It all begins with flavor and craftsmanship. In the aroma of a wild boar broth, in the clean sweetness of a well-aged roe deer, in that distinct sense of forest and season. When the Swedish Game Food Academy talks about game, they first and foremost talk about gastronomy—and pride.
– Game meat is the purest meat in the world,” says chef Danyel Couet at Restaurant Allegrine.
The amount of game in Swedish landscapes has increased over recent decades. Moose populations have declined slightly but are offset by growth in both deer and wild boar populations. The Swedish Game Food Academy aims to help more people discover that game meat is one of Sweden’s finest ingredients. That is why they also highlight the restaurants that truly do the work—from menu design to ingredient selection and the storytelling around the meal.
The Academy presents the award for Restaurant of the Year for Game Cuisine to spotlight kitchens that demonstrate what game can be when taken seriously. For the Academy, the award is more than a distinction—it is a statement. Game meat should have the same natural place as other high-quality Swedish ingredients. It is nutritious, rich in minerals, low in fat, and free from antibiotics. The animals live as humanely as possible, and the meat is produced without chemical pesticides. Above all, game is a national Swedish delicacy—a part of our gastronomic heritage.
Andreas Landén, who runs Restaurant Jord in Linköping and has won the title Restaurant of the Year for Game Cuisine three times, recognizes the driving force.
– We have always had our vision of working with game from forest to table, says Andreas.
Ulrika Brydling, CEO of Eldrimner, sees the same thing from another perspective:
– We want to spread interest in game meat—not only moose, deer, and roe deer, but also wild goose and wild boar.
Here lies the challenge. Despite Sweden’s abundant game resources, surprisingly little game meat actually reaches the market. Much of it remains at home—in hunters’ freezers—and never becomes available to those who want to buy game in stores, in restaurants, or directly as consumers.
The Swedish Game Food Academy argues that this is a waste of a unique resource, both gastronomically and socially. When demand increases but supply in practice remains limited, game takes on an exclusive aura—even though the raw material is available nearby.
The Academy estimates that only a small portion of harvested game reaches grocery stores today—around 15 percent—and that regulations and logistics contribute to making it difficult to handle small volumes. Gastronomy is the engine—but accessibility is the key.
– The award Restaurant of the Year for Game Cuisine shows what we can achieve when game is taken seriously in the kitchen, says Ulrika Brydling.
The next step, according to the Academy, is for more of the game to actually leave the freezers and reach retail. Because when more people can buy game, more people cook game. And when more people cook game, it becomes—just as it should be—a natural part of Swedish food culture.
On January 28, between 4:00–6:00 PM, the Swedish Game Food Academy will host “Game in the Kitchen” at FFCR. The event features live cooking, stage interviews, an award ceremony for Restaurant of the Year for Game Cuisine and Game Municipality of the Year, as well as tastings and networking. The program highlights the exceptional flavors of game, its gastronomic traditions and potential, as well as game as a food resource in times of preparedness and crisis.
The moderator and host is Lina Skandevall, travel journalist and expert in culinary tourism.
On stage: Danyel Couet, Andreas Landén from the Swedish Game Food Academy, Markus Nilsson from Vinkoll.se discussing wine and game, Johan Assur Westling, game meat expert from Martin & Servera, and Marie Söderqvist and Ulrika Brydling from the Swedish Game Food Academy, who will present the awards.
The event concludes with networking and tastings.
The Swedish Game Food Academy is an independent organization with the aim of promoting game and game meat, its importance and handling, as well as its status in society. The Academy consists of 20 members.
Svenska Viltmatakademin organizes “Game in the Kitchen,” featuring cooking demonstrations, stage interviews, an award ceremony for Restaurant of the Year for Game Cuisine and Game Municipality of the Year, as well as tastings and networking.
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The moderator for FFCR Stockholm 2026 is Marion Ringborg – a well-known chef and culinary creator. In the live kitchen, she will be joined by speakers such as Nils Molinder, MasterChef winner Linnea Jarnrot, sommelier Emelie Svensson, and Tea Malmegård, an award-winning pastry chef and restaurateur behind DoMa.
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