Bonsak Malt wins the Business Development Award in Agriculture for Trøndelag
The 2023 Business Development Award for Agriculture in Trøndelag goes to Bonsak AS, led by Bodil Oust and Tyson Weaver.
'We are humbled and delighted to see that our efforts to showcase Norwegian grain as a raw material are appreciated,' say the award winners.
From uncertainty in primary production to the risks of running a start-up
Bodil took over her family farm, Kjesbu Nedre in Skogn, Levanger, in 2013. At the time, the farm produced grain and chicken. Uncertainty about the future profitability of traditional agricultural production led her and her partner to explore the possibility of processing their own grain into malt in 2015. Their own malt house was completed in 2018, housed in converted silos and a farm building. It was designed as a minimum viable solution to determine whether they could make a product profitable that was not yet available on the market.
'Building a market for a completely new product is hard, so we owe a huge thank you to our customers who have believed in us from day one,' says Bodil.
- Curious and innovative craft brewers who use our malt to create a high-quality end product have been instrumental in getting us where we are today.
The farm and the company are now investing NOK 18 million in a new industrial facility.
No longer dependent on imported raw materials
The malting process has been developed to take the characteristics of the local grain into account. This has helped create greater diversity in local food and drink, as access to high-quality Norwegian malt has inspired breweries and distilleries to give their products a distinctly Norwegian character.
At this year's beer festival in Trondheim, 50 of the 300 beers featured malt from Skogn. Hogna Brygg, Bryggeriet Frøya, Austmann and EC Dahls have won several international medals for beers brewed with Bonsak malt.
Growth and further development
After several years of producing malt with a distinctively Norwegian character, Bonsak AS has established itself as a nationwide supplier of speciality malt. Demand is growing, and production capacity will increase significantly during 2024. This will put further pressure on the farm's grain production, making agreements with other grain producers essential.
The jury's reasoning
Driven by a passion for their product and their own development expertise, they have disproved the myth that producing goods from Norwegian raw materials is not profitable. They have helped increase the diversity of local food products, while access to high-quality Norwegian malt has inspired breweries and distilleries alike to use Norwegian ingredients.
The candidate has demonstrated a strong ability to pursue systematic development and adapt to change. They score highly on innovation and financial sustainability, while maintaining a clear focus on the environment. Through international sales, they have also demonstrated significant potential for export growth.
This year's jury comprised Vigdis Harsvik, our Regional Director for Trøndelag, Audhild Slapgård, Director of Agriculture in Trøndelag, and Ingvill Dalsegg, Chair of the Main Committee for Business and Industry at Trøndelag County Authority.