This document discusses how traditional Norwegian mountain cuisine can provide a competitive advantage for tourism. It profiles Espen Blåfjelldal, who is half from northern Norway and half from a southern mountain region, and now runs a restaurant and brewery promoting local mountain food. Mountain food in Norway has traditionally focused on preservation methods like curing, salting, cheese-making, and fermenting to provide nutrition through the winter. However, some regions have now organized to successfully promote their local mountain cuisine and foods as a tourism destination, like Røros-mat in central Norway. Emphasizing the purity and health of mountain foods, their local character, and delivering an overall high quality experience can make mountain gastronomy a

1. Food from the norwegian mountains

2. Traditional rural and mountain
cooking, a competitive advantage:
the Norwegian Experience

3. Overview
• Norway and Norwegian history
• Norway as a tourism destination
• Typical approach to food for tourism, in the mountains
• What is Norwegian food today?
• How does our travellers needs change?
• Examples of mountain gastronomy as a competitive advantage

4. Quick facts about me
• Name: Espen Blåfjelldal (Means Bluemountainvalley)
• 50% from the north of Norway, 1/8 Sammi

6. Quick facts about me
• Name: Espen Blåfjelldal (Means Bluemountainvalley)
• 50% from the north of Norway, 1/8 Sammi
• 50 % from Valdres in the south mountain region

9. Quick facts about me
• Name: Espen Blåfjelldal (Means Bluemountainvalley)
• 50% from the north of Norway, 1/8 Sammi
• 50 % from Valdres in the south mountain region
• Lives here now
• Education from University of Adelaide
• Moved back
• Runs a restaurant, brewery and projects.
• Vice-president in Hanen

11. Norway
• A long stretch country with only 5 million people
• Norway a country in the artic
• Traditionally a country with fish and forrest
• Found oil in the 60’
• Now a big social-democratic success
• Women is working full time
• Oil price down

12. Norway as a tourism destination
• Exotic
• Fjords
• Northern light
• Cold
• Expensive
• Nature, much of it
• Once in a lifetime?

14. Norway for tourist
• Snow guaranty
• More accesible nature
• Temperature turists
• Mountain Norway
• Micro-segments
• Luxury

15. Norwegian Moutains
• Mountains in general between Bergen- Oslo – Stavanger and
Trondheim
• Low, from 800 meters, and maximum 2469 meters
• Three line at 1000 meters
• Snow from november untill april

17. Norwegian Moutains
• Mountains in general between Bergen- Oslo – Stavanger and
Trondheim
• Rural
• Scarcly populatet
• Traditionally destination for Norwegian turists
• Mountain hotels down
• Farming, summer farms, long winter

18. Typical approach to food for tourist
• International tourist was typicly groups, Low price
• Frozen salmon and industry
• Food along the way was fast food
• Dinner from 4pm to 7pm
• No restaurant culture in the mountains

19. Trends
• Industry - farm
• Imported - local
• The sharing economy
• Social media
• Air Travel - Norwegian, Budget flights
• Individual - Groups
• Climate
• Booking

20. What is Norwegian food today?

21. Norwegian food today
• Yesterday, first 3 star restaurants in Scandinavia
• Huge export of seafood
• Local food, farm food revolution last 10 years
• The local revolution lead by mountain food

22. Norwegian food today
• Huge export of seafood
• Fantastic chefs and restaurants
• Local food, farm food revolution last 10 years
• The local revolution lead by mountain food
• Cheese, cured meat, raindeer, beef, berries, vegetables etc
• Markeds in the cities

23. Mountain gastronomy
• Tradionally cooking to survive the winter
• Curing, salting, cheese, fermenting, stewing, jams etc
• Free range animals
• High level of antioxidants
• Higher levels of omega 3
• Tourism at summer farms

25. Røros-mat and Gudbrandsdalsmat
• Producers made a company together to sell, distribute and to
promote the region
• Common distribution and quality brand
• Started with food, now it is a travel destination

26. Røros-mat today
• Explosive growth
• Increase in tourist
• Many new businesses
• Deliver good results
• Sustainable

27. Why did Røros succed?
• Need, Bottom up
• Good helpers, bureaucrats
• Financial help from innovation Norway and local government
• Hard work

28. Protected food
• Rakfisk, fermented trout
• Mountain lamb from Gudbrandsdalen
• Cured leg of lamb
• Cured sausage from Valdres
• Mountain almond potato
• Cheese from Røros
• Fermented milk from Røros

30. Competitive advantage, mountain food
• Pure
• Healthy
• No industry approach
• Believable
• Extreme

31. Successpoints
• Hotels with good food is a success
• Food experience
• Experienced quality
• Give your costumers what they want ?
• They do not know what we can offer
• Over deliver
• Available

32. Success
• Social media
• Tripadvisor, ratings
• Google
• Destinations
• Traditional marketing is for the big ones

33. Food, success
• Fermented Trout
• Cured sausage and meet
• Raindeer
• Mountainpigs
• Lamb
• Game

34. Vinjerock, a case-studie

35. Vinjerock
• How can a festival sell out in under 10 seconds?
• The festival is in the middle of nowhere
• The infrastructure has to be re-established each year
• You can get better music in Oslo
• The success is the package
• Judge it by the least favourable experience

36. And of course, the mountain, food and beer!
• Reindeer, moose, lamb, mountainpig
• Local breweries
• Made on site

40. Festivals
• Food festivals
• Semifermented trout
• Rock-festivals with local food
• Demand for unique food in sportsevents

41. Brief
• Norway is small and exotic
• The mountains are cold and clean
• Mountainfood is pure and clean food
• Judge your quality by your least favourable ingredient
• Experienced quality
• Reviews
• Available