With Nordic food and drink being tipped by Waitrose as one of the next international food trends to hit the UK, Sweden’s King of cheeses – Västerbottensost is taking centre stage at the UK’s first Swedish Food festival running at the Oxford Street and Bluewater John Lewis food halls.
A collaboration between Waitrose and the Swedish Trade Council, the festivals will be running from the 10th January to the end of February and will showcase a wide range of artisan Swedish food products which are new to the UK and reflect the burgeoning Scandinavian food and drink industry.
The independent trends report, Food Watching, for Waitrose, said the simplicity of light Nordic cuisine together with its use of pared-down, high quality ingredients would be the main attractions to consumers in 2011.
With a truly authentic Swedish theme in-store at the Oxford Street and Bluewater foodhalls to communicate the provenance of the diverse offering on show, the 7 week festival will provide adventurous consumers with the opportunity to sample, buy and discover the stories behind some of Scandinavia’s best kept food secrets.
Celebrating its 100th year anniversary, Västerbottensost cheese is one such secret which is setting its sights on the UK market. The fluke creation of cheese maker Eleonora Lindstrom who lived in Burtrask in the far north of Sweden, Västerbottensost is a unique, hard cheese with a strong, aromatic flavour and a fascinating heritage.
According to legend, Eleonora was left alone to stir the curd of a traditional Swedish cheese but found herself becoming ‘distracted’ on several occasions by visits from her lover. As the fire went out each time Eleonora became sidetracked, the curd cooled, meaning it had to be reheated and then stirred again. Due to this unorthodox method of constant heating, cooling and stirring, the cheese didn’t make the usual grade so was placed on a shelf and left there for 12 months. When the cheese was eventually tested, the taste and texture was so astoundingly good that the technique was replicated and Västerbottensost cheese was born.
Andrew Cole Managing Director of Bridgethorne who are organising the festivals comments: “More and more interest is being shown in Nordic food and we are confident that 2011 will be the year when it really takes off and becomes a major trend in the UK. It’s great to be working with Waitrose to offer consumers the chance to sample, buy and discover the stories behind some of Sweden’s favourite brands and products. The appetite and strategic approach shown by the Swedish Food Board and these ambitious suppliers to make these events a reality has been phenomenal and with UK consumers continuing to show adventurous tendencies in their food selections, we hope the festivals will provide a launch pad for the various brands to grow in the UK.”
Other brands participating in the festival include Eriks Såser – a range of chilled sauces, Fria Bröd – a selection of gluten free bread products, Leksandsbröd– a traditional crisp bread, PehrsonHertz – a range of fat free dressings, Procordia – Felix Lingonberry Jam, Scan – Organic Swedish meatballs and Swedish inspired sausages, Skånemejerier– a range of flavoured crème fraiche products and lactose free milk plus Villman – which offers a selection of Scandinavian meal solutions.
