Erik Videgård is a familiar name in both the restaurant and culinary world, but his journey began far from the heat of the kitchen. In the 1980s, he toured around the world, but today he is recognized as one of Sweden’s leading restaurateurs.
When Erik Videgård struck his first chords as a sound engineer in the 1980s, the heat of the kitchen was far from his world. Back then, he toured with major bands, living a life filled with music and long days on the road. But everything changed in 1984 when he became a father for the first time.
“Suddenly I realized I was away 250 days a year—and that just wasn’t going to work anymore. So I made a spontaneous decision to leave music for something completely new,” Erik recalls with a smile.
And what a perfect choice—although Erik wasn’t sure at first if he had made the right one. His new journey first led him to a waiter’s job at Sweden’s oldest restaurant, Gyldene Freden in Stockholm, and then on to the Royal Viking Hotel, where he was quickly headhunted to prestigious establishments such as the Michelin-starred Coq Blanc.
“It was a spontaneous decision, but I’ve never been one to just maintain the status quo. I always have to do new things,” he explains.
It was this constant hunger for growth that made Erik one of Sweden’s most innovative restaurateurs. At East, which he co-founded in 1991, he introduced Japanese ingredients and techniques into Swedish cuisine.
For Erik, food is more than nourishment; it is a creative process and an extension of his personality. His time in the music industry has shaped his philosophy as a chef and entrepreneur. On the plate, as in life, he seeks a balance between the unexpected and the familiar.
“Food is like music—it’s about rhythm, harmony, and creating an experience that moves people,” he explains.
This passion for creation has led to over ten successful restaurants, Sweden’s first poké bowl restaurant, and several award-winning cookbooks.
“I love diving into new culinary cultures. It’s like opening a treasure chest every time I learn something new,” Erik says with a laugh.
Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Erik has found a new sense of calm in his career. Today, he focuses on creating restaurant concepts, conducting cooking classes, and educating through television—and he doesn’t miss running his own restaurants for a second.
“What I do now is pure happiness. I get to work with what I love without feeling the pressure of owning a restaurant,” he says, ending with a big smile:
“In the future, I hope to continue doing exactly what I do now—working with food and inspiring others.”
With one foot in music and the other in the kitchen, Erik has built a career as dynamic as his personality. Erik is not just a chef and restaurateur; he is a storyteller, letting food and music dance in harmony. His journey shows that life is full of new chapters—if you dare to open them.
By: Rebecca Hyde-Price Aggestam
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