Norwegian seasonal produce and French croissants
2023 was not how division director of Food & Facilities, Trine Holmen-Løkken, imagined it would be. It was both better and more hectic.
The year in summary
“2023 has been an eventful and educational year,” smiles Holmen-Løkken.
“Our division saw organic growth of nineteen percent. Behind this is only what can be described as a real concerted effort from all of us.”
It is not just growth that has increased for Food & Facilities; profitability has also risen.
“The combination of high growth and increased profitability is proof of the incredibly hard work put in at every stage. In 2023, everyone from sales to operations performed at an astoundingly good level.”
Our division saw organic growth of nineteen percent.
Throughout the year, Holmen-Løkken and her colleagues have implemented plans that were laid down in the major reorganisation of 2022. As for everyone else, the start of the year was demanding, but with 35 start-ups and an even more hectic December than usual, the second, third and fourth quarters saw continuous growth.
“We spent a lot of time and effort adapting to the new normal of increased prices, higher inflation and more work from home. The need for flexibility grew from our customers, and we had to find new ways of remaining competitive. Looking at the record number of start-ups provides compelling proof that we are able to not only listen to market needs but also have an amazing ability to follow-through, driving projects forward.”
Even though most indicators were positive since last spring, some issues persisted throughout the year.
“In a tight economic situation, it is only normal for people to cut back on luxury spending. As a result, many of our restaurants of course faced challenges through 2023.”
The Food & Facilities’ catering business also faced tougher times last year, but one strategic decision managed to turn things around.
“For catering, we decided to target the corporate market even more. This turned out to be a smart and profitable decision, and we actually doubled revenue compared to the year before,” says Holmen-Løkken proudly.
Ekre
Much of 2023 was spent on an intensive and systematic rebranding of Eir Mat og Drikke to the new brand Ekre.
“We initiated this change because our insights told us that, despite its success, Eir Mat og Drikke was often associated with Eir Renhold,” explains Margita Stopkova, Director of Operations at 4Service.
“The brand identity was unclear, and the graphic profile did not correspond with our emphasis on food deliveries.”
Stopkova knows the new Ekre concept better than most, and through many years of experience in canteen operations she has developed a solid understanding of the sector. She followed the rebranding until the final brick was in place.
“Ekre is a clear and holistic concept that makes it easier to communicate with our customers. We can offer you delicious and sustainable meals prepared in a cost-effective manner. That’s all to say: a healthy lunch at a reasonable price.”
The canteen is perhaps the most important social gathering place in a business, and a comfortable canteen is vital for the working environment and well-being. Sharing meals with colleagues or taking a well-deserved break on your own is restorative during a hectic workday.
“Through this concept, we are also responding to market demands for more flexible and economical solutions. We offer our guests the option of paying only for what they eat. This is both practical and inclusive,” says Stopkova.
Ekre’s menus are carefully drawn up by Trine Roberts Bjørnbakk, Senior Advisor at 4Service, and quality assurance is carried out by the reputable Tine Sundfør, PHD, a Clinical Nutrition Physiologist from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Oslo (UiO).
“As farmers have always done, we use fruits and vegetables that are in season. Thankfully, many of them have a long shelf-life so we can have them on the menu for most of the year. We offer wide selection of warm and cold dishes based on Norwegian meat produce and sustainable, wild-caught fish from Norwegian waters. We also have a large selection of delicious vegetarian dishes.”
Every month, Ekre celebrates an ingredient as its “Hero of the Season”. The ingredient becomes a running theme at the buffet, and the goal is not just to offer delicious and nutritious food, but also to act as inspiration for our guests’ own kitchens.
“Everyone who works at Ekre does their utmost every day to ensure amazing dining experiences and an atmosphere that welcomes everyone. We want to make a positive contribution to our guests’ work lives, which is something I know is a source of great pride for all our employees.”
Stopkova knows how important teamwork and the passing on of knowledge is. She inherited her own interest for food from her mother.
“I feel at home in Norway, but I’m actually from Slovakia. I grew up on a farm and got to see for myself that if you want results, then you need to put in the effort. I’ve brought this knowledge from childhood with me, and it has obviously become a part of Ekre,” she concludes.
Søtt + Salt Bakery
In 2004, Frode Alræk and Fredrik Sørensen decided to start Søtt+Salt in Bergen.
1990
“After having worked at institutions like Statholdergaarden and Bagatelle, as well as taking inspiration from Denmark and the US, I wanted to go home. I grew up in Bergen and wanted to go back to my roots,” says Alræk.
Sørensen and Alræk rolled up their sleeves, and in no time Søtt+Salt had become a recognisable brand in the capital of Western Norway. The years went by, and in 2015 the two founding chefs got to know Gisle Pettersen.
2004
“Gisle was our ticket into the canteen market, and two partners quickly became three. We started first with two catering kitchens, but in May 2016, we decided to turn one of them into a bakery.”
Once the oven and dough mixer were in place, it did not take long for the founders’ own bread to become a part of the catering offering.
“In 2018, we opened a small bakery in Salhus and sold burger buns to a local restaurant,” explains Alræk.
“The bakery also baked bread and rolls for various canteens and provided a number of the city’s restaurants guests with fresh baked goods.”
In 2018, another and equally important event occurred. 4Service got in contact with Alræk, Sørensen and Pettersen.
“The chemistry was there right from the first meeting. It was important for us to continue the brand and the name Søtt+Salt, and Tor Rønhovde and everyone else at 4Service agreed that this was a good idea.”
2015
On 16 May 2019 in Bergen, the sale officially took place. Søtt+Salt became a part of 4Service, and a new adventure was about to begin.
“Part of the reason that we work so well together is that we share an ambition of never giving up. It was an important part of who we were before, and this has only been reinforced since the acquisition.”
It did not take long for the bakery at Salhus to get too small, and in 2020, Alræk heard that a new office building in Bergen city centre was in the works.
“We had something special at Salhus, maybe best illustrated by our own croissant master, Romain Trigueros, from France. When we decided to move the bakery to the city centre, two things were important for us. Continue the soul of the bakery and keeping Romain on the team.”
Romain was part of the move, and by joining 4Service, the dream of starting a larger bakery in the city centre had become a reality. Major investments were made, and in January, Søtt+Salt Bakery in Nygårdsgaten was finally ready to open.
“Eva Solheim, the general manager of the bakery, should get the lion’s share of praise for the opening being a success. She took all my Post-it notes and systematised them,” chuckles Alræk.
At the time of writing, Søtt+Salt Bakery has twenty-four employees and is open seven days a week.
“It is still the croissants that bring in most people, and we can also offer the treats that you would find at the best bakeries in Paris.”
Going forward, Søtt+Salt will continue its work in the city centre, but the plans do not end there.
“We want to offer our products to the rest of the 4Service family. We are already delivering to Gastro Catering, and in the future, we hope to be able to deliver to our various sites,” says Alræk.
The road ahead
Trine Holmen-Løkken is impressed by what Stopkova, Alræk and everyone else at Ekre and Søtt+Salt Bakery have achieved.
“They are skilled tradespeople with so much energy and great spirit. Together with the rest of the more than 1,500 employees in Food & Facilities, they are a team that is educational and inspiring to lead,” she says.
Ambitions remain high for the years ahead. To ensure further growth, Holmen-Løkken and the rest of the management team in the division have been working hard.
“We are all united around our next goals and have held many management meetings to ensure strong anchoring. Our enthusiasm is high, and after the meetings my inbox is always full of exciting insight and big ideas.”
If growth continues, both Holmen-Løkken and everyone else in the food industry will depend on even more skilled people.
“Delivering on goals is always demanding, but the hardest part is finding competent employees and the right composition for a team. This country has too few trained chefs and waiters, and this problem won’t go away in the years to come. I would challenge everyone, public authorities and businesses alike, to work together to find a solution so that we can still prepare and serve amazing Norwegian produce,” she concludes.