The Mathallen in Oslo should back Norwegian food. Five years after opening, there are only a handful of Norwegian eateries left.
Mathallen opened at Grünerløkka five years ago, the goal was to be a center for Norwegian food culture, and Norwegian small scale producers, and every third store was Norwegian.
Now, there are only three main Norwegian food outlets left. The rest of the hall’s 20 stores serve either a combination of foods from home, and abroad, or are purely foreign concepts, reports Nationen newspaper.
‘A lot of people are concerned about where the food comes from when it comes to the bottom line. They say they want to eat healthier food, more ecological, and be served quickly, but when they sit down at the table, it is the international, trendy concepts they choose. Local, Norwegian food has not become sexy yet’, said Mathallen’s chief manager, Frode Rønne Malmo.
A total of 50 companies have tried startups in the food hall. Of the original players from the opening date, 30 are still in operation.
© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today
