Lykkemat’s story began in 2016, when Mia Therese Sollihaug decided to start her own company with the aim of developing organic products based on ancient grains, such as spelt, emmer, and einkorn.

“I have always been fascinated by ancient grains and their history. They have a unique character and a rich flavour that you can’t find in modern wheat,” Mia says.

These grains are also known as urkorn, which means “original grain” in Norwegian. They have a long history of cultivation and consumption, dating back to the Neolithic period. They’re also more nutritious and flavourful than modern wheat varieties, Mia explains, but more demanding to bake with because of their natural gluten composition.

“I wanted to create products that would showcase these grains and their benefits, and also appeal to the modern consumer who is looking for organic and delicious snacks. Organic principles are perhaps the most important in our time. Some believe that this is the only way forward.”

In the first year of operation, Sollihaug developed and tested a special type of granola for sale, and managed to partner with Innovation Norway, the national development bank. Soon after, she attracted two other major investors, Bjørn Wiggen and Ivar Fjellseth, who helped her rent premises and buy new equipment. Since then, Mia’s company has gone from strength to strength, having hired more employees, including Erik Johansen, Sollihaug’s partner and the current general manager, Afom Tesfamaryam Abraham, a baker from Eritrea, and Cecilie and Agnes, who produce biscuits and granola.

Lykkemat sources their organic ingredients from local farmers and beekeepers whenever they can. And they prefer to use Norwegian ingredients, such as Røros milk, Fjellurt cornflowers, and Svedjerug, a preserved grain variety.

“We make a sweetened and baked granola in three flavours, and two artisan biscuits: Svedjerugkjeks, a sourdough biscuit, and oatmeal biscuits with whole oats soaked in Røros milk for two days before baking,” Mia tells us.

“My favourite is the Svedjerug biscuit. It’s a real treat with a good cheese and some marmalade. It has a slight acidity from the sourdough, a smoky flavour from the Svedjerug, and a crunchy and slightly salty texture with cornflowers from Fjellurt.”

The production process of course varies from product to product. However, it always involves gentle treatment of the raw materials and baking at low temperatures to preserve flavour and nutrition. Some products, such as oat biscuits and sourdough biscuits, take a long time to make because they require soaking, fermenting or rising.

“We make everything by hand in small batches to ensure we get the highest quality. We bake at a low temperature to minimise the risk of acrylamide, we cold-roll grains, which breaks down phytic acid, and we bake with sourdough, which is good for digestion,” Sollihaug says.

Lykkemat has achieved remarkable recognition for its products since it was founded. Four of its products have been awarded the prestigious Spesialitet label by the Norwegian Food Foundation, which is given to products that have a unique character and high quality. Three of its products have also been finalists in Det Norske Måltid, a national competition that celebrates the best food and drink products in Norway.

There’s no doubt that Lykkemat has already made a mark with their products. The company runs its own café and local food shop in the centre of Selbu, where they are based. They also sell their products to the grocery trade through the specialty wholesaler Godt Lokalt, and to specialist shops directly through TINE Distribusjon, so people can buy them across Norway. And next year, they will expand their reach by taking part in Grüne Woche 2024, the world’s largest food fair in Berlin, where their Svedjerug biscuits will be served as dessert by the chefs.

Lykkemat’s motto has always been “Real food pleasure”, and that’s what the company wants to share with the world—alongside its passion for ancient grains and organic principles.

“When we make use of species and ingredients that are worthy of preservation and put them on the map, we are not only preserving history, but also good food culture,” Sollihaug says.