Food Studio

Food Studio is also one of the happy collaborators and was fortunate to host one of the TRIPPEL events this January where the theme was Experimentation. It became a day packed to the brim with inspiration – and undoubtedly good food and drinks.

To sum it up quickly – TRIPPEL is an innovation program led by Scandinavian Design Group and the environmental organization GreeNudge. During six individual gatherings organized from November 2014 until April 2015 the members will collaborate on exploring, developing and testing out new products and services. The goal is a triple win: Increased profitability, reduced emissions and positive contributions to the society as a whole.

– There are a lot of arenas where you can discuss social responsibility, but far too few networks where key players within food develop new solutions together. Instead of fixing a little on every individual jigsaw piece, we want to see the whole picture. This will cement a whole new foundation for open innovation, says Mads Bruun, initiator and strategic councilor in Scandinavian Design Group.

In true Food Studio style the attendees were met outside by a bonfire and a delicious apple and currant toddy prepared by head bartender Anne Maurseth (from No. 19 in Oslo), before they were offered comforting woolen jackets (the traditional Norwegian «lusekofte») and slippers. The lunch itself consisted of dishes made by old bread and seasonal vegetables – proving that you can make a delicious meal based upon the two ingredients Norwegian throw away far too soon.

To plan the experimental phase of the TRIPPEL concept development the day was packed with numerous tasks. The companies involved decided on which concepts to work further on and bring to experiment, and then began to plan and prepare for the actual experiments. It is all based on the lean start up thinking where you early in the development process test out the concept idea with low budget and simple tools to see how the actual market react. It’s all about maximise learning and bringing down the risk factors. So far there are a lot of great concepts on the sketching board, and the most viable ones will be presented before Summer.

Food Studio also contributed with an inspirational talk by Gitte Holmboe who founded Bøgedal, a small Danish brewery in Vejle, with her husband Casper Vorting. They have rejuvenated Nordic Beer tradition by emphasizing on old barley varieties and the artisan craft of brewing. Runa Klock gave a talk about Epleslang, a socially oriented company that produces apple juice from gardens with an abundance of windfall (that would otherwise end up rotting). Klock collaborated with Nordpolen and other social companies that work with mentally disabled people and won the prestigious Ferd Award last year for outstanding entrepreneurship.

The participators seemed very satisfied with the event and Per Christensen, Managing Director of SiO Foodservice (the country’s largest supplier of student food and beverages) elaborated gladly:

– TRIPPEL is relevant for SiO Foodservice because we offer services to a young, conscious and demanding group of customers and many of them feel a great commitment to social responsibility and the environment.

– If we are to meet the student’s demands for quality in the future, it’s essential that we can offer both responsible and sustainable food solutions. The most valuable aspect with TRIPPEL is the access to valuable competence and resources within the field of social responsibility and sustainability. This had straightened our insight greatly. We have also learned a lot from the innovation process itself, says Christensen.

Words by Thea Urdal
Photographs by Svein G. Kjøde