A spontaneous lunch in a French vineyard is where food project Rødder finds its idyllic origin. Denmark native Esben Grundtvig was inspired by the long-table meal in which winemakers and locals sat together to share the spread. The food was rustic, the wine flowed freely and the atmosphere was relaxed.

It was with this meal in mind that Grundtvig and two friends established caterer and food consultancy firm, Rødder, in 2011. Their food is seasonal and sustainable and the accompanying wine is natural and wild.

Catering the recent launch of Oak’s Volume 09, The Creative Spaces Issue, Rødder’s food communicated this same energy. Cured cod with herb emulsion, Tatar of beef with horseradish and traditional Danish ‘Knækbrød topped with cream of carrots and ramsons were paired with organic wines and wild cider. This menu set the tone for the evening as refined yet unaffected; fostering the event’s creative and open discussion.

Rødder holds pop-up restaurants and caters events in Berlin, Sweden and Denmark . The settings can range from an open rural field to an industrial warehouses in an urban centre. They can be as intimate as a private party in a chic apartment or as substantial as a meal for 200 people held underneath a bridge. At each location, Rødder celebrates and elevates the meal as a forum for social gathering.

For the last six months these ephemeral food moments have been complemented by a standing stall in Berlin’s iconic food hall, Markthalle Neun. Here, Rødder brought Danish fare to the German capital, with a selection of smørrebrød, hot dogs and wild cider.

Grundtvig describes “something very clean and pure” at the heart of Nordic cuisine which accounts for its rise to global appeal. “The food scene in Denmark has developed so fast over the last ten years and we have been able to create some of the best restaurants in the world using only local ingredients and old Nordic cooking traditions,” says the food entrepreneur.

At Rødder, the classic methods of Nordic cooking are here, yet there are none of the pretentions that have coloured notions of the new Nordic cuisine. Rather, the ‘wild’ nature of cooking is always present.

Although the consultancy may work across the spectrum of the social food experience, there is one premise that remains true, “…we just want to make good, thoughtful and social food experiences for people, because that’s what we love” says Grundtvig.