A little flake from the outskirts

The origin of Kantefølflak, part 2.

Alongside my vocational education, I engage in music and art. A cliché for describing the market in music and art for those aspiring to succeed is that "abroad is the largest land." In retrospect, considering Kantefølflak, perhaps it was this mindset that motivated me back then as well. Is the outskirts the biggest edge? (Edge = kant in Norwgian)

Most people don’t live in the capital. Most people live in a smaller town or village between Svalbard and Lindesnes. One might think that a product based on a story connected to our beloved rural Norway, with all its peculiar, beautiful, and sometimes challenging dialects, would surely become a success based on this alone. I thought so too, before I became well acquainted with the centralized retail system and the concept of "communication strategy."

After three years of entrepreneurship, between the spring of 2016 and 2019, the questions were many, and the answers were difficult to grasp. Was "Project Kantefølflak" on the brink of recklessness, or did Kantefølflak have the right to life as a new potato chip brand in Norway?

Content production for social media

The summer of 2019 saw the gradual conclusion of the pre-project. I had secured two important investors who, in addition to founding a new company with me, had stakes in Norway’s smallest chip factory: Den Lille Chipsfabrikken. A one-man project turned into a small company with several shareholders, all with the same goal in mind: to sell Kantefølflak throughout Norway.

Kantefølflak entered a new phase. To secure the product’s future, we worked in parallel on content production for social media and on securing a commercial production agreement. The collaboration with Den Lille Chipsfabrikken became increasingly closer to reality.

To strengthen our connection to agriculture, I contacted Arve at Ruud Farm again. This time, I wanted to follow him through the summer and document the commercial potato production. As hospitable as the previous year, they opened both barn doors and waffle irons that summer as well.

The result was a photo series where we could showcase the daily life of a Norwegian potato producer and gain a deeper understanding of the raw materials behind potato chips (Kantefølflak, editor’s note).

The image on the left, above: From a visit to Ruud Farm with Kantefølflak from my own garden, summer 2018. The two images on the right are from 2019 when we followed the production of Kanteføl throughout an entire growing season. We took a total of 133 photos between May and October.

Challenges in agriculture

The 2019 growing season presented extra challenges. In early May, they received an unexpected amount of snow, which delayed fieldwork by several weeks. After the snow melted, the producers had to hire extra manpower and some heavy-duty excavators to redo preparations, lay new drains, and save the fields.

Despite these obstacles, we continued working with Arve throughout the growing season, providing us with valuable insights into the technological and economic challenges faced by farmers and food producers. I grew up on a farm in Hallingdal, and I therefor approached every issue with respect and a certain understanding.

While photographing at Ruud Farm, we also met a group of potato producers who shared their experiences and thoughts on the role of technology in agriculture.

Like most other professions, farmers and food producers also have customers. Customers who constantly set higher demands for quality – almost unreasonably high demands, if you ask me – and preferably with slightly better profit margins.

While we followed the work on the farm, the development of Kantefølflak continued. We worked on finalizing spice blends and the last touches on the recipe. This was the prelude to the brand that would later become "Kantefølflak – Chips for Mountain Folks."

Right now, a book is in the works with the working title "You Don’t Get to the Mountains Without Uphill Struggles." Here we will dive into the challenges in the entire value chain, in addition to our own challenges as a small startup in a large and already established market, without funds for marketing.

The photos from Ruud Farm, which were one of the motivations for starting work on a book, will be included in the final book when we get that far.

Launch of Kantefølflak

Monday, May 20, 2019, was marked as an important moment in Kantefølflak’s history. That’s when then-Prime Minister Erna Solberg cut the ribbon at the opening of Den Lille Chipsfabrikken.

I got to participate in the opening, naturally dressed in a bunad, as most Hallingdal folks would be. But a solid contract for production had yet to be signed. We were now facing the final product development phase before the first bags of Kantefølflak could see the light of day between the mountain peaks.

The summer of 2019 was a time of hard work on the farm, in the factory, and in the office. We created new websites for the product, made a final pitch to NorgesGruppen with sample bags produced in August, and ensured that all details regarding packaging were in order before the harvest season on the farm.

The last photos from Ruud Farm were taken a couple of weeks before we finally had our own chips as models, on October 1, 2019.

Talk about perfect timing for our social media content! It went straight from harvest at the raw material producer to the chips factory, to packaging in the first bags with the right brand. All in a seamless transition for our loyal followers on social media (links to these can be found at the bottom of the pages here).

Chips for the mountaineer

As a result of our focus on connecting the product to Norwegian values and mountain culture, we developed the concept "Chips for the Mountaineers" (Chips for Fjellfolk in Norwegian) during 2020 together with Torkel and Siv Lien. Our distinctive and recognizable mountain-themed bags hit store shelves in February 2021.

In February 2021, we took the opportunity to renew our flavor variants along with a new communication concept and improved design.

Our flavor variant "Salt and Green Pepper" was replaced with a slightly spicier variant "Mango and red chili pepper." For one year, this coexisted with "Lingonberry and sour cream" – still available – and "Brunost." The latter was replaced in February 2022 by the bestseller Fjellsalt, which to our delight received a dice roll of 6 in VG and a star in the Great Taste Awards.

The communication concept "Chips for the Mountaineers" has helped us find our position in the market. The concept has provided us with a valuable target audience to speak to, which also resonates with our own values.

First and foremost, it was the photos sent in by consumers during the first year that led us to the answer to a question we didn’t know we needed to ask before the trademark was registered: Who are we here for?

Have a look at the submitted photos below. There could hardly be any doubt? Kantefølflak is Chips for the Mountaineers.

Listing and distribution

Den Lille Chipsfabrikken (The tiny potatochips factory) was started by a small group of mountaineers, all born with skis on their feet and hiking boots on their shelves. Together we have a vision to create something unique and even better. With Vetle Misje and Terje Marcussen from Den Lille Chipsfabrikken as co-owners in Kantefølflak AS (formerly Viken Snacks AS), we have managed to get listed in Meny, Spar, and Joker, as well as eventually in Rema and Coop locally.

The work with listing, sales, and increasing distribution is something we continuously work on. We are determined to bring Kantefølflak to mountaineers all over the country. Missing us where you shop for snacks? Contact our sales manager Tonny Eriksen.

Innovation and inclusion

In connection with the communication concept "Chips for Mountain Folks," we have taken ambitious steps. Together with our loyal consumers, we have climbed mountains like Mount Everest, K2, and Aconcagua abroad (which, after all, is the biggest country) just to set the bar. Our ambition is nothing less than to climb all mountains and hills between Galdhøpiggen and the lowest edge of the Opera House in the Oslo Fjord.

To include our customers in this journey, we have developed a unique system that allows consumers to share their photos via a QR code on the bag. We might write more about this system in an upcoming blog post, but simply put: You scan the QR code on the bag, share the view, and put yourself on the map with respective Vandrehistorier (Hike lore in English).

Tourist cabins and other trails

From the start, in the winter of 2019 and 2020, we had some small variants of 70 grams, but then a certain pandemic came and put a stop to our (and many others') plans. In 2023, we re-launched Kantefølflak Fjellsalt 50g for the HORECA market. HORECA = HOtel REstaurant CAtering.

The new launch of Fjellsalt in 50 grams was therefore a big new step for us, which we are very proud of. Since we received a star in the Great Taste Awards in 2022 and a dice roll of 6 in VG in February 2022, we had an opportunity to boast a little about it on the small bag.

Fjellsalt 50 grams became available at places like the "MIX Isbjørnbutikken" on Svalbard, and we signed a collaboration agreement with the NHO Reiseliv Innkjøpskjeden. Better purchasing terms for our customers and proof that we are steadily expanding our reach.

Outlets that have had great success with our little 50 gram Fjellsalt include Bergsjøstølen in Ål, Hauane Bed & Breakfast in Lysebotn, and Smak in Lom, to name a few. Available on ASKO, DLVRY, and ServiceGrossistene.

Future and positioning

Kantefølflak has begun to take a position. We build our story like a cairn together with consumers. Stone by stone. Hike lore by hike lore, we set hiking goals on the map. Our goal is to create a product that tastes great and resonates with the target audience.

Despite the challenges we face from large competitors, we have something unique: A strong story, a well-constructed team, and a loyal target audience.

Fjelltid

Our blog Fjelltid is relatively fresh. Through this, we want to give you a little insight into our work when we find the peace and inspiration to do so. If you want to be among those who get the latest news first, sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of these pages.

We organize store demos when we can and give lectures when invited. The development of our brand is ongoing and is a painstaking process. 

We have made (and will continue to make) choices that strengthen our position and build a network of trails that provide us with better views. Kantefølflak will reach new heights together with you as a consumer.

We have ambitions and the will to see them through.