Taste of Iceland Cooking Class

Enjoy an Icelandic culinary class at Brasserie Beck

Chefs Haflidi Halldorsson and Bjarki Snaer Thorsteinsson will teach you how to prepare and present the main ingredients on the Taste of Iceland menu. Learn how to cook the wild Icelandic cod starter, the Icelandic Lamb main course, and, naturally, a delicious dessert of the Icelandic Provisions skyr. The group will then sit down and enjoy the fruits of their labor with the chefs.

Meet the chefs

Haflidi Halldorsson

CMC & CEO of Icelandic Lamb

A Certified Master Chef who is juggling promoting Icelandic cuisine, food culture, and marketing in his role as CEO of Icelandic Lamb. Chef Haflidi believes developing and telling the story of Icelandic food culture is of the highest importance to using the pure and humble ingredients Iceland provides.

Culinary competitions and judging are a passion of Chef Haflidi, a former Team Manager of the Icelandic Culinary Team and one of its current mentors. Other roles include serving as a board member of the Icelandic and Nordic Chefs Associations. Training competitors, judging international culinary competitions and speaking publicly about food and cuisine.

Haflidi grew up on a sheep and dairy farm in the Westfjords of Iceland and had hands-on experience working the rough seas of the North Atlantic as a fisherman. Chef Haflidi has first-hand insight into the sourcing, quality, and traceability of Icelandic produce.

Bjarki Snær Þorsteinsson

Member of the Icelandic Culinary Team

Bjarki started his culinary career at 16 by studying and working at Kjallarinn Restaurant in downtown Reykjavík. For some international kitchen experience, Bjarki worked at the esteemed Midsummer House in Cambridge, England. After his stint with modern British cuisine, Bjarki returned to Iceland to work at one of Iceland's premier restaurants, Grillið, at Hotel Saga. At 19, Bjarki went East to Stavanger, Norway, for a year to complete his apprenticeship at Renaa Restaurant, where the focus was on local, pure, and natural. Back in Iceland, Bjarki started as a head chef in Flóran Garden Bistro, working in various restaurants across Reykjavík. Today, Bjarki works as a head chef at Lux Veitingar with celebrated Chefs Viktor Örn Andrésson and Hinrik Örn Lárusson, specializing in exclusive and creative catering and banquet events.

Photo of the 2024 Icelandic Culinary Team featuring Bjarki Snær Þorsteinsson.

Iceland Secures Bronze at 26th IKA/Culinary Olympics

The Icelandic National Culinary Team clinched third place at the 26th IKA/Culinary Olympics in Stuttgart, Germany. This four-day event featured over 1,200 chefs from 55 countries and presented more than 7,000 menus, demonstrating global culinary talent. The competition included two main events: a Chef’s Table with an 11-course menu and a three-course meal for 110 guests.

Finland won gold for their precise and artistic culinary skills, while Switzerland took silver. Iceland's performance, particularly their lamb dish featuring lamb filet, potato filled with lamb shoulder, paté choux with fried mushrooms and cheese foam, whey glazed carrot, and a ragout of chanterelles, showcased exceptional creativity and skill.

The IKA/Culinary Olympics is known as the most significant platform for culinary professionals to display their talents and set new trends, thanks to its diverse and comprehensive nature. This edition was marked by a captivating atmosphere and outstanding culinary artistry from all participants.

Iceland Culinary Team