Reykjavík Grapevine - 08.11.2019, Blaðsíða 35

A Little Cove
of Cornucopia
Downtown !ains a nei!hbourhood fresh fish and ve!!ie store
Words: Shruthi Basappa Photos: Art Bicnick
Gnægtahorni!
Visit the store at Bergsta"astræti
14, 101 Reykjavík and on facebook.
com/Gnaegtahorn
There was a collective sigh of de-
spair when Kjöt og Fiskur downed
shutters on Bergsta!astræti. In a
short span of time, the neighbour-
hood had seen Frú Lauga, Kjöt og
Fiskur and Matarbúr Kaja open and
close; each opening met with cheers
and each subsequent closure with
disappointment that yet another
downtown business favoured by the
locals was done for.
Hoping to break the curse, is
Gnægtahorni!. “We are not only
a fish store,” store owner Gunnar
Guttormur Kjeld emphasises. Even
though it’s only a few weeks old, the
opening has been met with wide
enthusiasm, especially by the lo-
cal residents. In a quickly chang-
ing urban landscape, where com-
mercial needs of tourism are often
at loggerheads with residents, it is
understandable why the opening of
a neighbourhood store garners this
attention.
The basement store is simply
furnished — there are rows of lo-
cally brewed Kombucha, preserves,
and spreads from Vellir Svarfa!ar-
dal, various fish products and a
smattering of organic vegetables.
Further ahead, there is cod in an
olive tapenade marinade, Arctic
char with capers, fresh cod and a
full basket of oysters at just 350 ISK
per piece sits invitingly. Vegans and
vegetarians are considered and a
handful of salads and patties are
on offer. Behind the store, is a work
room where fresh catch of the day is
processed to be sent off to restau-
rants and to sell instore.
Community ecosystem
Gutti, as Gunnar is known, has
long felt the need for more variety
of produce. With his background
in wholesale seafood supply, he has
been behind the scenes in the sup-
ply chain industry. But why retail?
“Honestly, I wanted to diversify,”
Gutti laughs, going on to add, “Su-
permarket choices are all the same,
you know,” he explains. “What one
sells, the others do, too. The fish
in the same marinades, the same
vegetables, seasonal
or not.”
“Take the oys-
ters for instance,”
he continues,“I’m
in the position of
offering them to
people, in sma l l
quantities at a reasonable price. It
is a unique thing given their short
shelf life and removes the hassle of
buying oysters if you weren’t a res-
taurant.” Having tried them myself,
I have to concur that the fanciful
feeling of eating oysters in your pa-
jamas at home is vastly underrated.
Gutti has ambitious plans. “I
want to create this community eco-
system, a food exchange,” he says
passionately. “Where the lemons we
supply to a restaurant, comes back
to Gnægtahorni! as say, fermented
lemons, a full circle. We’ve been
working with Lækjarbrekka, and I
am keen on bringing on board more
industry professionals to lend their
expertise. Chef Eva has been the
anchor in this operation and has
brought in variety for vegans and
vegetarians.”
Fresh, local, abundant
Gnægtahorni! refers to the horn
of plenty in Icelandic. In an effort
to offer more than what the su-
permarkets currently do, Gutti is
working closely with Sey!isfjör!ur
initiative, Austurlands Food Coop,
to bring hitherto
unavailable fresh
produce to Reykja-
vík residents.
To m i n i m i s e
fo o d w a s t e , i n-
h o u s e s o u p f o r
lunch is also on the
cards. The no-food waste principle
extends to the seafood as well. The
traditional "sa í raspi is made with
leftover sourdough bread crumbs.
The fiskibollur too, gets an update
with the addition of vegetables.
“Being creative can be challeng-
ing and not falling back on the es-
tablished norms is very challenging
because it is so tempting to fall back
on what’s been done before.” It is
early days yet, but Gnægtahorni!
might just be the corner of plenty
101 has been waiting for.
35The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 20— 2019
“I want to create
this community
ecosystem, a
food exchange,”
?”
Just like in the good ol' days
Food
"Girnalegt!," as we say in Iceland
Ó!INSTORG | 101 | REYKJAVÍK | ÍSLAND
SNAPSBISTRO.IS | +354 5116677
FRENCH ONION SOUP
Icelandic Ísbúi cheese, croûtons
2.490 kr.
MOULES MARINIÈRES
steamed mussels from Brei"afjör"ur
2.600 kr.
FISH OF THE DAY
chef´s special
3.990 kr.
Lunch offer from 11:30 - 14:00 1.990 kr.
EST. 2012REYKJAVIK