial diver with years of experience diving for high quality seafood, TARI draws on their respective competences to develop best practices for sustainable production of macroalgae. TARI has recently branched into salmon aquaculture, where they offer seaweed-based solutions to improve animal welfare in a sustainable way. The “Green Hatchery” is TARI’s latest initiative. The company is installing a water turbine in their new hatchery and production building with the aim to reach a carbon neutral or even negative budget. https://tari.fo/
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“I didn’t know anything about the bakery business, but when Covid silenced all my other work in the spring of 2020, I had to come up with something completely different. I studied online to bake the Hatsapuri I love. Through mistakes, the first hatsapuris were sold in the beginning of summer. Customers' interest in new types of warm bread delicacies struck us - there were people in front of the Puumala sales kiosk every day from morning to night. The work, which was intended to be temporary, took a leap”, says Ville Haapasalo. After a successful summer at Puumala Market, Haapasalo decided to meet the demand and expand its operations. “We are gradually expanding our territory from southern Finland to other parts of the country. Faith in the future is strengthened above all by the excellent co-operation with the municipality of Puumala and the growing interest of consumers in new products. We have been warmly received”, Haapasalo continues. The sales of Hatsapuri have been amazing and why not when it comes to a product which main ingredients are cream, butter, wheat flour and cheese. - After all, it can't go wrong with anything made of these ingredients, Haapasalo laughs. https://hatsapuri.fi/
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One of the biggest challenges Greenland faces towards lowering greenhouse gas expenditure, is that most foods need to be imported, this means that the availability of healthy fresh vegetables and greens are expensive compared to other countries. This is an issue that Greenlandic Greenhouse is working to resolve through the production of high quality, pesticide free foods at a reasonable price, as well as contributing to a more sustainable and self-sufficient food delivery and supply system in Greenland. This is done by working around the cold arctic climate and permafrost through indoor farming methods. Their products are sold to both private consumers and companies. The greenhouse production is powered by sustainable energy delivered by the local hydropower plant, where they further utilize excess heat to warm up the production facilities, additionally 90% of the total water consumption is reused. www.facebook.com/Greenlandic-Greenhouse-1539930266152754/
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First Icelandic Cream liqueur - Jökla Pétur Pétursson, dairy technician, is a fan of the Icelandic cow breed and their products. He decided 14 years ago to make the first and only Icelandic cream liqueur. There is a plenty of milk in Iceland and farmers are diligent in producing premium milk with the most beautiful cow breed in the world. At a certain point, Pétur perceived that some new innovation was needed in Iceland for this premium milk Icelandic farmers were producing every day. The idea was implemented in the kitchen at home in Mosfellsbær, near to Reykjavík, and the kitchen pots were used extensively. It was after a family skiing trip to Italy and his visit to an Italian dairy farmer that he returned home to Iceland and didn´t got the idea out of his head. The Italian farmer ran a restaurant besides his farming and when Pétur and family were eating a lovely meal at the restaurant the farmer drew from the freezer an icecold milk mug with a milk liqueur in it with a taste of citron, which the farmer cultivated himself out in the field. Traveling back home to Iceland, Pétur, was so fascinated after the…
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Dypvik has taken an old Norwegian tradition of clipfish (salted and dried cod), normally sold in large quantities and requiring substantial preparation, and turned it into a widespread delicacy, easily available in smaller packages, finished diluted and as ready-made dishes.   The unique natural resources of the Møre coast in western part of Norway provide the best conditions for clipfish; salty sea wind, cold air and good supply of quality fish. Each fish is washed and processed individually. The family business has been going on with their craftmanship for almost 100 years, inherited through three generations. However, clipfish has primarily been an export commodity. When the brothers of the last generation took over, they wanted to make their own mark and modernize the clipfish for ordinary households. With simpler cooking methods and a more thoughtful design on the package, clipfish has gained a much broader appeal among ordinary households.  Dybvik has helped to make clipfish and bacalao known and available throughout the country. They have developed and modernized clipfish from traditional preservation methods and home cooking, to become award-winning gourmet food that everyone can get hold of and prepare.    www.dybvik.no
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Andreas Sundgren founder of Brännland Cider, has created a high-quality ice cider driven by the unique terroir of Swedish apples. He has through hard, consistent and sustainable work built a strong audience in his home market as well as internationally, a platform from which the company grows further both in terms of quality and value. The products carry a strong story of perseverance and uniqueness, their origins and methods where the specific Nordic landscape is a central player, creates, maintains, and develops exclusivity. Brännland Ciders produces several varieties of ice cider for the domestic and international market served in Michelin star restaurants all over the world. “It is a huge honor to have been selected as the Swedish candidate in the category Food Entrepreneur of the Year for the Embla Food Awards final. Any nomination of this kind is valuable because it pays attention to dedication and hard work” says Andreas Sundgren. https://www.brannlandcider.se/
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