Press release
July 2010

Organic Copenhagen

The sale of organic products in Copenhagen is dramatically on the rise. More restaurants, cafes and even hotels are riding the "green wave" that is pushing the city to a whole new level of eco-consciousness - far beyond the prevalent health food shops. Copenhagen has green ambitions, which is evident by the variety and quality of organic goods on offer.

There is an explosive demand for Danish organic goods and only few other metropolitan cities in the world can match Copenhagen's share of consumption of organic foods: Today, the private sector's purchase of organic products in Copenhagen is about 10-12 percent, and 45 percent of all food consumed in the city's institutions is organic - that is the world's record. To ensure Copenhagen continued development, the environmental strategy "Environment Metropolis - Our Vision 2015" has set targets for organic food consumption up to 90 percent by 2015 in all of the city's institutions. The target for private businesses and households purchase and consumption is expected to reach at least 20 percent. In 2008 Copenhagen was entitled Denmarks first Fair-Trade city.

Gourmet organic food
Copenhageners' organic consciousness is also making its mark outside of the political world. A new league of restaurants, cafes and delis are sprouting up over the previous eco-community centres and vegetarian restaurants. Out with idealistic declarations and in with common sense, a desire for clean (Nordic) produce and sustainable relations with nature's resources.

Cafes and restaurants

In the meat packing district an organic restaurant that seats 200 guests, named Bio Mio, opened February 2009. The minute you step into Bio Mio they give you a menu. You order directly from the chef who's situated in the center of the room in an open kitchen, where you are able to watch him prepare your meal. Ecological awareness in the kitchen spreads to the rest of the restaurant. Ecologically certified woodwork, paraben free soap in the restrooms, induction cooking and of course as the owner Karsten Hoydal states, a very eco-friendly gas and electric policy.

Soupanatural in the area of Nørrebro and in the Latin Quarter are micro cafes that serve everything from porridge in the morning to dinner and evening drinks, as take away or to consume in situ. All food and drink is organic and served in environment friendly materials. They opened their first restaurant in 2008 and were shortly afterwards given the `Cities Most Conscientious award.´ Then in 2009 they opened another in the Latin Quarter.

Biom, a small eatery in the Østerbro section of town, also follows the new organic ideals. The food, drink and even the paint on the walls are organic. The initiators behind Biom started the place based on a simple question. "Why eat food made from ingredients that are filled with pesticides when we eat at a restaurant when we would otherwise buy organic?" The three owners' answer to that question is a quality conscious restaurant with moderate prices.

By the picturesque Nyhavn Canal lies one of the organic food movement's pioneers. Restaurant Cap Horn oozes of atmosphere and history and was one of the first restaurants driven by an organic philosophy. It was the cooking queen and food columnist Camilla Plum (see below) that instituted organic foods. All basic products such as eggs, milk and butter are organic and the rest is as organic as possible. Wine, soft drinks and beer are organic and the same goes for the coffee. The kitchen calls its style "the global country kitchen."

You can even get ecological hotdogs in Copenhagen. A `green ´ hotdog stand, DØP - Ecological Hotdogs opened beside the Round Tower in November 2009. With 100% ecological fast food, take for example their spicy beef hot dogs with mashed root veggies with a low fat percent on sourdough fibre rich hotdog buns.

You can find them all over New York, at several addresses in Paris and now Copenhagen has one, a 42 Raw that opened December 2009. They intend to set a whole new standard in for salads, with 10 gourmet seasonal salads, vegetable and fruit juices. All packaging is biodegradable and the raw materials used are primarily organic. Raw Food-bar being vegan, does not use eggs or milk products, nor do they use gluten or sugar.

For those who appreciate quality beer, try microbrewery Nørrebro Bryghus. The brewery is housed in a former metal factory, and contains a two-storey restaurant accommodating 160 seated guests for lunch or dinner, a bar and a courtyard beer garden with outdoor waitress-service during the summer months. In April 2009 they released Denmark's first CO2 neutral beer `Globe Ale´ produced with the utmost consideration, having bought CO2 quotas to insure that the beer will not be a liability for the environment and from December 2009 Nørrebro Bryghus its self became CO2nuetral.

Organic delicatessens and supermarkets 

Gourmandiet, located in Østerbro in an old butcher shop, specializes in organic meats and delicacies such as chocolate, wine, muesli and mustard. Connoisseurs can also take home ready-to-eat dishes and desserts or they can enjoy them in the cosy surroundings.

 When it comes to delicatessens, Meyers Deli (2 shops), Emmery's (9 shops) are essentials. They don't claim to be 100 percent organic but all offer delicacies, sandwiches and beverages of especially high quality - good, carefully chosen ingredients where a large portion is organic. The two Meyers Delis offer eat-in and take-out. Emmery's, with its 10 shops around Copenhagen, offers organic breads and baked goods.

At long last, Copenhagen can brag about its organic supermarket, Egefeld. It is Copenhagen's first organic supermarket and a Mecca for quality-conscious consumers. There is something old-fashioned about the place - service is top-notch and the products are presented attractively. If you're looking for organic meat try Slagteren Ved Kultorvet (Butcher by Kultorvet) or cheese Osten ved Kultorvet (Cheese by Kultorvet) that opened in 2009 is the first and only organic cheese store in Denmark with 120 different organic cheeses.Bo Bech, owner of Michelin star restaurant Paustian opened an organic bakery in 2009. The theme of Bo Bech Bakery is - one door, one table and one bread.

In another delicatessen, Verde Jeans & Coffee in Nørre Farimagsgade there are organic specialties, coffee, salads and sandwiches displayed in very agreeable surroundings and they even sale organic jeans.
The shop's green profile tempts you when you pass by in the street and once inside you should try the freshly squeezed juices or the ice coffee, while checking your email at one of the Mac computers.

Torvehallerne will finally be a reality in 2011 after more than 15 years of ongoing debate. At Israels Plads plans are that an approximately 7000 square meter area with granite paving will become Copenhagen's vegetable and flower market. Torvehallerne will be made up of stalls 12,5, 25, 37,5 up to maximum 50 sq. meters to make sure that the stall owners will be mainly small, quality conscious producers of foodstuffs. There will be linden trees surrounding the outdoor stalls and around the lit columns of the steel constructions. Israels Plads has been Copenhagen's market place since1856.

Regional farmer's markets

The hunt for organic produce can lead to a trip out of town to one of the organic farms and their markets located in the capital region. One of them is Krogerup Avlsgaard north of Humlebæk and approximately 35 km from Copenhagen. The farm is owned by the Danish Ministry of the Environment and is leased to Aarstiderne - a successful company selling organic products nationally and delivering directly to the customers' doorstep. Krogerup Avlsgaard not only consists of charming buildings and farmland, but also the farm's market and a café. The shop sells a variety of products, cheese and vegetables of which the majority are produced on the farm. At the back of the shop lies the Café that serves light dishes, coffee, cakes, and brunch during the weekends. Krogerup Avlsgaard is located in beautiful surrounding (which are about to be preserved) and is neighbour to the well-known Krogerup School and only 500 meters from the art museum Louisiana. Louisiana's main building was actually built as the family Brun's summerhouse - the family Brun lived at Krogerup from 1810 until 1942.

Fuglebjerggard, in the north Sealand area called Helsinge, is owned and operated by Camilla Plum (famous Danish cookbook writer and TV host) and her husband Per Kølster who produces his own beer on site. On the farm there is everything from hens and cattle to corn fields, pastures, kitchen gardens, fruit orchards, mills, farm shop, malt house, brewery and occasionally a cider mill and bakery - all organic. In the shop they sell their own flour, meat, vegetables, fruit, beer and pickled vegetables. Fuglebjerggaard oozes of originality and practical farming where the road from the field to the table is short and all production and processing are visible. Since 1998 they have traditionally held their Harvest market the first weekend in September and Christmas market on the weekend in proximity of the first of December.

Esrum Abbey is the remains of a vast Cistercian Abbey from around 1150 beautifully situated in the almost untouched medieval landscape of North Zealand near Gribskov and Esrum Lake. In the Abbey gardens you can experience more than 100 different medicinal plants from the middle ages and at Møllegårds organic store you will find high quality organic wines, cheese, cosmetics and other commodities, many of them produced locally. Brother Rus' Cellar Restaurant lies in the fine vaulted abbey cellar; there is also a café in the abbey courtyard each summer and a museum shop with medieval specialties, books and toys.

Dyssekilde Ecovillage is located in Torup between Hundested and Frederiksværk in North Sealand, close to Dyssekilde train station. This ecological village has a population of 130 adults and 50 children who share a vision of a socially, economically and ecologically sustainable community. The village has its own school and kindergarten, and it is divided into five housing areas with very interesting architecture. Guided tours can be arranged. The ecovillage has a grocery store with North Sealand's largest selection of organic products, and its own bakery and cafe. Many artists and alternative practitioners are also active in the village.  

Svanholm Gårdbutik (farm store) is located at Svanholm Gods (Svanholm Estate) an ecological community that has existed since 1978 and is located near the village of Skibby, 60km from Copenhagen. The main building is originally from 1744 and the estate its self is protected by Danish law. They hold both harvest and Christmas markets 

Eco-friendly hotels in Copenhagen
Back in the city after a day in the country, there are good possibilities to sleep at a hotel with a green conscience. The hotel chain Scandic, that was the first to actively create a environmental policy and among other things stopped the use of water in plastic bottles for their guests, distinguishes itself with an exceptionally thorough eco-policy, which means among other things that all of the chain's 21 Danish hotels received the Nordic eco label, The Swan, in 2007. Receiving this label is an indication of everything from having an efficient heating system to resource effective ventilation and as a guest you can enjoy an organic breakfast and coffee. Sleeping in rooms where the criteria for materials used is based on their minimal impact on the environment. In 2009 they created a - climate menu that will be an integral part of all the Scandic Hotels menus and in 2010 they became the first hotel in the world to have ecological uniforms for their work force.

Hotel Guldsmeden is another good choice for the conscious consumer. The hotel serves a wholly organic breakfast and the evening dinner in the restaurant is organically inspired. In addition, Hotel Guldsmeden produces its own organic personal care products such as shampoo, body lotion, and soap that are available in the rooms.

Hotel Alexandra also has the environment on its mind. The hotel is known for its interiors, which are furnished with used classic pieces by Arne Jacobsen, Nanna Ditzel, Hans J. Wegner and others. The hotel has also been awarded The Green Key, which is a certificate given to hotels that fulfil a long list of environmental requirements. The hotel was quick to institute smoke-free floors and a 100 percent allergy-friendly floor. Breakfast at Hotel Alexandra is primarily organic. Hotel Alexandra is now CO2 neutral.

Hilton Copenhagen Airport is also Swan-labelled and serves primarily organic food in the restaurant Hamlet Nordic Grill. Organic breakfast is also available. Furthermore, the entire Hilton chain operates after their own "We Care" concept, which was launched at the Danish Hilton during the summer of 2008. In 2007 they started a five star hotel by Copenhagen airport and hired a - green team to be part of their personnel. They received the Green key in 2009. It is necessary to fulfil 50 criteria and take part in a yearly control to be eligible for the green key.

Brøchner Hotels The World's First CO2-Neutral Hotel chain. Bøchner Hotels have become CO2 neutral on energy consumption at all 4 hotels and have thus become the world's first CO2 neutral hotel chain. They have instigated a global rating system for hotels that also aim to become entirely CO2 neutral. This rating system will include hotels that can document their CO2 neutrality either by installing wind turbines on their lots, mounting solar cells on their roofs, or purchasing and delisting carbon credits or credits corresponding to their collective energy - and heat consumption.

The first `real´CO2 neutral hotel building, Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers opened in November 2009. They are CO2-neutral and meet EU requirements for green construction. The hotel's energy consumption is from sustainable sources: all surfaces which receive sunlight are covered with high-tech solar panels, and the whole building is cooled and heated by the first ground water-based cooling and heating system in Denmark. Certified according to International Green Key standards, the hotel's CO2 neutral technology includes an advanced climate system which in the warm summer months uses ground water for cooling, stores the heated water and reuses it for heating in the cold winter months. The result is a reduction in energy consumption for cooling and heating by almost 90%.

Choice is Scandinavia's largest hotel chain with a total of 160 hotels. They are certified by the Norwegian certification agency Veritas and won the International Association of Travel and Tourism Professionals Ecotourism Award November 2009.They offer their guests an organic breakfast and have an accord with the Rainforest Fond to save 100 m2 tropical rain forest per every guest that overnights at their hotels.

The 3 Radisson Blu Hotels in Copenhagen received the Nordic Eco label the Swan symbol June 2009.

Nine hotels in Copenhagen certified by The Green Key
As part of the Arp-Hansen Hotel Group's environmental effort all nine hotels of the Group have qualified for "the green stamp" of The Green Key - the internationally recognized environmental certification of this industry. The certification sets standards for conducting a responsible environmental strategy within energy, water consumption, reduction in waste, using organic produce and a healthy indoor climate.

DGI-byen (DGI-City) right behind Copenhagen's Central Station is a venue for cultural and corporate events and sport. 22,000 square meters in area DGI-byen offers a range of conference facilities, café, restaurant, party and banquet rooms, three hotels, a swim centre, spa and bowling alley. In 2010 they will reduce their energy use by 10%, using green energy from Horns Rev2, the world's largest windmill park. Located in the North Sea it lies 30 kilometers west of Denmark's most western point. 

Eco-labelling
The Danish mark of inspection for organic products is a red "ø" symbol. The Ø-symbol indicates that the product is inspected by the Danish authorities and is thereby required to meet stringent regulations. For example, a product can only be marketed as organic if 95 percent of its ingredients are certified by the Ø-symbol. The Swan symbol is the Nordic Council of Ministers eco-mark, which is used in the Nordic countries while the Flower is the EU's official eco-label used throughout Europe. When a consumer buys a product that is either Swan or Flower labelled, they are sure that the product is manufactured with the least possible impact to the environment, that the quality and functionality is just as good as other products and that the product does not contain toxic ingredients.

Interactive exhibition at the Experimentarium about energy and the environment. ENERGY: help halt man made climate change and prevent energy shortage. Our energy consumption and production must be made sustainable. ‘Energy for the Future' has been a part of Experimentarium's main exhibition since February 2009. The 500 m2 exhibition begins with our daily use and production of energy, and is of interest to all age groups.

In the future even the Copenhageners well beloved amusement park Tivoli will use green energy. From 2010 Tivoli's light fixtures will be powered by wind mills.

Copenhagen has a new climate-friendly bus route. The electric driven CityCirkel buses run every seven minutes and take you to some of Copenhagen's top attractions. Your ticket for the ordinary buses, trains and Metro is also valid on the CityCirkel buses and is free of charge with a Copenhagen card. Amager Øbro taxi has become CO2neutral. Buying CO2 quotas or credits in direct relation to the quantity of diesel used.

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