"Spora" will be located in the former premises of the "Amass" restaurant and will offer 1,000 square meters of specially equipped research kitchen, state-of-the-art microbiology laboratories and a fully equipped 3D design and sound studio.
The "Alchemist" in Copenhagen is considered one of the most extraordinary restaurants in the world. Foodies from all over the world put up with extremely long waiting times to dine in the former shipyard, which is listed at number 5 on "The World's 50 Best Restaurants".
The restaurant places a strong emphasis on gastronomic development and innovation, which is also reflected in dishes made from ingredients that would otherwise be considered inedible or waste. These include farmed butterflies and lamb brains, but also jellyfish.
Through this visionary approach, the "Alchemist" has already established research collaborations with several leading universities and commercial partners, such as UC Berkeley and the University of Copenhagen. Now Rasmus Munk has gone one step further and presented an independent innovation centre called "Spora".
"Spora" will be just a stone's throw away from "Alchemist", opening on Refshaleøen in the former premises of the "Amass" restaurant. A specially equipped research kitchen, state-of-the-art microbiology laboratories and a fully equipped 3D design and recording studio will be housed on 1,000 square metres.
"Spora" will be dedicated to developing sustainable culinary products that have a positive impact on the lives of millions of people. At the start, the focus will be on two main areas: upcycling side streams from the food industry and developing "delicious and diverse protein sources".
Through cutting-edge research and collaboration with industry leaders, "Spora" aims to reshape the future of food and gastronomy. The project is led by a multidisciplinary team comprising industry leaders from the fields of gastronomy, science, design, art, technology and business. The innovation centre was financed by an initial investment of DKK 10 million (around USD 1.5 million) from bioscience pioneers Claus and Bente Christiansen. "Alchemist" is on board as a gastronomic partner and holds a stake in the company.
"My goal with Alchemist has always been to change the world through gastronomy. I believe that we can play a crucial role in developing nutritious and sustainable products that people will want to eat again and again, if we allow the search for deliciousness to lead the technology and not the other way around,"says Munk.
