Metervare AS wins the 2023 Rural Development Award in Oslo

Metervare AS is a small sausage maker in Oslo with an ambition to make the world's best sausages. They use Norwegian ingredients, a high meat content and no artificial additives. Through its long-term, professional and innovative approach, the company has established a strong production business in Sinsen, Oslo, based on Norwegian ingredients, while helping to train a new generation of skilled professionals in the industry.

'This is absolutely fantastic. We are so grateful and proud to have won the Business Development Award for Oslo county,' says Brit Selebø of Metervare.

'At Metervare, we are a passionate and proud team with a wealth of expertise that we want to pass on. That is why our work with apprentices is so important to us: it preserves the knowledge of traditional craftsmanship, and above all, they are our future,' she says.

'It is also important to us to have a safe and supportive workplace, where we love coming to work with our colleagues and take pride in what we do and the products we make,' she says.

Metervare's vision is to make the world's best sausages. Its founder started the company because he felt that shops lacked good-quality sausages. The company has grown into a robust manufacturing business with strong resilience and a growing team. It focuses on using Norwegian, locally sourced and natural ingredients wherever possible, buying from other local food producers in the area. This results in better, more distinctive products while also boosting sales for other local food producers.

The fact that the company has no fewer than nine products awarded the Specialty label shows its particular skill in developing high-quality, distinctive sausages. The winner takes its responsibility as an employer seriously, with a strong focus on training new sausage makers. The company has several apprentices at a time, making an important contribution to recruitment into the profession. This year, it has Norway's only female apprentice sausage maker!

The winner is committed to promoting its home city, Oslo, and names its sausages after places in the capital. This creates a sense of pride in both the company and the city. Metervare also stands out with its cohesive, stylish design and playful logo. The jury is also impressed by how the company has secured distribution through the major supermarket chains and achieved strong sales and a sustainable financial position over several years.

'Metervare produces its quality sausages in the heart of the capital and provides vital jobs for apprentice sausage makers. Combined with its natural, locally sourced ingredients, excellent design and impressive distribution, there is no doubt that Metervare thoroughly deserves to win this year's Business Development Award for Oslo,' says Kristin Willoch Haugen, chair of the jury and our Regional Director for Oslo and Viken.

'Agriculture is not a major industry in Oslo, but as Vice Mayor for Culture and Business Development, I am committed to business-friendly policies that support a diverse business community. Above all, we welcome production here in Oslo. This is how we create jobs, value and positive experiences for people in our city,' says Anita Leirvik North (Conservative Party), Vice Mayor for Culture and Business Development, who attended the award ceremony.

- 'Entrepreneurs like Tommy Østhagen and Metervare, who spot opportunities and have the courage to invest, challenge the status quo and rethink food production, are vital. I am truly impressed by what they have achieved,' she says.

The candidates for this year's award were assessed against criteria covering economic, social and environmental sustainability, as well as innovation. The jury comprised representatives from Innovation Norway Oslo Viken, the County Governor of Oslo and Viken, Viken County Council, the Norwegian Farmers' Union and the Norwegian Farmers and Smallholders Union.