Food inspirationist, cookbook author, presenter – you name it. Everything Tina Nordström does is ”jättegott” (very tasty) and great, and is performed with a big smile and enormous energy. Ever since she made her breakthrough sometime in the early 2000s, she has been immensely popular.
We always have a lot of balls in the air at the same time. Out of ten, one lands. That's a bit what it's like to be self-employed.
When INRIKES reaches chef Tina Nordström by phone, she is on her way to Mariefred. She is in the middle of filming Hela Sverige bakar, but is currently on a break. This year, the filming is taking place at Ulriksdal Castle. But there's no staying in castle chambers for Tina.
– My dog Bonnie and I are currently living in a caravan, she says, laughing her clear and infectious laugh, referring to the springer spaniel that we can sometimes glimpse fleetingly in the background of the programme.
The recording period is intense. The regular All of Sweden bakes and the celebrity version are being recorded one after another. And according to the presenter, there will be a lot of travelling between their home just outside Helsingborg and the recording location in Solna.
“That’s how I always manage, she says cheerfully, adding that she probably doesn’t work any harder than the rest of us.”.
– I think I actually work less. Some periods require a huge amount from me. Then I step back, work less and can relax and manage my own time. It was the same when I worked seasonally in the pub. You go into a kind of ”cap down and go for it” feeling, she adds.
Exercise is important
She means that it's the same in most things that she does. Not least when it comes to training, which is an important part of Tina's life.
– Then I'll pull down my cap and go for it – I'm like a bulldozer. That's how I want it and I feel very good about it.
Besides building a strong body that can withstand strain, training has also been a way for me to clear my head.
– I go inside myself, it's a bit like meditating. I rarely listen to anything when I exercise; instead I'm just in the forest or wherever I happen to be. I need it, she says, and explains that the previous evening she took her dumbbells and tiptoed into the Hela Sverige bakar tent.
– I used to work out there and people walking past outside probably wondered: ”Isn't that that Mat-Tina person over there wheezing?” I make a lot of noise when I exercise – I'm a groaner, she says and laughs again, that lovely laugh.
Tina often bursts into laughter and is quick to crack a joke. The smile has been part of her trademark since she broke through sometime after the turn of the millennium in the SVT programme ”Mat” (Food), where Tomas Tengby was the presenter. It was also then that she coined her well-known catchphrase ”jättegott” (delicious).
Based in Spritan
When Tina isn't on TV or writing her next cookbook, she and her business partner, chef Benny Cederberg, can be found in their relatively new premises, ”Spritan,” in Ödåkra, just outside Helsingborg. In an old, disused spirit factory, they have created a kitchen with mobile benches and furniture, sound-absorbing panels on the ceiling, and lighting, among other things, so that the venue can also function as a recording studio.
– We always have a lot of balls in the air at the same time. Out of ten, one lands. That's kind of what it's like to be self-employed. Right now, there's something in the pipeline related to the USA. But for now, there's uncertainty about whether it will happen, and she doesn't want to reveal any more than that.
When they have collaborations with different companies, it's not just about external visibility. She mentions Skånemejerier as an example where they also talk to the company internally and share their expertise.
They are certainly not short of assignments. When one finishes, another one starts. But they also turn down quite a lot. And it's important that the things they choose to do feel right and sit well with them.
- I often think about what the different projects can yield in the long run. And I make sure that we are kept busy all the time.
Champagne dinner with Fredrik Schelin
In August, they will for the first time invite people in a new way to Spritan. Together with champagne expert Fredrik Schelin, they are arranging a dinner for the public. Registration is required, of course, as the number of places is limited.
– It's a new baby for us. Fredrik Schelin has done it before, but even though Benny and I have worked in the restaurant business for many years, we've never invited people in this way. She says she has butterflies in her stomach.
Tina and Benny are cooking and Fredrik is pouring the champagne – there will be a total of seven courses. Fredrik wants to show that champagne goes with all types of food, as long as you choose the right one.
– Benny and I think about food in the same way. For example, we can elevate a celery to heavenly heights – it can be cold, hot, with brown butter, nettles, or anything else. Our cooking relies heavily on few ingredients, but with very good combinations. And it's exciting when you have someone like Fredrik Schelin with his champagne at dinner. I love geekiness, and that's what this is about, she explains.
As siblings
Benny and Tina met over 25 years ago when they were both working at the same restaurant. Their paths then diverged. Tina started in television and Benny continued working in restaurants and was the team leader for the Swedish National Culinary Team. But just over ten years ago, they bumped into each other again.
– Tina wanted us to do something for the grocery trade together, and since then we've been working together, Benny says.
Although it is mainly Tina who is seen on television, on Instagram or fronting cookbooks, she is careful to highlight Benny's important part in most of what she – or they – do.
It's the two of us doing things together. We do the books, pick out wine, and everything else. I'm a figurehead, and it's often quite exhausting to be seen, heard, and keep the energy levels up.
He's always there in the background, helping with the driving force and structuring of the projects. If Tina, for example, is going to hold a lecture about cooking, it means she needs to be able to deliver meaningful talk while simultaneously cooking the food.
– It's incredibly demanding, so he's there in the background, enjoying it. What's more, he's fantastic with food and is scarily meticulous. I'm everywhere, spitting out ideas. The train is always on the go, and he's the net that catches them. To top it all off, he's a sommelier.
Over the years, Tina and Benny have grown together and are almost like siblings. They work together, travel together, and are well aware of each other's habits and quirks.
– And when we talk about food, we finish each other's sentences. Sometimes it's almost scary how we can pick up on each other's thoughts.
- What Benny and I do is incredibly creative. It's free and wonderful – we laugh a lot every day. We are two grown adults who are constantly striving for new goals.
To be accessible to all
Since Tina burst onto the scene, she's released thirteen cookbooks, some of them with Benny. A common thread throughout all of them is that she created them with the intention of them being accessible to everyone. Tina is down-to-earth and doesn't put on airs and graces.
I always work backwards, meaning that I start with how much the book can cost and then decide which paper to use, the cover, and so on.
– I always calculate backwards, meaning that I start with how much the book is allowed to cost and then decide from that what paper to use, the cover, and so on.
She thinks the same way regarding the wine that bears her name. Just as the books should be accessible to everyone, she wants to make good wine that pairs with everything.
– The latest one we released, Barberan (Tina Piemonte Barbera, editorial note) has all the quirks that suit our personalities: it's down-to-earth – it's not a pretentious grape.
It has also been about the price, finding the best wine at a cost that makes it affordable for many to buy.
– Selecting the wine is a pleasurable task. We have travelled in Italy and our partner, Giertz, is attentive and fun to work with.
Raw food is a favourite
In the latest cookbook, Käka gott månad för månad, Tina cooks food that is in season, focusing on nature and accessible ingredients. Each month has its own chapter with tips on what to fill your pantry with and what is good for freezing.
– If we look at May (when the interview took place, editor's note), we make a lot of butter so that we have enough for all the summer's barbecue dishes.
Each chapter contains everyday food, and the book is both narrow and broad; for example, there is a whole chapter on wild garlic and another on lumpfish roe, as well as plenty of raw food – there is some raw food for every month.
– I grew up on that. When Grandma served food, it was raw grated carrots, vinegar, sugar and water, simple. And then I started camping with the Danish Berit Nordstrand, who spoke about the structure of the intestines and how important raw food is. We should eat it before the meal so that the intestines absorb what they need.
Har du tips på bra sommarmat?
– I think one should try some compound butters, salads and sauces. If you have those, you'll manage the summer, and then you can have whatever protein you want with it.
Tina Nordström Age: 49 years Family Maken Martin Holmqvist, children Albin and Elise, and two dogs Occupation Chef, food inspirer and entrepreneur and TV presenter Has done and is doing: Competed in Årets Kock, been part of the Swedish national culinary team and competed in the Olympics, won Let's Dance, presented on TV4 for Hela Sverige bakar, releases wine under own name in collaboration with Giertz Vinimport Latest cookbook Eat Well Month by Month, published by The Book Affair Instagram account mat_tina
