-Sustainable and uncompromising flavors.

Sustainable growth is the new norm for business. As a large Nordic company, Orkla has a responsibility to lead the industry.

Agnes Bing Orgland, marketing manager for Naturli' and plant-based food at Orkla Foods Norway behind the counter at the Naturli' cafe in Skøyen.

In the new headquarters at Skøyen in Oslo, we meet one of Norway's largest and most innovative food manufacturers, Orkla Foods Norge. Well-known brands such as Nora, Stabburet, Toro, Bjellands and Idun are managed here, but new ones are also added continuously. Today, Systemkjøpmagasinet is visiting Orkla to learn more about the Naturli' series and about the company's massive focus on plant-based foods and sustainable food production.

Immediately convinced

At Orkla we meet chain sales manager Rene Pedersen and Agnes Bing Orgland, who is marketing manager for the plant-based Naturli´ series. We are taken to a vibrant “neighborhood café” in the backyard, and the good atmosphere quickly rubs off on us. Little did we know that we were now sitting in the Naturli´ concept’s very own café, a café open to everyone, and which, naturally, exclusively serves plant-based food and drinks. The gentle Dane Pernille rules the café, and Agnes says that she is almost the face of the Naturlí series. Pernille serves us some of the best vegan cappuccinos of all time, and the naturli´-e skepticism of a middle-aged journalist had to be buried on the spot. Now everything was in place for Agnes and Rene to teach us and all of Systemkjøpmagasinet’s readers about the many possibilities that the Naturli´ series offers, so that we can easily put tasty, plant-based, healthy and sustainable food on the menu.

Rene Pedersen, chain sales manager at Orkla Foods Norway.

Norway is eating greener and greener

Not many years ago, plant-based alternatives to meat were for the faint of heart. With the increasing focus on sustainability and healthier food, along with new impulses from an increasingly smaller world, we are now experiencing an explosion of interest in a more plant-based diet. Agnes says that the growth is particularly strong among urban, younger people, but that the trend is gaining momentum in ordinary families, canteens at work and among the general population. The growth is mainly due to a dietary trend, where people who do not categorize themselves as vegans or vegetarians are simply choosing to eat more plant-based. Rene says that in Orkla's own canteen, a separate section has been established with only vegetables, fruit and plant-based food. "Green Corner", as the concept is called, has been an immediate success, and 40% of all employees who visit the canteen choose to eat from here.

How is growth created?

Rene says that if you want to succeed in turning your diet in a green direction, you will never be able to succeed if the taste is not good. “You don’t have many chances to convince, so it’s important that the first bite is good,” he says. Agnes says that behind every single Naturli’ product lies an enormous amount of work, tasting and testing. “We don’t want Naturli’ to be a niche product, it should be food for everyone, and that everyone likes,” she adds. “Taste, appearance and texture are all factors that must be in place if you are to succeed with plant-based food.” In other parts of the world, people have historically eaten much more plant-based food than in Norway, and here too the same success criteria have been present for thousands of years. “A clear sign that we have succeeded is what we are experiencing in the KBS market (Kiosk, petrol and service market, editor’s note),” says Agnes. “In this ‘settled’ market, our Naturli’ burgers have really gained a foothold among both professional drivers and families on the go – it’s incredibly fun!”

"We don't want Naturli' to be a niche product, it should be food for everyone, and that everyone likes." - Agnes Bing Orgland, marketing manager for the Naturli' series at Orkla

Big thanks to the hospitality team!

Agnes says that the large-scale catering channel is perhaps the most important channel for a “new” concept like Naturli´. Here, you work with professionals who really want to focus on healthy food, and who also see the importance of a more sustainable menu. It is often in the canteens that you first become acquainted with plant-based alternatives to meat, and it is also here that you become convinced. “We have a huge amount to thank the chefs and food workers for,” says Rene. “Without them on the team, we would have had a much longer way to go.” It was not a bad joke for us in Systemkjøp to get from Agnes and Rene, and we pass it on to our many members who do a fantastic job, both in working towards a healthier and more sustainable diet for the entire Norwegian people.

Naturli' from Orkla Foods Norway