Arla takes over as chair of Årets Kock AB

Christer Lundin, Head of Foodservice at Arla, steps in as the new Chairman of the Board for Årets Kock AB (Chef of the year)

At the same time, the organization strengthens its role as a driving force in Swedish gastronomy with new additions to the board. Former winners of Årets Kock – the Swedish Championship in professional cooking – Jessie Sommarström and Johan Backéus join the board. Additionally, Frida Tydén, Director of Communications and Marketing at Lantmännen, is appointed as an adjunct member.

It is an incredible honor to take on the role of Chairman of the Board. With our new board members and their deep commitment to sustainability, innovation, and the industry’s development, we look forward to continuing to lead Swedish gastronomy into the future, says Christer Lundin, Head of Foodservice at Arla and newly appointed Chairman of Årets Kock AB.

The board’s previous chairman, Mårten Lyth from Spendrups, hands over the baton but remains a board member to continue contributing his extensive experience.

The new board consists of:

Christer Lundin, Head of Foodservice, Arla Sweden – Chairman of the Board
Mårten Lyth, Director of Communications, Spendrups
Leif Börjesson, CEO, Spring Wines & Spirits
Caroline Starck, Head of Communications, Arla Sweden
Frida Tydén, Director of Communications and Marketing, Lantmännen
Klas Lindberg, Restaurateur, Portal – Årets Kock 2012
Jessie Sommarström, Executive Chef, Sodexo – Årets Kock 2022
Johan Backéus, Restaurateur, Naturaj – Årets Kock 2017

Årets Kock is Sweden’s most prestigious cooking competition and the official Swedish Championship in professional cooking. The competition has been held annually since 1983, with Arla as main sponsor since its inception, helping to elevate the reputation of Scandinavian cuisine worldwide.

Read the full press release here.

Photo from left: Christer Lundin, Arla; Caroline Starck, Arla; Helene Kugelberg, Årets Kock; Leif Börjesson, Spring Wines & Spirits; Jessie Sommarström, Årets Kock 2022; Frida Tydén, Lantmännen; Mårten Lyth, Spendrups; and Klas Lindberg, Årets Kock 2012. (Johan Backéus is missing from the photo).

Photo: Årets Kock.