The Eckerö Linjen food philosophy

For the chefs and cooks on board M/S Eckerö, it's an early start every morning to prepare the food that will be served to the ship's guests during the day. But no matter what time of day you enter the kitchen, you are always greeted by the smell of something simmering in the pots or cooking in the oven. Most of what is served in the ship's restaurants is made from scratch on board, everything from stocks to long cooks.

"The meal should be a positive overall experience to take with your from the trip as a good memory," says chef Joakim "Jocke" Nordberg and warmly welcomes you into the world of food on M/S Eckerö.

The work in the kitchen consists of a lot of craftsmanship and for us it is important to use good and, as far as possible, locally produced ingredients in the cooking. This makes it more home-cooked and you get a greater sense of what you are preparing compared to using mass-produced products," says Joakim Nordberg.

For example, mushrooms from the Åland forests are used in cooking. This is largely thanks to a diligent helper, namely one of the retired masters of the Eckerö Line, who goes out into the mushroom forest every autumn to pick mushrooms for the ship.

Close co-operation with local producers

M/S Eckerö's chef handles all purchases of raw materials for the kitchen and they are constantly working to find new local producers to work with. In this way, they build up a close relationship with the suppliers and are given the opportunity to see how the actual production works and check the quality of the product. Knowing the history of the raw materials creates pride and knowledge among the chefs and cooks, which leads to a good end product.

"Using local produce is both environmentally friendly and a way of keeping track of the origin of the products. The local producers are very proud of their raw materials and are keen to ensure that they are handed over to people who take good care of them. So it's not just us making demands on them, it goes both ways," says Tomas Berlin.

The best food in the Baltic Sea

In total, there are between 9-20 cooks and cold waiters, depending on the season, who work in the kitchen and prepare the food served in M/S Eckerö's four restaurants. In order to develop and keep up with current trends, they constantly discuss new ideas with each other and work continuously on skills development. This includes bringing in external inspiration, such as the Swedish chef Paul Svensson, who has visited the ship on a number of occasions.

In food creation on board, we combine different flavours by one coming up with one thing and the other another. We bounce different ideas off each other, which eventually result in a dish that is served in our restaurants. In this way, everyone in the kitchen is involved in the creation of the dishes.

"Our common goal is to serve the best food in the Baltic Sea, and the most enjoyable part of this job is when a guest is very happy with what you have cooked for them. Then you feel a happiness in your body," says Joakim Nordberg.

To conclude, the common thread and clear guideline in everything when it comes to Eckerö Linjen's cooking is quite simple - It should taste good for real!

We aim to reduce food waste

Food waste is food that is thrown away that could otherwise have been eaten, as opposed to food that is not intended to be eaten, such as peelings, bones, seeds and coffee grounds.

We at Eckerö Linjen have a saying that food should be good for real. Our goal is that our food should taste good but also do good. Food production around the world causes great environmental impact and not everyone has access to enough food. Producing and cooking food that is then thrown away is an unsustainable waste. One of the UN's global sustainability goals is to halve food waste by 2030, and Eckerö Linjen wants to be part of the effort to achieve this goal.

For a long time, Eckerö Linjen has had a strong focus on choosing good quality local ingredients. By working more actively to inspire people to make better use of food and throw away less, Eckerö Linjen can help to ensure that there is enough food for more people without increasing the environmental impact. The most environmentally friendly food is the food that is eaten!

You as a guest with us at Eckerö Linjen can help us reduce food waste, below are some thoughts you can take with you:
- Please pre-book your meal so we can more easily plan how much food we will prepare for the day. You also get a lower price for the meal in the buffet when you pre-book online.
- In Kafé Käringsund, where the home-cooked food is portioned, please tell us how big a portion you can eat. You can always get more if you don't get full!
- Rather take moderation, rather take more! Enjoy the good food in Bufférestaurang Bornholm, but feel free to pick up several times rather than taking more than you can handle the first time you pick up.

If you have any questions about the food served on board, do not hesitate to contact us!