9 minute read
Food & Drink
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EVERYDAY LUXURY AT MATSCENEN
by maria andré photo oskar fäldt and niclas lundblad
Tobias Nord and Elias Tingström had only met a few times before they decided to start a restaurant together. They couldn’t resist the venue in Landskrona’s 120-year-old theatre and started Matscenen, a place for everyone who likes decadence and flair.
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Tobias Nord went to catering school in Landskrona in his teens and moved to Malmö to broaden his culinary horizons. He worked in the restaurant industry in Sweden and abroad for 15 years, testing all the main cooking styles.
“I’ve always been curious and wanted to try different things. I’ve worked with traditional Swedish cooking, American, Italian, Japanese, French. That’s the way my life was for many years. I worked with everything from local shacks to fine restaurants and broadened my food horizons.
The restaurant industry is tiring, with late nights and long shifts. When Tobias started a family and moved back to Landskrona, he took a break from restaurant life for a while.
“I missed working with food and having a team around me. I started looking for premises in Landskrona. My idea was to run something on my own, like a small wine and tapas bar. When I saw the venue in Landskrona theatre I fell for it. I saw the opportunities here, to develop cooperation with the theatre and open up to the beautiful Theatre Park next door.
The project became much larger, and Tobias needed someone to cooperate with. Tobias' sister is married to Emil Tingström, Elias Tingström’s brother. Elias worked as a chef in Stockholm. He and his partner Sanna had thought about moving to a smaller town, preferably in Skåne.
“When I was thinking about moving I got a call from Tobias who asked me if I wanted to open a restaurant with him. When I came to the site in Landskrona we saw the potential immediately, with an open kitchen and a “living room”feeling. I’ve always been a bit of a gambler and felt we had to do this. We had a similar idea of creating Landskrona’s best restaurant”, says Elias Tingström.
his roots are in French cuisine, and he trained at the School of Hospitality, Culinary Arts & Meal Science in Grythyttan, which has educated many of Sweden's best chefs. With experience from the Michelin starred Thörnström’s kitchen in Gothenburg, he felt ready to start together with Tobias Nord.
They opened the doors to the Matscenen in the summer of 2020. The concept is small dishes and snacks you share.
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They both like French cuisine but are open to other influences. Their food philosophy is all about having respect for ingredients. They make sure they keep the highest quality by being thorough with everything they buy.
vegetables are from Sweden and mostly locally grown. In the summer they offer tomatoes from Tomatens Hus in Vallåkra, a few miles north of Landskrona. They strive for simplicity in cooking, where ingredients should not be overloaded with too many flavours.
“Our menus are not purely French. We serve what is tasty with inspiration from around the world. If we are going to make a hummus for example, then we make sure we create the very best we can prepare. Everything from scratch, of course,” says Tobias Nord.
Pure food together with a warm welcome are important cornerstones in their concept.
“For us it’s important to have high quality and perfection in everything we do. Even in our welcoming. Our guests should feel seen, and at home. It should be luxurious, but not expensive. You should get the feeling that you don’t want to be anywhere else right now.”
They want Matscenen to be a lively restaurant and have already developed lots of different concepts. Like bubble Thursdays with a Champagne theme and Pincho Fridays with classic Spanish dishes.
“Tobias is the driving force for new ideas. I often get text messages in the evenings that start with “what do you think about..?”. We are different people. I am more withdrawn and thoughtful. Tobias is more creative and outgoing and wants to test things,” says Elias Tingström. “Luckily, Elias thinks things through one more time”, laughs Tobias.
They also want to develop several different parts of the restaurant and let guests take part in the Theatre Park next door.
“We had a plan from the start to build a boules court and an outdoor restaurant just outside to make the best use of the space. We also have a cocktail bar at weekends with a DJ playing lounge music. We are passionate about this, to have parties, gatherings, fun and sit in the sun with a glass of rosé.” matscenen.se
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by maria andré photo whyland
Simon Tollesson was absolutely not going to work in a pub like his parents. Now he runs the Smörtaxen restaurant at Citadellet. Here he talks about his wayward journey and what it felt like to work at one of Sweden’s best restaurants.
Two “smala med mos” – a phrase that usually means a couple of hot dogs with mashed potato. The dishes at Smörtaxen look simple but they are a play on words. You don’t get two sausages on your plate. The first appetizer is a tartlet on almond potatoes with a filling flavoured with foam made from smoked sausage, mustard seeds and tomato powder.
People obviously love this playful concept. When the restaurant opened for bookings in June 2020, they received 750 requests in 3 minutes. Then it was fully booked for the next three months.
But how did Simon Tollesson end up in a former garage at Citadellet in Landskrona? Actually, it's not that strange. He grew up in a restaurant kitchen. His parents ran Farbror Elofs Skafferi in Billeberga and Tuna Krog on Ven. One day he had to work in the kitchen because his mother went home a bit earlier.
“I had to do simple things, like making mayonnaise from scratch. I thought it was great fun to cook. It came naturally, and I wanted to learn more.”
He worked at reputable restaurants in Stockholm and Jönköping for several years before returning to Skåne and starting at restaurant Vollmers in Malmö. Vollmers was awarded two stars in the 2017 Michelin Guide.
“It was one of the biggest days of my life. I thought of all the hard nights, all the toil, all the nervousness, all the anxiety. It was definitely worth it.”
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At the end of 2018, he heard about the vacant premises at Citadellet. Could be a restaurant? What do you want to create with Smörtaxen?
“I loved the way we cooked at Vollmers. It was sophisticated food, but always tasty with pure flavours. At the same time we don’t want to create a fine dining restaurant, we want Smörtaxen to be high volume with a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere.
At Smörtaxen the feeling is more living room than dining room. ”I think atmosphere beats food quality every time. It’s about creating a good mood with great food. You should get the feeling that you’re in for a fun evening.
Although Smörtaxen has been a success so far, Simon isn’t taking it easy.
“I want to develop all the time. I'm always thinking about how we can get even better. And I’m grateful, especially to Sebastian and Elin for our great cooperation.” smortaxten.se
LOCAL BREWERY CULTURE
LANDSKRONA & VEN A great brewing culture has grown up in Landskrona lately. Brygghuset Finn is an award-winning Skåne brewery working according to traditional methods combined with innovative engineering know-how. Brekeriet is another microbrewery in Landskrona run by three brothers producing sour beer and brett beer of various kinds, often with a touch of fruit and berries. 1413 Bryggkultur is a phantom brewery producing its beer at other breweries according to its own recipe. Their beers are named after places in Landskrona and 1413 is the year Landskrona was founded. Hvens Bryggeri is a nano brewery at Tuna Krog on Ven.
EATING AND COOK OUTDOORS
LANDSKRONA There are many pleasant barbecue and picnic places in Landskrona where you can enjoy your own food, barbecue or eat take away from one of the city's restaurants. Get our tips at iLandskrona.se
Food �Drink Award-winning distillery
VEN One of the smallest commercial distilleries in the world with its own laboratory is located on the island of Ven. Spirit of Hven Backafallsbyn does everything from mashing to fermentation, distillation, oak barrel storage and bottling. Spirit of Hven offers guided tours of the distillery, tastings, restaurant, accommodation in a 4-star hotel and a conference facility. hven.com
Martina’s Market - for the good life
LANDSKRONA Fishing was a large industry in Landskrona over a hundred years ago. Martina Liljeblad was one of the largest retailers in the fish market in the basement of the City Hall. She was a source of inspiration for the food market at Rådhustorget in Landskrona that has about 15 stores selling locally produced ingredients and delicacies. Martina's Market takes place on one Saturday in spring and one in the autumn. Visit iLandskrona.se for more information about dates.
SKÅNES FOOD FESTIVAL – THE SUCCESS RETURNS
LANDSKRONA Skåne’s Food Festival is a place to meet food artisans, companies, chefs, producers and other people who work with food and want to share their knowledge and passion. There are activities for people large and small, beginners, foodies and everyone who is passionate about good food. skanesmatfestival.se
Organic chili cultivation
LANDSKRONA Several niche raw materials are produced in Landskrona. Skånsk Chili in Asmundtorp is an example of a family company that cultivates chili for the production of organically certified chili sauces. Skånsk Chili opens its greenhouse for the sale of plants in May. skanskchili.com
Read more about the great variety within food and drink that Landskrona and Ven has to offer at iLandskrona.se
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