Det Gode Selskap: High-quality, stylish Nordic cuisine in any setting

By Molly McPharlin | Photos: Mana Communication AS

Known for crafting both classic and imaginative cuisine, Det Gode Selskap, or “The Good Company” in English, is a standout catering business in Bergen. With a focus on fresh Norwegian ingredients, they specialise in creating unforgettable dining experiences for events of all kinds

From large, complex occasions to intimate gatherings, quality is always at the centre of everything Det Gode Selskap does. From the hors d’oeuvres to the dessert, the company puts its heart into every dish they design, believing that all good experiences deserve delicious food.

The head chef of Det Gode Selskap, Gunnar Anthun.

Det Gode Selskap was founded in 2006 as a small company with just a few members of staff. Its founder and head chef, Gunnar Anthun, developed a passion for cooking at the age of eight, inspired by Norwegian culinary traditions and time spent helping his grandmother with everything from salting, drying, and smoking fish to baking flatbread over an open fire. After serving as a chef in the armed forces and opening his first restaurant at just 25, Anthun built a career spanning over 25 years in the restaurant industry before transitioning to catering. Over time, the company has grown and now employs over 50 people, working in all areas of catering.

Fresh asparagus – simple and elegant. Photo: Tove Lise Mossestad

Quality is the most important ingredient

Fundamentally, Det Gode Selskap puts the quality of its ingredients and cooking at the forefront of everything they do. “We never compromise and are passionate about Norwegian ingredients and food traditions,” says Anthun. “We concentrated on Norwegian and Nordic cuisine long before it became well known.” All their ingredients, from eggs to seafood, meat to berries, originate from local producers, and emphasis is placed on cooking seasonally and thoughtfully.

A typical dish might include something traditional, such as lefse, with something fresh, for example, wild Norwegian trout. Or the team might create a whole table of different small food samples, in the style of tapas. They even offer a barbecue menu and special menus for the holidays.

A classic dessert of vanilla pannacotta and fresh berries.

Working with customers

Det Gode Selskap is highly flexible in the cuisine it offers, ensuring that customers always have the final say in how an event is planned and what is served. “If a customer wants organic ingredients, that’s what we’ll use; if they want a specific type of cooking, we can do that,” says Anthun.

Det Gode Selskap was also the first catering company to introduce the concept of a personal chef in Bergen. “We would plan a dinner with 2-5 dishes and come and create it in the customer’s home, so they and their guests could eat in their own dining space and relax.” As a result of this personalised service, many people come back to Det Gode Selskap again and again to plan their celebrations. “We may make the food for a christening and then come back to the same family for a confirmation, a graduation, or a wedding,” says Anthun.

Creative, imaginative dishes using Norwegian ingredients are at the heart of Det Gode Selskap.

The company also creates food for large events. From concerts to meetings and symposiums for the oil and technology industries – the team relish big and exciting new challenges. They even have a space at the Bergen aquarium where they can design planned, catered events for up to 400 people, depending on how the space will be used. With its otherworldly feel, it provides the perfect setting for hosting a singular and unforgettable occasion.

Det Gode Selskap, every aspect of a catered event must be just right.

An eye on the detail

Any experience that Det Gode Selskap is involved with must have quality at its core, both outside the kitchen as well as in it. It works closely with wait staff, subcontractors, and event planners to ensure that every aspect runs smoothly. “Food will only taste good when quality is at the forefront of every part of an occasion,” says Anthun. Though the company does much of its work in and around Bergen where it is headquartered, if clients are interested, the team can readily travel to other parts of Norway as well.

For the future, Det Gode Selskap hopes to maintain its scope while taking on new projects and different challenges. “But always, we’ll maintain our high level of quality,” says Anthun. “That is our most important mission.”