Stefan Eriksson brings Nobel sparkle to the Grand Travel Award

It is difficult to talk to Stefan Eriksson about gastronomy without, sooner or later, ending up at the sauce.

When asked what he wants a guest to remember the day after a visit, his answer is almost immediate.

- What an incredibly delicious sauce!

That is also where much of his food philosophy begins. Behind grand visions, spectacular settings and hundreds of guests are a number of fairly simple principles: the main ingredient must be good, the cooking must be spot on and the sauce must be truly delicious.

- You must always return to the basics. You have to make a good stock and a really good sauce. It does not matter whether there are 20 or 500 guests.

An unusual combination

Gasometer is Stockholm's new cultural venue and events destination, opening in 2027. The historic gas holder in Norra Djurgårdsstaden is being transformed into a place where performing arts, music, events, restaurants and gastronomy will come together. The Dome, located beneath the reconstructed dome, accommodates up to 1,000 guests.

For Stefan Eriksson, it was precisely this combination that made the project difficult to turn down.

- There is something about the people behind it, the ideas and the visions. Then you have the venue, the culture, the performing arts and the investment in gastronomy. Together, it becomes a truly exceptional equation.

He brings experience from both restaurant kitchens and major events. The 2008 Nobel Banquet was a particular lesson in what is required when gastronomy has to be scaled up.

- It requires an enormous amount of planning. But I also learned that you cannot always take a dish for ten kilos and simply multiply it by 45.

When the quantities become large, the cooking process itself can change the flavour.

- Sometimes you have to cook smaller batches several times. I had no idea about that before the Nobel Banquet.

A different kind of leadership

Stefan Eriksson was recently named Role Model of the Year 2026. For him, it is not about standing at the front and making decisions, but about building something together with others.

When asked what his 25-year-old self would have said about the career he has built, his answer says a great deal about what drives him:

- Focus more on environmental issues in combination with food culture. And never stop caring about things that others do not care about.

This is also reflected in his view of ingredients and suppliers.

- I think we should stop ordering food that is not rooted in environmentally responsible decisions.

Grand Travel Award will be a first major test

On 22 April 2027, the travel industry will be among the first to experience the complete concept for real. Travel News will then host the Grand Travel Award at The Dome – the travel industry's major gala – in collaboration with SRF and the gala's sponsors.

Travel News CEO Nils Norberg is looking forward to taking the gala to the new venue following last year's great success at Berns Salonger.

- I am incredibly proud of what we managed to create at Berns last year, and at the same time I am filled with anticipation for the next step. Grand Travel Award is an evening when the entire travel industry should feel a little extra special. Being able to do it at The Dome, with Stefan Eriksson and the entire gastronomic venture, feels both bold and very exciting.

For Stefan Eriksson, it will be an interesting test of the very combination he is now working with: gastronomy, logistics, performing arts and many guests.

- You have to think through the guest's entire journey. What happens when the guest arrives? How do they get from one place to another? Where do we need to help? We have a very large dining room and long distances, so logistics becomes part of the experience.