2 weeks ago we went to the finals of Sol Over Gudhjem in Bornholm and after taking time to soak it all in, we wanted to share the experience of the event and what is next for us.
But before that, what is Sol over Gudhjem?
If you haven't already checked our last blog post over Sol over Gudhjem, here is a short recap:
Sol over Gudhjem is a yearly Danish culinary competition where chefs compete against each other, and different companies in the food industry showcase their best products. This year (2023) there were 90 contestants all over the country of which only 12 made it to the finals. We were one of them! The whole competition took many months and now that it is over, we asked our co-founder Giulia a few questions of her experience.
Q&A with Giulia, the co-founder of Connecting Grounds
1.What does Sol Over Gudhjem mean to you?
Giulia: Sol Over Gudhjem is not only a tasty dish, but a renowned Danish culinary competition that takes place every year in Bornholm. Being part of something so big, while being so small (as a start-up) has further proved that we are onto something good, and that just motivates us further.
2. You were at the event a few weeks back, how was your experience?
Giulia: We had a blast. The weather was nice and the island in itself was a beautiful treat to discover. We networked a lot and got to taste amazing food in a beautiful setting.
3. What was the whole process like with SOG for you as Connecting Grounds, from start of the competition till the final event?
Giulia: At the beginning when Klaudia applied we were not even sure that we would get in the competition in the first place, since we are an ingredient company who just tested Coffee Base in different recipes. Finding out that Michelin chefs have tasted our products and took us into the finals was a dream come true.
There was so much then to be done, from asking for people to vote for us, to preparing 300+ samples and bring them all the way to Bornholm, to ordering merchandise, to prepare the pitch and practice.
4. What were you most surprised about when being there?
Giulia: I was surprised to see how many value this competition, not only in the gastronomy sector, but also outside. There is a lot of attention on it.
5. What is your favourite memory of the event?
Giulia: My favourite memory of the event was right before pitching, where me and Klaudia looked into each others eyes and without saying a word, I knew that we had each others back, no matter what.
6. What would you have done differently if you could do it over again?
Giulia: I would tell myself to stress less and enjoy everything to the fullest.
7. What is next for Connecting Grounds?
Giulia: We got in contact with a few Michelin chefs and we recently got the news that we got into Innofounder. We are excited for what is to come, but not before taking a nice and needed summer vacation!
Final words
We wanted to finally say thank you to all the support that you have given us. You might not think so, but all the support keeps us going! Enjoy the summer :)