Max Ivan: Celebrating Norwegian food culture

By Molly McPharlin | Photos: Max Ivan AS

Situated amongst the forests and hills of Skotterud in Norway is Max Ivan, a gourmand’s haven. Founded by chef Max Ivan Lindkjølen, the company offers catering, a delicatessen, event planning, and even a butcher shop. It specialises in organic meats, local produce, and homemade products such as biscuits, sausages, and chocolate – to make every meal remarkable and delicious.

Max Ivan: Celebrating Norwegian food culture

Porchetta from the Max Ivan delicatessen.

Max Ivan Lindkjølen, born and raised in Vestmarka in Eidskog, began cooking as a young boy with his mother and grandmother. He trained as a professional chef and worked at Hotel Continental in Oslo and later in restaurants throughout Europe. After stints running his own hotel and managing the Hemsedal ski resort, he moved back to Vestmarka with his wife and two young daughters. “We wanted to come back home to our village and the locals were keen to try his food,” says Maxine Lindkjølen, daughter of Max Ivan and now a partner in the business, which is located in nearby Skotterud in Eidskog.

A table set for an event planned by Max Ivan.

In recent years, Max Ivan has become a business for the whole family to take part in. “It’s a family business with its feet planted firmly on the ground and with many balls in the air,” states Maxine, who is set to take over the company shortly. She has worked in restaurants such as Statholdergaarden and Hotel Continental in Oslo, as well as a year in the Norwegian pavilion at Disney World in Florida, before joining Max Ivan in 2015. Anne Kristin, her mother, pursued a career in the Norwegian police service for many years before retiring in 2023, when she joined the family business and now works with planning and design.

Customers choose the cuts of meat they’d like to try in Max Ivan’s butcher shop.

Immersed in all parts of food culture

When planning events, the team works closely with different companies to create the perfect experience. “We take care of everything without the customer needing to think about anything other than the comfort of their guests,” Maxine confirms. “Our motto is ‘be a guest at your own party’ and we can serve everyone wherever the road takes us.” Max Ivan has hosted everything from a sports gala for over 3,000 people, to catering for the World Ski Championships for 150 people for over a week, to intimate local family celebrations.

Max Ivan and Maxine grilling a selection of meat from their butchers.

The company’s own butcher shop offers organic meats such as venison from approved slaughterhouses, and can create special packages for customers to try different products. “Another important saying is ‘we fix most things, the impossible just takes a little longer’. It’s actually difficult to say what we don’t do in food and drink,” smiles Maxine. Max Ivan even has its own range of wine and aquavit. “Our aquavit first saw the light of day in 2009, when the Eidskog municipality celebrated its 150th birthday.”

Max Ivan uses a traditional recipe from the owner’s grandmother to create its dried sausages.

Recipes passed down through generations

The company is committed to maintaining Norwegian food culture, offering customers great quality and service, as well as natural whole foods with a short travel time and no additives. “Our recipes are based on my great-grandmother’s recipes,” says Maxine. “We’ve just modernised them a little in terms of making sure spices are pure and removing any allergens. We even use her traditional recipe for making sausages.”

Max Ivan focuses on local products and maintaining the business in Norway, mainly in the region where the family works and resides. “Our catchment area is Lillestrøm and Viken, but we like to stay in Eidskog!” says Maxine. “Nothing is better than waking up in the morning and hearing the birds chirping or seeing elk outside our window. Breathing fresh air and living in the forest brings inner peace. It really acts as an inspiration for everything we do!”