study trip with the Norwegian Seafood Council

processing of seafood from Norway – often using the whole fish with minimal wastage. It was great to meet the owner of the boat and see the quality of Norway’s cod, which was incredible. I found it fascinating to see what they do with the whole fish, from the tongue and liver, to the flesh – how they fillet it is amazing. How the Norwegians use the roe has given me to some great ideas to take back to the UK.”

Dan Cornish, Young National Chef of the Year in 2021 added: “It’s been really special to be on the boat, talk to local fishermen, and see and understand the whole process and stories behind a box of fish which normally just magically appears at the restaurant. I’ve also loved learning about traditional cooking techniques and experiencing the classic Norwegian peasant food which is centuries old, taking inspiration from it to use in a fine dining setting.”

Nikita Pathakji, MasterChef The Professionals 2022 Winner said: “What an amazing trip! Visiting Ålesundfisk was so interesting, cutting and tasting the cod tongues was a highlight – they were delicious, and it was great to try something we don’t use regularly in the UK. I could see the amount of work that goes into catching and processing such quality seafood products. In particular seeing the sheer beauty of a box of skrei was impressive – it really was perfect.”

Michel Roux added: “The beauty of this particular trip was that we were finally able to take Young National Chef of the Year Competition Winners, who missed out due to Covid travel restrictions, to Norway – and it really did blow their minds. For me it was great to reconnect with the Norwegian fishermen and chefs and enjoy dishes like the Skrei Mølje – made with beautiful white and flaky steamed seasonal Norwegian cod, with lashings of roe and liver, boiled potatoes and chopped onion. It really doesn’t get much better than that, with the products really speaking for themselves. The young chefs have come home brimming with ideas to take back to their kitchens thanks to their experience trying such amazing produce.”

Whilst Victoria Braathen, UK Director for the Norwegian Seafood Council said: “It was a pleasure to welcome such a talented group of young chefs to Norway, the whitefish nation, and illustrate first-hand why origin matters when it comes to sustainable seafood. Being able to demonstrate Norway’s pioneering stock management and wild fishing processes is always a real eye opener for those that haven’t visited our fishing communities before, and the group were able to enjoy cooking and tasting our fresh seafood right at source, from our seasonal cod to haddock, salmon and red king crab. In the words of our chef partner, Michel Roux, “the proof is always in the eating!”

The Norwegian Seafood Council was a sponsor of the Young National Chef of the Year, and Sodexo Chef of the Year competitions. More information about sustainably caught seafood from Norway can be found at www. seafoodfromnorway.co.uk.

Phots/Images courtesy of Marius Fiskum.

Norwegian Seafood Council gathers award-winning Fish & Chip vendors to celebrate Norway Day with a very British twist

In celebration of this year’s Norway Day, here in the UK, the Norwegian Seafood Council engaged multiple award-winning Fish & Chip vendors across the nation, for a day of delicious fish and chips using sustainably sourced Norwegian cod and haddock. The 17th May marks Norway’s Constitution Day and is a day traditionally celebrated by friends, families, and communities coming together for feasts and festivities.

The main 17th Mai celebration in the UK took place in Southwark Park, London and is one of the largest Norway Day celebrations outside of Norway.

To add the British twist to a traditionally Nordic offering, the Norwegian Seafood Council partnered with Pimp My Fish, winner of the mobile operator category in the 2023 National Fish & Chip Awards, to offer attendees portions of succulent Norwegian cod and double cooked chips, which proved to be a big hit on the day.

This year’s guest of honour, Defence Minister, Bjørn Arild Gram alongside the Norwegian Ambassador to the UK, Wegger Chr. Strømmen also enjoyed the delicate flavours of Norway’s prized whitefish with their own portions of Britain’s favourite dish.

Minister Bjørn Arild Gram commented: “It’s been fantastic spending the Norwegian Constitution Day in London. And what better dish to enjoy at the London celebration than fish and chips, an iconic British dish made with sustainably caught Norwegian cod. Norway and the UK have a strong seafood partnership and I was impressed learning more about the making of fish and chips, and of course getting a taste of the delicious Norwegian cod and chips served by the award-winning Pimp My Fish team.”

Owner of Pimp My Fish, John Hudgell added: “Celebrating Norway Day at Southwark Park, we’ve combined a quintessentially British dish with wonderful Norwegian cod. We take great pride in cooking our fish and chips to absolute perfection and we’ve had some lovely feedback from those tasting it during the day.”

Ahead of Norway Day, category winners of the 2023 National Fish & Chip Awards, of which was proudly sponsored by Seafood from Norway, received a celebratory POS pack and a social media toolkit, allowing vendors to celebrate Norway Day with their customers and serve top quality Norwegian cod and haddock.

This activation was an exciting opportunity to collaborate with National Fish & Chip Award winners ahead of their prize trip to Norway in June, where they firsthand will experience the Norwegian fleet’s world-class sustainable fishing and processing facilities, producing premium quality whitefish for the UK’s favourite dish.

Victoria Braathen, UK director for the Norwegian Seafood Council commented: “It has been fantastic to connect with and work so closely with winners of the 2023 National Fish & Chip Awards to celebrate Norway Day.”

She continued, “Norway is proud supplier of seafood to the UK, and fish and chips is very much an important part of the seafood relationship between our two countries. Joining forces and being part of these celebrations is the perfect way to engage and come together. Food unites people – and this is certainly true when it comes to Brits’ favourite dish of fish and chips.”