The food factory in Flúðir has great facilities for all those who are interested in producing all kinds of food. It is well equipped and offers all the main processing methods. In connection with Matís, there is good access to specialists who can guide individuals in their production. Ingunn Jónsdóttir, station manager at Flúðir, answered some questions about the food factory.
Who is Matarsmiðjan for?
"The food workshop is intended for all those who want to come and take a good idea to the next level. It is an ideal opportunity for entrepreneurs who are always getting ideas but need help and conditions to get them started, but it can be a good idea if the entrepreneur needs to start by setting up a predatory production kitchen. "
Who has been the most used to the food factory?
"Individuals, small businesses and small producers. Bringing the product to the food factory is the beginning. Individuals who have tourism and want to sell, for example, home-made jams have also come here. Then they come and rent the facility for maybe four days but add the thirteenth month in income. "
"We support small producers and entrepreneurs and help them make a salable product. We can offer a variety of assistance, but Matís has a full house of specialists and the perfect equipment for research. We can also offer sensory evaluation, where the product is tasted and its properties are evaluated by a special sensory evaluation group. This can give the entrepreneur an idea of whether he has a salable product in hand or whether it needs to make some improvements. "
Have products produced in Flúðir returned to stores?
"Yes, since the turn of the year, for example, two products have returned to the market. On the one hand, the drink B.OKAY and meat broth sold to restaurants and production kitchens. Other products that have been developed and marketed include jam, sandwiches, pesto, lupine extract, candy, processed vegetables and dried vegetables to name a few. "
But why does Matís run Matarsmiðja?
"The food factory in Flúðir is run in collaboration with the municipalities in the uplands of Árnessýsla and promotes job creation at home in the district at the same time as it promotes food security in Iceland. One of Matís' goals is to promote public health, and we do this through the Food Workshops, where the emphasis is on producing quality products. Matís' other goal is to improve food safety, and we do this by inviting people to process our products here. This all leads to increased value creation, which is also one of Matís' goals. The food factory itself is run without profit and the small rent that has to be paid for access to it really only goes to keep the operating costs down. "
"We want to encourage everyone who has an idea to come and try it out. The same person does not have to be a commodity producer. It is enough to have an idea that is willing to work on. "
For further information, please contact:
Ingunn Jónsdóttir and information can also be found on Matarsmiðjan's website in Flúðir: