At a Fyn festival, local beats organic - but there was one ingredient they really wanted to be organic
Økologisk NuOne could say that Northside and Tinderbox are related. Both festivals, held in Aarhus and Odense respectively, are operated by the company Down the Drain, so it's not surprising that they both put extra effort into the food at the festival sites. The mantra is that the festivals should be more than just a music experience – the food should also be a draw, explains Lisbet Foged, who is the food manager at Tinderbox, which was held at the end of June. "There has been a lot of focus on festivals having various types of events on the site. People don't just come to hear music. I also think it's about guests not just wanting a cheap meal but wanting to treat themselves a little when they are at festivals where they don't stay overnight. We also make sure that the portions are a bit smaller so that people can walk around and taste multiple dishes," she explains. Preferably local in season But while the sister festival Northside has gone all-in on organic food, Tinderbox takes a different approach. Tinderbox was first held in 2015, five years after Northside's debut. Among the criteria for the food on Tinderbox’s website, it states that organic products are a priority, but not essential. "Organic is so widespread now, and it’s not always necessarily associated with good taste. I prefer that food vendors use local producers from Funen and seasonal ingredients rather than imported ones," says Lisbet Foged, elaborating: "From the beginning, our goal was that at least 80% of our food vendors should be local, so the food is generally locally rooted. Tinderbox generally has strong support from the local community, and we’re happy that local food vendors are very willing to be part of the festival." Would like organic fries The balance between local sourcing and organic food is an ongoing consideration, as she is also aware of pesticide use. When aiming to be as local and sustainable as possible, compromises sometimes have to be made. "For example, I would really like all our fries to be organic, but it’s difficult to source. We sell tons of fries at the festival, and if we could ensure they were all organic, that would be fantastic, but supply just can’t keep up with demand," she explains. Where is the line for what is considered local? "Funen is Denmark’s garden, so it would be nonsense not to utilize the good fruit and vegetable produce available there." Therefore, organic or free-range labels are not considered when stalls choose their meat suppliers. An example is a food stall selling sausages made from meat from South Funen producers. The recipe was developed by the food vendor in collaboration with a butcher, and the taste and local story are reasons why the vendor has a spot at Tinderbox. However, the festival is not aware of the animal welfare standards of the producers supplying the meat, but Lisbet Foged mentions that local production ensures a short transport time to the slaughterhouse. "There are many compromises at a festival," says Lisbet Foged. Lack of signage For guests seeking specific criteria when choosing their meal, it can be difficult to navigate. Visits to this year’s festival site showed that several stalls did not display whether their food was organic or locally sourced. "It’s obvious that more work should be done on highlighting these aspects," believes Lisbet Foged, who also emphasizes that the lack of signage does not mean the food isn’t local or organic. "Our principles influence how we select food stalls, and that’s where we can make a difference. It’s not easy to get a food stall at Tinderbox, but if you present food with a strong awareness of the ingredients used, you will move to the front of the line. The next step is to increase visibility for the audience." Aiming to minimize food waste Guests can also be assured that efforts are being made to reduce food waste as much as possible. This year, the Food Bank collected 2.3 tons of food, and Lisbet Foged ensures that items the Food Bank cannot take are either used in their Crew Catering during teardown days or delivered to Stop Spild Lokalt in Odense. Another focus this year has been naming plant-based dishes and positioning them on the menu to appeal to more people. "It’s like pickling vegetarians when you just call a dish ‘vegetarian.’ It doesn’t say anything about the dish. It’s also not descriptive to call a dish chili sin carne (chili without meat). I suggested that a stall call their vegetarian chili con carne ‘black beans chili,’ and they followed that advice." Lisbet Foged has also encouraged food stalls to consider price differentiation, making the meat-free options cheaper. This fall, management will launch a three-year plan from 2027 to 2029. Lisbet Foged does not want to go into details yet but says they will look at the requirements for food vendors. "I don’t know what direction it will take, but we want to pursue more local, sustainable, and organic options."
You could say that Northside and Tinderbox are related to each other. Both festivals, held in Aarhus and Odense respectively, are operated by the company Down the Drain, and therefore it is not surprising that they both put extra effort into the food at the festival site.
The mantra is that the festivals should be more than just a music experience – the food should also be a draw, explains Lisbet Foged, who is the food manager at Tinderbox, which was held at the end of June.
”There has been a lot of focus on festivals having various types of events on the site. People don’t just come to hear music. I also think it’s about guests not just wanting a cheap meal, but wanting to treat themselves a little when they are at festivals where they don’t stay overnight. We also make sure that the portions are a bit smaller, so you can walk around and taste multiple dishes,” she explains.
Preferably local in season
But while the sister festival Northside has gone all-in on organic produce, the situation is different at Tinderbox, which was held for the first time in 2015 – five years after Northside’s debut.
Among the criteria for the food listed on Tinderbox’s website, it states that organic produce is a priority – but it is not the only factor.
”Organic is so widespread now, and it’s not always necessarily associated with good eating quality. I prefer that food vendors use a local producer from Funen and use seasonal ingredients rather than imported ones,” says Lisbet Foged, elaborating:
”From the beginning, our goal was that at least 80 percent of our food vendors should be local, so the food is generally locally rooted. Tinderbox generally has strong support from the local community, and we’re happy that local food vendors are very willing to be part of the festival.”
Would like to have organic fries
The balance between local sourcing and organic produce is an ongoing consideration, as she is also aware of pesticide use, and when you want to make it as local and sustainable as possible, it sometimes results in a compromise.
”For example, I would really like all our fries to be organic, but it’s difficult to source. We sell tons of fries at the festival, and if we could ensure they are all organic, that would be fantastic, but supply just can’t keep up with demand,” she explains.
Where is the line for what is considered local?
”Fyn is Denmark’s garden, so it would be nonsense not to utilize the good fruit and vegetable produce available on Fyn.”
Therefore, the organic or free-range label is not considered when stalls choose their meat suppliers.
An example is a food stall with sausages made from meat from South Fyn producers. The recipe for the sausages was developed by the food vendor in collaboration with the butcher, and the flavor and the good local story are the reasons why the vendor has a spot at Tinderbox. However, the festival is not aware of the animal welfare standards of the producers supplying the meat, but Lisbet Foged mentions that the local production ensures a short transportation time to the slaughterhouse.
”There are plenty of compromises at a festival,” says Lisbet Foged.
Lack of signage
If you as a guest are looking for specific criteria when choosing your meal, it can be difficult to navigate. Visits to this year’s festival site showed that several stalls neither display signs about organic or local origin.
”It’s obvious to work more on promoting it,” believes Lisbet Foged, who also emphasizes that lack of signage does not mean the food is not local or organic.
”Our principles matter in how we select food stalls, and that’s where we have the opportunity to make a difference. It’s not easy to get a food stall at Tinderbox, but if you present food with a strong awareness of the ingredients used, you will move to the front of the line. The next step is to create visibility for the audience.”
Want to minimize food waste
As a guest, you can also be assured that efforts are being made to reduce food waste as much as possible. This year, Fødevarebanken collected 2.3 tons of food, and Lisbet Foged ensures that the items Fødevarebanken cannot take are either used in their Crew Catering during teardown days or delivered to Stop Spild Lokalt in Odense.
Another focus area this year has been naming plant-based dishes and their placement on the menu to appeal to more people.
”It’s about preserving vegetarians when you just call a dish ‘vegetarian’. It doesn’t say anything about the dish. It’s also not descriptive to call a dish chili sin carne (chili without meat, ed.) – here I suggested that a stall call the vegetarian version of their chili con carne ‘black beans chili’, and they followed that advice.
Lisbet Foged has also encouraged food stalls to consider price differentiation, so the meat-free option is cheaper.
In the fall, management will launch a three-year plan, covering 2027 to 2029. Lisbet Foged does not want to go into details yet, but says that they will look at the requirements for food stalls.
”I don’t know what direction it will take, but we want to pursue the local, sustainable, and organic even more.”