Arctic Challenge in Akureyri
Iðan was on site at the Arctic Challenge competition in Akureyri, where contestants competed in cooking, cocktail making, and butchery. Chef Árni Þór Árnason talks about the origins of the association and the competition itself.
Arctic Challenge is a non-governmental organisation founded in Akureyri in 2021 with the aim of promoting development, education, and passion in the food and restaurant industries in North and East Iceland. Chefs Árni Þór Árnason and Alexander Magnússon founded the organisation in the middle of the global pandemic with the goal of uniting the industry during a difficult time characterised by closures and loss of income due to gathering restrictions.
Not just a competition—also education
“Everyone in the restaurant industry was dying of boredom,” says Árni Þór about the COVID period. That was certainly about to change. The activity breathed life into the food and restaurant sectors, trainees are enjoying their work, and now professionals in North and East Iceland know each other better. Árni Þór says the organisation has grown a lot. “The first competition was held in January 2022 and was very well received in North and East Iceland. Alongside the competition, lectures and educational events were held, which were very popular. We decided to just do this properly.”
Butchery competition
The competition was held on March 2nd at the Akureyri Comprehensive College. The organisers had clear goals regarding sustainability and reducing food waste and required competitors to consider these factors. A new competition category saw the light of day, Arctic Butcher, as this year marked the first time a butchery competition was held. Competitors were given 3.5 hours to demonstrate their skills in deboning a beef shoulder, a pork shoulder, half a lamb carcass, and a beef flank. They then had to set up a meat counter display. The winner of the competition was Davíð Clausen Pétursson, and in second place was Ágúst Sigvaldason.
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Given 1.5 hours to create a menu
The Arctic Chef competition was held at the same time, and competitors in that event had to pair up with the butchery competitors and order from them the cut of meat they would then use in the main course of their competition. Besides the meat, competitors were given 1.5 hours to create a menu after being allowed to view pre-selected ingredients. Once the menu was created, the competitors went together to Krónan, where they were allowed to choose fresh and good ingredients. In the competition itself, competitors had to prepare a 3-course menu, and in addition to judging taste and appearance, competitors had to be mindful of food waste. The competition was thrilling, but in the end, it was Sindri Freyr Ingvarsson who emerged as the winner, with Matthías Pétur Davíðsson in second place.
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Zero waste
In the Arctic Mixologist cocktail competition, competitors put on a show where a number of contestants shook cocktails in front of guests. The theme of this year's competition was “Zero Waste,” and the mandatory ingredient was Koskenkorva Vodka. Competitors had 15 minutes to prepare and serve 4 glasses. Immediately after serving the drinks, competitors had to take a written test. This year's winner was Thelma María Heiðarsdóttir, in second place was Elmar Freyr Arnaldsson, and in third was Andri Þór Guðmundsson.
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