WHEN IT COMES TO food experimentation, Kevin Powell is no stranger – and the menu he created recently at Carlsberg’s experimental brewery in Copenhagen reflects that.
Think sourdough naan breads made with leftover coarse material from beer production, topped with foraged nettled and lilac, feta and local asparagus. For main? Whole sea trout wrapped in newspaper with aromatic hops and lovage cooked directly on coals.
Kevin, a self-styled food trailblazer (the mind behind Gruel Guerilla and some of Ireland’s most exciting restaurants including Dublin 8 spot Meet Me In The Morning), is one of four Irish personalities taking part in The Danish Experiment.
The web series created by Carlsberg sees Kevin, street artist Maser, stylist Jo Linehan and Kodaline bassist Jay Boland discover what they can learn from Copenhagen to take to their creative careers back home. It follows the group as they explore the Danish way of living, learning what makes them so different to their European counterparts.
Here’s what Kevin learned during his travels to the Michelin star-filled Danish city, and how it could inspire our own dining scene here.
1. Sustainability is everything
“I got paired up with Marie Hertz while we were in Copenhagen. She’s very similar to me, she has a restaurant an hour outside of Copenhagen called Birkemosegaard Køkken. It’s by the sea and gets all of its vegetables from an organic farm that supplies some of the best places to eat in Copenhagen”, explains Kevin.
“She also has a sustainable space in Copenhagen in a greenhouse where she hosts meals using only organic and sustainable ingredients. We actually planned our menu together while we were foraging for ingredients. I think the goal of sustainability will outweigh the focus on local ingredients.”
2. Stay close to your ingredients
“Marie and my own views on local food are super similar – what I really admired about her was her willingness to spread her knowledge in different locations with different people.” For Kevin, her proximity to the farm was really impressive for him as a chef:
“Her kitchen is right beside the farm where her vegetables come from, I would love to be that close to my producers, being able to find vegetables that were available day by day. I’m also sure they wouldn’t mind if I came and pulled my own potatoes once in a while!”
3. Surround yourself at mealtimes
While their dedication to local produce was a big draw for Kevin, he was also inspired by the way that they eat: “I feel that whatever the Danes tend to do is never a lonely activity.”
He explains: “They take time to do things together, be it cook or eat. They do it comfortably and surrounded by people that they want to be with.”
4. Never underestimate the power of breakfast
So, what did Kevin do on his first day in the wonderful Danish capital? Check out the breakfast scene with Kodaline’s Jay Boland: “I visited Atelier September with Jay to get breakfast on our first day.”
“This is one of my long-time favourite cafés in Copenhagen and has a super relaxed pace and a calm atmosphere. We sat watching Copenhagen wake up over some soft-boiled eggs and an interesting porridge topped with lovage oil.”
5. Don’t take things so seriously
The speed of life in Ireland can be a little faster than we’d like sometimes, and the Danish attitude to relax a little was something else Kevin reckons we could learn from: “They are relaxed when they work and how they greet you.”
“It always feels like they’re enjoying their time there. It never seems like a stressful place to visit or work in”, adds Kevin.
6. The Irish are a culinary force to be reckoned with
As Kev spoke about previously in the series, some of Copenhagen’s most famous dishes are created by Irish talent in their kitchens. It was something that really came across when he was learning to live The Danish Way:
“Kevin O’Donnell has recently moved to Amass while also being in Kadeau. I think one of the most well-known figures has been Louise Bannon who was at one time the pastry sous chef at NOMA and is now on a quest to open a bakery using ancient grains. She had actually just spent a few days with Marie Hertz before I arrived.”
7. Interesting spaces are the future
Although Ireland is getting more adventurous when it comes to restaurant venues (take Misunderstood Heron food trailer in the Connemara countryside for example), Copenhagen still leads the way, according to Kevin:
“Myself and Jay talked about the differences in opening up a place in Dublin and Copenhagen. It’s easier there – you can find a wonderful space and attempt to build what you want there with less restrictions. You can find some tiny interesting unique spaces in Copenhagen that you might never find anywhere else.”
Want to find out what makes Denmark one of the happiest places in the world? Keep an eye out for the third episode of The Danish Experiment, which will be unveiled on TheJournal. Follow Carlsberg Ireland on Facebook and Instagram to tune in to the series and for behind-the-scenes edits . Enjoy Carlsberg sensibly, visit drinkaware.ie.
