On December 1-2, 2023, the 3d Transnational meeting of the project “NO LEFTOVER Nordic/Baltic Culinary Arts: Digital Course with Training Materials and Tools for Adult Educators” (project No. NPAD-2022/10049) as well as the Digital Course Workshop took place in Sandgerdi, Iceland.

The event gathered all five partners:

• Project coordinator HOTEL SCHOOL Hotel Management College (Latvia) in person of the Development director, Chair of the Council Olga Zvereva
• Hosting partner STEP BY STEP COUNCULTING (Iceland) in person of the Chairman Hansina Bjarnfridur Einarsdottir and the Manager Jón Rafn Hognason
• Partner Com&Train (Denmark) in person of the manager Anna Högnadóttir
• Partner Vilniaus kolegija, Faculty of Business (Lithuania) in person of the Head of Training and Cooperation Laima Paraukiene and the Lecturer of Tourism Department Jolita Variakojiene
• Partner MITRA (Estonia) in person of the Chairman Ruta Pels and Pavel Smulski

During the meeting, the parties developed the details and content for the project results, future training, and dissemination activities. The partners also visited the “Skolamatur“, one of Iceland’s biggest catering companies for schools. Their very successful catering service is based on the old traditional Icelandic food culture made contemporary, healthy, and interesting for school kids. During the visit, the partners met the founder and owner of the company, Axel Jónsson, and the managing director, Jón Axelsson; of course, taking all the precautions and formal procedures to stay safe during the volcano eruption in Reykjanespenisula. Perfect time management of the partners allowed to proceed according to the schedules.

Later, the partners had the opportunity to carry out the workshop on old Icelandic cuisine, learning and tasting, filming, and discussing the traditional dishes. For example, the partners had the opportunity to taste:

• Skata, a stingray fermented in sand for six months and then boiled, served with fried pork lard and boiled potatoes
• Harðfiskur (dried fish)
• Saltfiskur
• Home-made rye bread
• Pate
• Old traditional black rye soup with cream.

The workshop was hosted by Sævar Siggeirssson and Sigríður Arna in their private home, lunching in their living room to understand various aspects of Icelandic welcoming, hospitality, and culinary traditions. Hearing their stories about old preservation methods that the partners incorporated in the developed project results, complied digital brochures, and videos, was truly beneficial.

We thank the hosting organisation STEP BY STEP COUNCULTING (Iceland) and “Skolamatur” for the arranged visits and workshops! We are looking forward to meeting you at the next events!

All in all, this was a unique experience for the educators and those who have their heart set on culinary arts and are thrilled with Icelandic weather and landscape, where people of Iceland have lived for hundreds of years!