The three-year project, supported by Plantefonden, is now well under way. Chefs from Comwell Hotels and Coor have just embarked on a series of masterclasses and visits to producers, where knowledge-sharing and an interest in Danish produce take centre stage.
Just under a year ago, the Comwell hotel chain, the catering company Coor and a number of leading food partners took the first step in a three-year national project supported by Plantefonden. The aim is to make it easier – and even more delicious – for Danes to choose plant-based dishes in their everyday lives.
The project has now moved from the planning stage and framework agreements to concrete practice in the kitchen and in the fields. The project is officially up and running, and the first insights from the collaboration across the value chain are beginning to take shape.
In the spring, Comwell and Coor took part together in the 'Madens Folkemøde' in Nykøbing Falster, where the focus was on vegetables.
In the current phase of the project, a series of masterclasses, webinar recordings and visits to producers has been launched, where chefs from both Comwell and Coor meet to exchange experiences, experiment with new cooking methods and get to know the ingredients from the ground up.
A key element of the project is to build direct links between the field and the restaurant kitchen.
Four selected suppliers in the project – Aurion, Axel Månsson, Dava and Mejnerts Mølle – will be visited by the chefs throughout the project period, who will seek inspiration, new knowledge and an understanding of the ingredients’ journey and potential.
The first stop in the series of producer visits and masterclasses was at Mejnerts Mølle, which produces grain, flour and vegetables. The masterclass focused in particular on the use of locally grown ingredients such as rye kernels, sourdough and caramelised rye.
“The visit to Mejnerts was both exciting and a real eye-opener. Working with ingredients such as caramelised rye and sourdough, and interacting directly with those who have had their hands in the soil, instils a whole new level of respect and inspires new ideas. We got to explore how Danish grain products can add plenty of body, texture and a deep umami flavour to plant-based cuisine,” says Rasmus Rasmussen, Head of Sustainable Gastronomy at Comwell Hotels.
He adds that the chefs who took part in the company visit and the masterclass approached the task with both enthusiasm and curiosity about the ingredients;
“When we bring together so many highly skilled people around the same table and chopping board, a very special energy emerges. It’s not just about creating new recipes, but about building a deeper understanding of the ingredients, which we can take back to our own kitchens and build on from there.”
This masterclass at Mejnerts Mølle was just the first of several rounds of new learning.
Several more masterclasses and visits to the three other suppliers involved in the project are already planned for the near future. The next visit will be to Axel Månsson this autumn.
“We’ve only just started, but we can already feel the energy behind the project and the opportunity to learn how to use new ingredients. So I’m really looking forward to both the upcoming masterclasses and the visits to the producers,” says Rasmus Rasmussen.
The ‘The Green Choice at the Buffet’ project aims to focus on how to increase the proportion of plant-based food in public and private catering kitchens and food service establishments.
It is supported by the Plant-Based Foods Foundation.
Project participants
COOR, Comwell, DRC, Aurion, Axel Månsson, Dava, Mejnerts.
Project period
November 2025 to August 2028
About Comwell Hotels
Comwell is a Danish family-owned, nationwide hotel chain with hotels throughout Denmark, as well as ODEON in Odense and Centralværkstedet in Aarhus. For over 55 years, Comwell has been operating meeting and conference hotels and has won numerous awards over the years for its meeting, service and dining concepts.
Comwell was the first to introduce Danes to the modern meeting package back in 1969. Today, this remains Comwell’s core business. Comwell also caters for training and course programmes, workshops, job interviews, board meetings, exhibitions and events, and has over 2,500 rooms and 320 meeting and conference rooms at its disposal.
Eight event coordinator and receptionist trainees from Comwell have been on a joint trainee trip to gain fresh inspiration for their day-to-day work and build strong relationships across the hotels.
See, taste, experience, learn, understand – and network. That is the essence of Comwell Hotels’ trainee trips, when trainees visit some of the suppliers. The aim is to help trainees understand the ingredients and instil in them a respect for the journey the products take from farm to table.
The message that Comwell is keen to include more green dishes on its menu was certainly emphasised at Madens Folkemøde, and with plenty of visitors, tastings, lively discussions, debates and workshops, Comwell’s participation in the event was a great success.
