For a tiny country, Iceland has a lot of entrepreneurs. Many were forced to adapt during the country’s darkest moments, when Iceland’s three main banks collapsed fifteen years ago. Icelanders, whose heritage is fishing, rather than finance, swapped affluent lifestyles for modest forms of survival. People lost jobs and homes.
Overnight, restaurants lost customers. When the government banned all but essential imports, Icelanders had to be inventive, driving a renaissance for Icelandic cooking and the creative sector. People started making things and growing their own food. A devalued Krona fuelled a tourism boom and with it, requests for local cuisine. “Modern Icelandic cuisine didn’t exist. That’s the best thing that came out of this.”
Gísli, a chef and unexpected entrepreneur, left Reykjavik when he and his family struggled to find work. He returned to his home on a remote archipelago and started a successful restaurant open five months out of the year, serving 16 different types of local fish. Gísli helped establish Iceland’s reputation for its simple, sophisticated modern food culture.
Iceland’s recovery came down to roots and reinvention. Those who left fishing for finance returned to their boats. Fisheries did such big business they outgrew their waterfront warehouses. Creatives moved in, forming Reykjavik’s first arts district.
Unexpected entrepreneur, Hildur, was among them. When she lost her job at a high-end boutique, she, like many, turned to creative pursuits to make a living. Hildur began knitting crocheted purses, quickly building a customer base of Icelanders keen to support artisans. She expanded with a ready-to-wear line, attracting an international celebrity clientele including Taylor Swift and Bjork. Now she has her own shop on Reykjavik’s main street. “The market has grown with tourism and locals choosing to buy Icelandic.”
In From Crisis to Cuisine, you’ll travel to the tiny archipelago where Gísli revived a fishing village and gained an international reputation with dishes like scallops marinated in rhubarb. Allow yourself to be inspired by Hildur who went from an unemployed shop assistant to a designer with rockstar clients. Discover how these Arctic islanders reclaimed and reinvented their national identity from cuisine to design.
