Norwegian pavilion at Grüne Woche featuring food and drink from Trøndelag and Fjord Norway

The Norwegian pavilion offers cider from Hardanger and a range of delicacies from Trøndelag, among other things.

Nearly 400,000 people are expected to visit Messe Berlin, where around 60 exhibitors from the two Norwegian regions will showcase some of the finest local food and travel experiences our country has to offer.

'Anyone who has travelled knows how important food and drink are to the overall tourism experience. Norway's participation at Grüne Woche will further develop and promote Norway as a recognised food, drink and tourism destination with a distinct local and regional identity,' said our CEO, Håkon Haugli, as he introduced Minister of Agriculture and Food Sandra Borch, who officially opened the pavilion.

'Norway’s participation at Grüne Woche is one of the largest annual international showcases of Norway. This year, our impressive stand features exhibitors from Trøndelag and Fjord Norway. It gives visitors a taste of some of the finest experiences these regions have to offer, both in terms of tourism and food,' said Sandra Borch.

Sandra Borch and the Norwegian pavilion also welcomed Germany's Minister of Agriculture, Cem Özdemir.

The Norwegian Food Foundation also attended the opening, presenting the Specialty label to ice cream producer Storfjordis for its hazelnut Storfjordis, Ystepikene from Rogaland for its Jærsk Havsletteost cheese, and Den Sorte Havre for its oat rice. The latter two were also finalists for the 2022 Business Development Award in Agriculture, which Den Sorte Havre won at yesterday's awards ceremony.

Grüne Woche has proved a hit with the public and cemented its position as Berlin's most visited trade fair. In 2019, sales exceeded EUR 50 million for the first time during the ten-day event.

Our aim is to showcase 'Norway as a sustainable food nation', helping to create more opportunities for international sales and attract more visitors to Norway.

‘Norway’s participation at Grüne Woche in Berlin will help strengthen the reputation of Norwegian food and tourism. International tourists are looking for locally rooted food, culture, hunting, fishing and nature experiences that reflect the places they visit. They want distinctive and authentic food and other experiences. Here at Grüne Woche, we can test our own products, build international connections and gain experience that will help us compete more effectively in a highly competitive international market,’ said Borch.

The County Governors of Rogaland, Vestland and Møre og Romsdal, together with Matarena AS, run the programme in Western Norway. Twenty businesses have been selected to represent the region's diverse food and drink offering, with tourism operators also joining the team. The programme places particular emphasis on cider and the surrounding natural landscape to promote tourism. The participants from Fjord Norway share a vision of great food and drink that enriches the experience of Norwegian nature and culture.

Cider production in Norway is a success story. In a short space of time, it has grown from a narrow niche into an industry with high turnover, strong investment appetite among farms and, more recently, a shortage of raw materials. The industry is characterised by new producers outside the traditional regions, fresh ideas and extensive collaboration. Today, Norway has 50–60 cider producers.

'Sider frå Hardanger' has officially been granted protected designation status, and Hardanger has set a target of producing one million litres of cider by 2025. Last year, 750,000 litres were produced in Hardanger, but production was slightly lower in 2022 due to a poor apple harvest.

'We want to take the Nordic cider revolution to the world. Norway has a unique combination of climatic and structural conditions. Norwegian cider is distinctive and has great potential to become a hallmark of our region and of Norwegian tourism more broadly,' says project manager Dirk Kohlmann from the County Governor of Vestland.

At Grüne Woche in Berlin, a dedicated cider tasting table showcases the diversity of cider through a journey across the Fjord Norway region. The concept had its dress rehearsal at the opening of the Norwegian pavilion, where the minister was impressed by the menu presentation. Courses for up to 14 people will also run three times a day during the trade fair, with opportunities to sample a variety of food from the region.

'Our culinary team will create flavourful menus featuring pairings such as cheese from Ystepikene, Myrdal and Ryfylke Gardsysteri, meat from Varegga, Kandal and Frøysagarden, and cider from Edel, Skarbø, Apal, OmCider and Hardangerboden. Temptations like these are hard to resist and will boost sales in Norway,' Kohlmann believes.

'When it comes to cider, production volumes in Norway are limited, but we focus more on quality, and that is where we can compete. We are now really looking forward to ten action-packed days,' says Kohlmann.

Trøndelag is attracting growing international attention as a culinary destination. This year, Trondheim and Trøndelag became the first region in Norway to be named a European Region of Gastronomy. Trondheim will also host the World Cheese Awards in autumn 2023, while the European Culinary Championships will take place in the region in 2024. They expect more and more food-loving tourists to visit Trøndelag in search of unique culinary experiences.

'Our aim in taking part in Grüne Woche is to help establish Norway and Trøndelag as a recognised food and tourism destination with a distinct local and regional identity. Through the menu we serve, we give German visitors a taste of the unique and exciting culinary experiences our region, Trøndelag, has to offer. Today, we tested the menu on the Minister of Agriculture, and she was very pleased. Now the other visitors will have the opportunity to taste and experience Trondheim and Trøndelag, European Region of Gastronomy,' says Brit Melting, Project Manager at Oi! Trøndersk Mat og Drikke.

In Berlin, they will hand out 4,000 postcards as part of a competition open to the public. The prize is a dream weekend for two in Røros, Innherred, Øyriket or Trondheim.

'Our goal is to increase demand for local food and attract more visitors to our region, which in turn will boost sales of food experiences here at home. Taking part means a great deal to us because it helps us develop the region as a food destination. This is where new networks and partnerships are formed,' says Melting.

Producers and tourism operators from Trøndelag look forward to serving local food and sharing stories about Norway and Trøndelag. The stand will feature 30 participants from the tourism industry and local food and drink producers, showcasing ingredients and products from 40 producers. The menu reflects the diversity found across Trøndelag:

• Halibut from the Namdal coast (Rørvik Fisk), cured leg of lamb from Namdalseid (Holstad gård), elk from Steinkjer (Vilteksperten), reindeer from Røros (Stensaas), cured salmon from Frøya (Garnviks Røkeri), crab from Hitra (Hitramat), meringue and blueberry yoghurt from Røros (Galåvolden gård and Rørosmeieriet), and chicken from Orkanger (Norsk Kylling).

• The menu also features 12 different cheeses from 10 dairies in Trøndelag

• Two types of chocolate from Jentene på Tunet, and meat dishes such as Li-bab from Lierne, elk sausage from Fosen and wild garlic sausage from Frosta, feature among the three dishes in the tasting area, alongside cured salmon from Frøya and a selection of cheeses.

• Beer tastings from four different breweries in Trøndelag, and Fjellbreeze with lingonberries and gin from Røros

• 4 non-alcoholic drink flavours from Mikkelhaug in Levanger and Røros Bryggeri

• 3 cocktails created by Britannia Hotel using local ingredients, including aquavit and sea buckthorn distillate from Inderøy Brenneri, and Granskauen Gin from Fosen

Trøndelag is also home to several products with protected designations: Skjenning from Røra Bakeri, Tjukkmjølk from Rørosmeieriet, Fjellmandel from Oppdal and Fenalår.

Fursetgruppen also uses products from Trøndelag, bringing the total number of Trøndelag producers represented through ingredients and products at IGW 2023 to more than 50.

Grüne Woche began as a small agricultural fair in 1926 and has since grown into a major event spanning more than 128,000 square metres. Around 40,000 visitors and 1,900 exhibitors from 72 countries are expected to attend.

Participants from Norway make new contacts and build networks with both Norwegian and international communities.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food owns the project for Norway's participation, and we are responsible for its implementation.

• Edel Sider/Åkre Gard (Norway's best fruit brandy and ice cider 2022)

• Fjellestad Farm Kitchen

• Fretheim Hotel

• Gardsbrenneriet AS (Bronze at the Nordic Cider Awards 2022)

• Hardangerbonden (Norway's best flavoured cider 2022)

• Myrdal Gard (Gold at the 2022 World Cheese Awards)

• Slettevollen Farm Dairy in Brekke

• Kandal Kjøtt

• Varegga Mat fra Bergen AS (Sustainability Award 2021)

• Buer Farm and Restaurant

• Eggen Restaurant

• Frøysagarden

• Tingvoll Cider at Strupstad Farm (silver and bronze at the Nordic Cider Awards 2022)

• Sider AS

• Skarbø Gard (2022 Rural Development Award in Møre og Romsdal, two silver medals at the 2022 Nordic Cider Awards)

• Apal Sideri (Gold and 2 x silver at the Nordic Cider Awards 2022)

• Lysefjorden Chocolate

• OmCider AS (Gold and bronze at the Nordic Cider Awards 2022)

• Ryfylke Gardsysteri

• Ystepikene AS (Rogaland Rural Development Award 2022)