The best salmon is happy, healthy and green

Off the coast of Trøndelag, where the Gulf stream meets the Norwegian sea, lies Frøya – a beautiful island with an old fishing community. Here, you’ll find some of the best salmon on the planet. One of the companies bringing this salmon to dining tables around the world is the family business Måsøval.

By Hanna Margrethe Enger

It all started in 1972, when Edvin Måsøval made sea enclosures and freezer rooms for the feeding, care and storage of farmed fish. The following year, Måsøval Fiskeoppdrett AS was founded by Måsøval and his sons Bjørn and Karsten.

The company has since expanded to some 220 employees, and is now led by the third-generation of Måsøvals, Lars and Anders Måsøval. The head office is still on Frøya, with new facilities on the neighbouring island of Hitra, and along the Norwegian coast from Ørsta up to Levanger.

Made by nature, pioneered by Måsøval

There is an extraordinary tidal range off the coast of Frøya that creates a stream of fresh, oxygen-rich and icy water, in which the salmon swim. This results in healthy and plump salmon that boast a great texture, good fat content and a vibrant red hue.

In 2013, Måsøval became Global G.A.P. certified. G.A.P stands for Good Agricul- ture Practice and the certification documents that Måsøval takes sustainability, the environment and animal welfare very seriously. In addition to good systems for traceability, the certification requires well-documented hygiene measures, infection measures, safe harvesting and packaging.

The health of the fish is of utmost importance to Måsøval, and they even employ a ‘head of fish health’ to make sure that every fish thrives. In total, the company produces around 25,000 tonnes of healthy salmon a year.

Farming for the future

Måsøval are highly aware that they are only borrowing the coastal resources at their disposal. It is nature that makes the great salmon, with Måsøval helping it along. They aim to leave as small a footprint as possible for future generations.

To achieve this, they changed how they powered their facilities. Where they used to power them with loud, polluting generators that relied on 70,000 litres of diesel a year, today they have laid a fivekilometre-long high-voltage line from land out to sea, which provides clean, quiet energy. With the generators gone, the air is fresh and all you can hear is the sound of the sea. www.masoval.no

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The traditional Norwegian folk costume, the ‘bunad’, is seemingly more popular than ever. At Bunadhjørnet in Sandnes, staff has produced bunads from Rogaland, a regional version of the revered Norwegian folk costume, since 1994.

By Eva-Kristin U. Pedersen | Photos: Bunadhjørnet

At Bunadhjørnet, each costume is made by hand in a traditional manner, from the cutting of the first piece of cloth to the application of the last silver pin. In addition to producing fully-fitted costumes, they also alter existing bunads and sell yarn and accessories.

“We sell all the materials you need by the metre, as well as the extras like shoes, laces and silver. We also have silver knives from a local Sandnes silversmith,” says Gerd Marit Sandberg, owner of Bunadhjørnet.

Hand-made and fitted

With three full-time staff employed in the specialised bunad sewing room, plus the experienced staff working in the shop, Bunadhjørnet is a good place to come to for expert advice and information if you are thinking of investing in a bunad.

Sandberg says that every piece they make is custom fitted to the person who is to wear it. She stresses that costumes are not sold over the counter in specific sizes.

“A bunad is commonly bought for young girls before their confirmation but often their mothers also buy one. Regardless of the client, we fit every piece to their bodies to ensure a perfect fit,” she explains, adding that a lot of their customers return to refit their bunad as they grow older.

To be sure to receive the bunad in time for the spring festivities, you’ll need to approach Bunadhjørnet in August. “Making one bunad takes a few weeks, but with a production of some 80 fully-fitted costumes a year, in addition to other work we do, we need time,” Sandberg stresses.

A treasured tradition

There are about 450 different types of bunad in Norway. Each design varies in colour and decoration, depending on the region it comes from. Bunads come in both male and female versions and are typically worn for confirmations, weddings and baptisms, and not forgetting for 17 May, Norway’s Constitution Day. They are decorated with traditional patterns and silver, and cost from 4,500 Euros up to as much as 12,500 Euros a piece. In spite of the cost, this traditional outfit is a musthave in Norway. “Just about everyone preparing their confirmation has a bunad now,” Sandberg underlines.

www.bunadhjornet.no

Instagram: @bunadhjornetas

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