New Nordic Cuisine in practice: Storage and preservation practices as a means for a resilient restaurant sector

Abstract

Since the rise of the New Nordic Cuisine, ideas relating to local, seasonal, traditional and sustainable food has permeated parts of the Swedish restaurant sector, including inspiration from past preservation and storage practices. However, there is little knowledge of how preservation and long-term storage in general is practiced within restaurants’ daily operations. The aim of the article is therefore to explore if and how preservation and storage practices in restaurants, as emphasized by the NNC movement, could be scaled up to support a transition towards a more resilient and sustainable hospitality industry. By identifying opportunities and challenges through interviews with restaurant professionals and wholesalers, it seeks to provide a nuanced understanding of the role these practices can play in enhancing food security and resilience in the Nordic gastronomy. While restaurants use preservation methods in line with their gastronomic philosophy to create specific flavors and meal experiences, there are many constraints to expand such practices further. These challenges are located within the restaurant practice, i.e. “doing restaurant”, more specifically material and social constraints vis-à-vis storage space, economy, recruitment of skilled staff, the risks associated with fermentation and the perceived relevancy of preserving and storing food for long-term use. We argue that with skilled restaurant personnel and access to food, the restaurant could become an important actor for maintaining a more resilient food system at the local scale. With the right incentives, the restaurant sector could ensure that the relevant skills are maintained if preservation once again should become a necessity.