Sarah Kingdom eats at PopUp Norge. Local ingredients, in the hands of skilled guest chefs, served in unique locations in Norway.
Stranda is the ham capital of Norway. The mild, moist air from the fjord, meets the fresh winds from the Sunnmør Alps, creating the optimal conditions for the curing of meat and by the end of the 19th century, the area was renowned for the production of artisanal cured meats.
Arriving in Stranda, we pulled up to the Ham Council House, Skinkerådhuset, the first and only one in all of Norway! Opened in 2016, its purpose was to celebrate and inspire the development of Norwegian cured hams. For eight weeks this year, the Skinkerådhuset has been to the location for PopUp Norge – eight weeks, eight different star chefs, each sharing their unique cooking style and incorporating fresh and local ingredients into their cooking – a cultural culinary experience like no other.
PopUp Norge is a culinary journey, with cuisines ranging from the Mediterranean, to the Norwegian coast, to the islands of Asia. New locations and destinations feature every season. Renowned Norwegian chefs are invited to take a turn running the restaurant, each bringing their individual styles and skills, and taking diners on a culinary journey through a 7-10 course menu, that showcases both their talents and the local ingredients of the pop-up’s current location.
Our lunch was in the hands of talented, young chef Kevin Karlsson. Kevin, a Swedish adventurer who, having wandered his way into Norway, has now wandered his way to Stranda Skinkerhuset with his creative cuisine. Having worked at Huset in Svalbard, and a stint as sous chef at FANGS at Hattvika Loge, Kevin is now cooking his way through mainland Norway.
For PopUp Norge Kevin encapsulates his food concept with his menu, “mountains, sea, salt and soil – a Nordic experience through the eyes of an explorer”; an incredible 3-course meal that starts with a delectable tasting plate of local dried and cured hams, cured and smoked salmon and special local cheeses. This auspicious start is followed by the most delicious fish soup I have ever eaten and a dessert of a sublime local apple with a white chocolate crumble.
Sadly, we weren’t in Stranda for dinner that night, an extravaganza prepared by Aleksander Olsen, a chef who creates total sensory dining experiences for his guests. Having worked at the renowned Fagn in Trondheim, and having extensive experience in Michelin-started establishments around the world, when he isn’t creating astounding menus in the PopUp kitchens of Svalbard, Bodo and Stranda, he’s engrossed with his own exclusive chocolate company, Eventyr.
I sat down with Jannet Aksnes, one of the creative minds behind PopUp Norge, and chatted with her about PopUp Norge, the concept, its beginnings and its future.
What inspired you to start up Pop Up Norge?
I’ve specialised in promoting Norway as a tourist destination for many years, and my business partner, Tayler, puts together itineraries for high-end Tourists in Norway. We knew some of Norway’s smaller destinations had amazing local food, but no restaurants where you could eat it. So when COVID came, and there was no work for me, I had time to develop the idea.
When did you start?
Our first PopUp was in Otternes in 2021, we actually made a short film about it, though sorry it’s in Norwegian.
Where was your first location?
Our first location was in Otternes, a cluster of old farm buildings near Flåm that date back to the 1700s, in southwestern Norway. The area is known for its fjords. Flåm sits at the end of Aurlandsfjord, which is a branch of the vast Sognefjord. The area is known for dramatic views, with the 17th-century wooden Flåm Church in the valley and the Flåm railway offering wonderful valley and waterfall views, as it climbs to a station on the Hardangervidda plateau.
How did you decide upon your first location? How many locations have you operated in subsequently and how did you choose them?
For our first location, we chose the beautiful old farming village of Otternes, Sognefjord. The 26 old farm buildings in the village had been abandoned for years and, as I had grown up nearby, I wanted to tell the story of the farm and the inhabitants who’d once lived here.
We do three destinations a year, spending eight weeks in each location and will spend two years in each of the destinations. We have operated twice in Otternes, twice in an old coal mine in Svalbard, also in a lighthouse in Landego Fyr, Bodø, and then in the old town hall in Stranda and we’ll be back there again next year.
When it came to choosing our second location I had the dream of telling the story of the coal miners and their lives in the now abandoned mine in Svalbard. For our third location, the lighthouse in Landego Fyr, Bodø, I really wanted to tell the story of the people who had lived and grown up at the lighthouse. All the locations we’ve chosen have very different geographical locations and each has its own individual stories we want to share.
Who was your first chef? And how do you find your different chefs?
Thomas Moen was our first chef. Thomas has been one of Norway’s best fish chefs for years, specialising in sushi and Japanese food.
For me, the combination of the different chef’s specialities and the use of local ingredients is very exciting. When looking for new chefs, I make calls to the different chefs whose food I really want to eat and invite them to join us! I didn’t know any of them beforehand.
What are your future expansion plans?
We aim to do 3 big PopUps a year (winter, summer and autumn), each for 8 weeks, plus we do private events and we have a list of locations in Norway we are still excited to visit.
Closing with the words of Jannet, “PopUp Norge is a cultural experience in the culinary arts, delivered deliciously, in an inviting, interactive and lively way. Unique locations and local ingredients in the hands of skilled guest chefs”.
Tell Me More About PopUp Norge
On the PopUp Norge website you can find the locations, dates and chef list to help you plan your visit to this unique Norwegian dining experience.
