At the museum Fotografiska in Stockholm we find the bistro Bread and Wine, which with the restaurant team's solid knowledge and Paul Svensson's curiosity uses ingredients according to season and constantly works with a circular kitchen and minimal waste without sacrificing taste. This has earned them the title of Sweden's most sustainable restaurant. Since 2020, Fotografiska's restaurant also has Guide Michelin's sustainability label.
We received call with Martin Wall, and we’ll have to start by letting him explain his title:
- Yeah, they asked me what title I wanted and I said Planet carer! The way I see it, I’m here to save the world from ourselves, to open everyone’s eyes and make us conserve nature and be resource-conscious, Martin says.
Yes, that nature, the environment and the climate are important at both the restaurant and bistro at Fotografiska cannot be missed.
- We always want to highlight our efforts to work WITH nature, not against it. We create food with what is available right now, with a caring "no waste" principle. We call it sustainable pleasure, Martin says.
At the bistro Bread and Wine there are about ten employees, and it is run by Chef Elvira Lindqvist and restaurant manager Lovisa Novak. Sveba Dahlen's pizza oven, P602, is the only source of heat in the restaurant. In it, pretty much all of the 16 different dishes on the menu are cooked. That of course includes pizza, but also mushroom kebabs, fish burgers and meatballs, to name a few. For products that need to be fried, they use a heat-resistant tinplate with high edges to protect the stone. They also bake four to five different types of bread in the oven. The pizza oven’s production record in one day is 374 pizzas, and in it, they can cook for up to 850 guests in one day.
Martin goes on to talk about their unique pizza dough:
- Here, yesterday's bread will be tomorrow's pizza, Martin says. We grind down the unused bread and use it as flour for the pizza dough. It gives the pizza extra flavor and a nice character.
It was at Paul Svensson's initiative that they settled for a pizza oven from Sveba Dahlen. Paul is a food creator at Bread and Wine, and even before the bistro was due to open, he was in talks with Sveba Dahlen regarding a collaboration.
They felt that they were searching for a product that could deliver pizzas, but also other hot food in the bistro. As Martin said:
- We needed an oven that could help us brighten people's days, and then you at Sveba Dahlen responded extremely quickly, so there wasn't much to talk about. We got incredibly good service and reception, and the oven is self-propelled, something that’s welcome in the restaurant world. There's very little fuss with the oven. It's “on” and “off” and so it takes care of itself. It also delivers a great result, Martin says.
Martin thinks the installation of the pizza oven went as well as it possibly could. Two great guys came in and installed it, it was quick and very simple, and according to Martin, the oven works flawlessly. He tells me that once a lamp broke, but that’s easy to fix, such things happen.
When asked what the next investment for Bread and Wine will be, Martin replies that the goal is a High Temp Pizza oven from Sveba Dahlen.
They draw inspiration for cooking, baking and pizza from all over the world. They try to follow different cultures and then adapt it to Sweden and what is available here and now. It's very creative; a lot comes out of the limitation of working with what you have right now. "In times of need, come the best ideas" as Martin described it.
Their passion for the environment, climate and sustainable enjoyment really permeates through everything they do at Bread and Wine. It is a vibrant bistro and wine bar where you can enjoy good food and drink every day of the week. You don't want to miss it!