Last weekend (6th-7th February) three of Tollbua’s apprentices competed in the ASKO Servering Norgescup 2026. All three finished on the podium!
The apprentices, split across two teams, were successful in the qualifying round in Trondheim in October last year. Now they can add success on the national level to their portfolios, with one team finishing in second and the other in third.
Tuva Staff, 19, and Sienna Dahle Pedersen, 19, both from Tollbua, have been working round the clock to prepare for the competition. The first day, Friday 6th, was the semi-final. It was a very precise challenge explains Sienna:
”One of the tasks is to make a main course with a veal snitzel, which weighs 160g when it is finished and fried,” explains the young chef. ”It’s difficult because you have to make sure the meat is the same weight and thickness each time, and be careful with how much bread and butter you use to fry it!”
According to the assignment, the main course must be delivered with ‘fried potatoes, green peas, capers, lemon and anchovies must be included. The sauce must be brown butter made from TINE salted butter.’ The teams must deliver six portions, also accompanied by six fish cakes, each weighing 80g. It’s not a natural combination, but the task will challenge the competitors’ technique, preparation and organisation skill. The desset is of Norwegian winter apples from BAMA, served with vanilla ice cream and a warm baked element.
There was not much room for interpretation at the semifinal stage of the competition, and even less room for error. Of the 22 teams competing, only 6 received a place in Saturday’s final.
There were strict rules about which ingredients could be used, which equipment was available, how the dishes must be submitted, timing, cleanliness, labelling, presentation and, not least, taste. The teams had 3 hours (including 15 minutes with team leader at the start) until the first dish was served.
No cooking may begin before team leader leaves and the dessert had to be delivered exactly half an hour later.
The additional challenge for Sienna and Tuva (as well as fellow Tollbua competitor Øystein Lægreid Gangstø, 19, who is competing with a team mate from restaurant Saga), is that, for the past months, they have had to simultaneously prepare for the final without even knowing if they would get past the semifinal.
Happily for both teams, they made it through to Saturday’s final!
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The top six teams, as adjudicated by a judging panel of 1 Head Judge, 4 Tasting Judges, 3 Station Judges and a Trainee/Rookie Judge (non-scoring), went on to Saturday’s final. There they were tasked with the creation of a three course menu, which must be prepared and delivered within 4 ½ hours.
The first course was a vegetarian ravioli, the main course was with three whole Liveche chickens, and the dessert was of the dark chocolate, cherries and Seterrømme. Top make matters harder, the task included the obligatory use of mystery ingredients, revealed to the team on the eve of the final.
Tuva, a second year apprentice from Eidsvoll, has been working with Tollbua for 1 ½ years. She is optimisitic about their chances and believe that all the weeks of preparation have made her a better chef:
“My passion is to do everything, try to get everywhere, and test many different things. This industry gives me the opportunity to travel and do a variety of things. I’m really looking forward to the competition. It challenges you, and you learn a great deal.”
The Tollbua team is supported by coach Christopher Davidsen, who has travelled with the team to the event in Stavanger. He was there with them at the weekend to see Tuva and Sienna’s team take silver, and Øyvind (with saga restaurant) take bronze. A fantastic result for Tollbua, of the industry in Trondheim and for the young chefs. And a great reward for all the days and months they have invested in this competition.
The apprentices work daily at Tollbua. They will also be putting their skills onn show during a special Apprentice Dinner, in collaboration with Oi! Mat og Drikke, on Tuesday 10th February. The dinner is now sold out, but there is availability in the restaurant later in the week:
ASKO Servering Norgescup is a nationwide culinary competition for apprentices in chef, waiter and related foodservice disciplines in Norway. It is organised in collaboration between ASKO Servering (as sponsor) and Norske Kokkers Landsforening (NKL), the Norwegian Chefs’ Association, which runs the event through its network of local NKL branches.
