Danish

The canteen in Agro Food Park 26 – Proud owner of the organic cuisine label in silver

Last week, the canteen in Agro Food Park 26 was awarded the organic cuisine label in silver. On this occasion, the canteen in collaboration with Økologisk Landsforening, which also has an office in the same building, had planned a small celebration. A very nice, very large and very organic carrot cake was baked for the occasion. When the time showed 12 o’clock, Rita Ramona Høgh from Økologisk Landsforening could proudly hand over a small statuette and new aprons to head chef Helle Lund Buus and the other employees in the canteen at Agro Food Park 26.

"I think it's great to have received the organic cuisine label in silver. As a minimum, we have a requirement that we must have the bronze cuisine label in the canteens of Food & Co. The silver label means just a little more work. You must be more aware, both in relation to purchases and in relation to the use of ingredients differently" - Tells Helle about the work to get the cuisine label.

An organic food label in silver is a certified marking from the public authorities in Denmark, which shows that one's total purchases of organic wares is within a certain percentage of all the wares. A silver cuisine label shows that all the wares in an establishment is between 60% and 90% organic.

"Besides the fact that you have to go through your purchases and of course look at where the organic wares are more expensive than the conventional ones, you also start looking at which raw ingredients you can use that are organic. The way you prepare food must be changed. You look at the processes in the kitchen in relation to optimization, and it may happen that you must work with some organic ingredients, which have a different season than the conventional ingredients that you may have been used to. In this way, it also requires a high level of professionalism in the kitchen from the employees.” – Tells Rita about the process of getting the organic cuisine label in silver.

According to Helle Buus, the fact that the canteen in Agro Food Park 26 now has received the organic cuisine label in silver means more opportunities for guests and tenants. There is a great variety of companies and employees in Agro Food Park. With different eateries that focus on different things, you can match everyone’s preferences as broadly as possible.

"In addition, ecology is also a good idea, which we would also like to support." – Helle points out.

The canteen in Agro Food Park 26 opened on the 1st of August 2022. The canteen has therefor relatively quickly received the organic cuisine label in silver.

“I was excited to see how long it would take us to get the silver label. One thing is that we know the canteen in Agro Food Park 15, and can run it with a bronze label, but to start a brand-new kitchen while also having this goal was ambitious. It was exciting to see if we had enough basic knowledge to get up to a silver label relatively quickly. We took our experience from the canteen in no. 15 over the road to no. 26, but I would still like to say that the kitchen staff in no. 26 have put in a huge amount of work. I am proud that we have achieved this in such a short time.” - notes Helle.

The tenants of Agro Food Park 26 have also had an influence on the choice to go for the organic cuisine silver label in silver. The building has attracted many companies and departments of companies that work with ecology. Among others, you will find Økologisk Landsforening, Innovations Center for Økologisk Landbrug, as well as the ecology departments in SEGES Innovation and Landbrug & Fødevarer.

"Agro Food Park 26 is a building in development, one of the reasons for this is that the building is not completely full of tenants. In no. 13 and 15 you have your own culture, and in no. 26 a new culture is also being developed.” – Helle points out.

There are indications that ecology has gradually become a large part of the culture at Agro Food Park 26, but of course there is also room for others.

"After all, Agro Food Park 26 is a sustainable construction, and ecology is connected to that. Because ecology is also about having a holistic view. Ecology is a good benchmark for taking the earth's resources seriously." – Rita tells.

In addition to the silver dining label, the canteen in no. 26 has also decided to be a greener alternative to the other eateries in the Agro Food Park.

"It is a greener canteen, and we use fewer animal products We are working to get our guests to join in on this idea, but we already find that they are really happy about it. It may be a difficult challenge, but it is also a good challenge. The world is developing towards being greener. Therefore, the next challenge or goal will be to work more with the green kitchen.” – Helle concludes.

If you are interested in knowing more about the difference between the three eateries in Agro Food Park, you can watch a video about this right here.