We sat down with Rie Stendorf Hansen, head of department at Norly's canteens, to talk about how to rethink tasty and responsible food while maintaining high customer satisfaction and having the resources and gastronomic courage to develop greener canteen menus.
Five of our kitchens have the bronze Organic Food Label. The plan was to go for silver, but that means limitations in choice, so we have chosen to stick to about 50% organic. With the diet and climate councils we are working especially on reducing the amount of meat. We work with higher quality meat but in smaller quantities, and then we focus on more variety of pork, lamb, beef and poultry.
Post-corona, we have stuck to portioning in bowls or platters on the buffet. This helps to control our food waste and meat quantities in a good way - so we continue to do so. The salad buffet is still 'take-it-yourself' with the new green proteins, e.g. chickpeas, lentils, horse beans etc., says Rie Stendorf Hansen.
Fresh ingredients in season We have a purchasing policy that is based on Europe as our purchasing area. That doesn't mean we don't want Danish and local, but we just can't manage it, either in quality or price. For example, we do not buy grapes from South Africa or avocados from Mexico. Vegetables and fruit follow the season, which means that as a rule we do not buy bananas when Danish apples and pears etc. are in season.
More green meals We challenge our canteen guests to try something new that they don't eat every day. We work with lentils, chickpeas, split peas, etc., but it takes time to motivate and integrate into meals. The younger canteen users, on the other hand, are more open and want more green options. For the first time in our user satisfaction survey, more vegetarian dishes were requested. I haven't seen that before, but it tells me there's a movement going on," Rie concludes. Taste and satiety On a daily basis, we focus on vegetables, taste and texture. The hot dish of the day is often portioned and we make a big deal about the look and colour of the presentation. Each week we have one day with a vegetarian dish, one day with a dish where meat is used in small quantities as a flavouring, for example pancetta in pasta or ham in pies, while the other three days are with meat. We cook vegetable broths ourselves as basic ingredients and flavourings for the green dishes, because we want to spice up the taste. We use umami sources like cheeses, nuts, soy and acid much more than before.
In general, our guests like chili sin carne, dahl, risotto/bygotto with mushrooms, vegetarian burgers with eggplant, grilled or breaded. This winter season, vegetable soups with rich side dishes, bread and toppings have been popular. To the question of satiety in green meals, Rie says that here they have worked with the coarse vegetables and different types of cabbage, e.g. roasted cauliflower, pointed cabbage and broccoli, which have good filling and lots of fibre.
There is no doubt that the amount of meat is decreasing and there is more focus on the new green proteins, grains and seeds. I also think that the buffet will take on a different form, and I believe that bread will flourish and take on a new role in green cuisine. Bread has been vilified as unhealthy, but there are so many micro-bakeries making exciting new baked goods. At Norlys, we are very active in developing bread with our skilled bakers, both with sourdough but also exciting cereals. Bread, cereals and grains will become a satiating factor in the green meals of the future, predicts Rie.
Need for new and green inspiration
We miss more useful inspiration from suppliers. That they work with inspiration from the new, green proteins, less meat and think in completely new ways, where taste and texture are in order, so that the canteen guests do not feel that they are missing out on anything, but a nice meal experience.
Norlys in 2025?
We've definitely turned up the green a lot more and down the meat. I think we've also cut back on the buffet selection. I dream about that. It's going to be a process, but the younger canteen-goers are open. They think in climate-friendly menus and demand more vegetarian dishes, so that's the way it goes, Rie rounds off.
We ensure consistent choice and quality in all our canteens. All locations should taste of Norlys.
We make the food from scratch, so we know that the ingredients have been treated properly and put together just right.
We put good taste first. Because when we start with the goal of creating a great tasting experience, we naturally get the best result in the end.
