NORWAY. Norwegian fast casual restaurant chain Pink Fish, founded by Bocuse d’Or* winner Geir Skeie and partner Ronny Gjøse, is to open its first airport restaurant at Stavanger Airport, Sola in early 2019.
Pink Fish’s creators say that Norwegian premium salmon is “the star of the show” within the concept. “For us, great tasteful food is what is most important,” said co-founder and Chef Skeie, who handles all recipes and products.
“To be able to show all the exciting flavours you can pair with Norwegian salmon is great fun, and we love challenging established truths about how seafood can be used. We are happy to share our recipes, to show people just how easy it is.”
The opening follows a tough competitive tender with major international operators such as SSP and HMSHost International, according to Pink Fish CEO Gjøse.
Gjøse said that the company was excited to open its seventh Norwegian restaurant. “We launched Pink Fish less than a year ago and as a new brand we’re thrilled to be opening at one of the busiest Norwegian airports already,” he said.
“Avinor [the Norwegian airport authority] are extremely professional and demanding landlords. We believe that we have a unique concept and we do understand the passenger needs and different situations. We will be working hard to impress them and deliver great seafood and customer experiences.
“Pink Fish, designed by Portland Design in London, was ‘travelised’ from the start, and airports are ideal locations alongside busy high streets and shopping malls,” Gjøse continued. “We’ve included thoughtful details like hooks on our tables, special designed tables, our own soundscape and power outlets on every table to allow customers to charge their devices while eating a quick, tasteful and nourishing meal.
“Research shows that people on the move are hungry for healthier options without compromising on quality or taste, which we are more than happy to provide in the form of fresh and contemporary Norwegian salmon dishes with flavours from all over the world.”
Stavanger Airport Sola Head of Retail and F&B Development Elisabeth Strømstad said, “Opening Pink Fish at Sola shows that we’re continuing the expansion of our F&B offering in the direction our region and our passengers deserve – and know to appreciate.
“World champion Chef Geir Skeie and their Pink Fish concept deliver new ways of enjoying cool and tasteful salmon dishes; sustainably sourced, healthy, high-quality ingredients prepared in easy and smart ways, quickly and with a lot of good humour. Just as we like it at Stavanger airport, Sola. Serving as the airport for the [western Norway] food county Rogaland commits us to delivering the best and adding Pink Fish to our mix is something we’re sure our passengers will notice and appreciate.”
Pink Fish offers an array of salmon flavours from Europe, Asia and America. These include Indian salad with tandoori, yoghurt and mint; Thai green curry with coriander and mint; Texas BBQ burger with coleslaw & BBQ sauce; and Hawaiian Poké with chilli marinade and crunchy vegetables.
“In addition to delicious flavours, sustainability, traceability, openness and transparency are core values in the concept. At Pink Fish we only use biodegradable packaging, plastic is absolutely not in use. Our cutlery and straws are made of 100% natural starch, and the packaging from a bi-product from sugarcanes and corn. Norwegian farmed salmon is one of the most sustainable sources of protein there is,” Skeie added.
Skeie and Gjøse told The Moodie Davitt Report that further exciting airport locations outside Norway will be announced shortly. Look out for an extended profile of Pink Fish in our sister title The Foodie Report, coming soon.
*NOTE: The Bocuse d’Or is a biennial world cooking championship. Named after internationally famous chef Paul Bocuse, it is widely considered as the culinary equivalent of the Olympic Games. Norwegian chef and restaurateur Geir Skeie won the 2008 Bocuse d’Or Europe and the 2009 Bocuse d’Or world final.
NOTE (2): The Moodie Davitt Report also publishes The Foodie Report, the world’s only media focused on airport (and other travel-related) food & beverage. The Foodie Report e-Newsletter is published every two weeks and The Foodie Report e-Zine every month.
Please send all news of food & beverage outlet openings, together with images, menus, video etc to Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com to ensure unrivalled global exposure.
The company also organises the annual Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards. This year’s FAB took place on 20-21 June in Helsinki.
