My very first memory is actually from the saltery. I got to go with my father to work and sneaked off to the barrel storage, where he found me with a fish in my hand. Since the age of two I had eaten fermented herring, but now I suddenly ate it directly from the barrel. The staff was amused by how I ate it without any side dishes. My father Thomas Hägglund started working for Gösta Hannell already in 1969 and I grew up 100 meters from the saltery. That is why fermented herring is very important to me. It has always been a part of my life, and I have many fond memories of the building that I can now call my workplace.

It is an interesting and exciting product to refine and one can never stop learning. Being part of preserving one of our oldest food cultures feels both important and rewarding.

My first memory is as a child at my grandmother’s and grandfather’s when we ate fermented herring with the family. Today I live in their house and carry the tradition forward.

Fermented herring means a lot to me. Apart from being a delicious delicacy, it is a fun and exciting product to work with. We follow the herring from sea to can. You cannot gain this knowledge from books – it must be learned in practice. The fermentation process is incredibly interesting, a bit like the process of making wine. The smell, however, is different.

Living in the house where so many of my childhood memories were created gives me a strong sense of belonging and continuity. It is a great joy to share this cultural heritage with others and to see how our love for fermented herring unites generations, from the old to the young.

I am Johan’s younger brother, and like him, one of my earliest memories is from a fermented herring party at my grandmother’s and grandfather’s summer house with the family.

Fermented herring is not just a delicacy for me; it has become an important part of my life. To be able to work with something you love as a profession is a privilege few are given.

I am grateful that I have been able to unite my passion for food and traditions with my professional life. It is not only the taste of fermented herring that matters to me, but also the togetherness and the memories created around the table. Every fermented herring feast is a reminder of my roots and the joy that comes from passing on something so deeply rooted in our culture.