"For a chef, there is always something extra special about working with exclusive ingredients of the highest quality. We therefore had no doubt that Norwegian shellfish would be the first choice, while of course also including salmon and halibut on the menu," said Espeland. The meal was a hit with players and staff alike. "The feedback was absolutely fantastic, and everyone seemed to really enjoy the seafood. If I were to highlight one thing, I would say the langoustines were especially popular. There was not much left afterwards, to put it that way."

The seafood for the celebration dinner was flown to Miami from suppliers throughout Norway.

"I would like to thank everyone who has delivered the fantastic seafood to us. That applies not only to this celebration dinner, but to all the meals we have served over the past six weeks. In total, the entire squad has eaten almost 500 kilos of seafood and 100 kilos of brown cheese during their stay, so the Norwegian ingredients have been very well received. The quality has been absolutely fantastic," said Espeland.

Throughout the tournament, Espeland and his team prepared meals under challenging conditions after the Norwegian squad was forced to change hotels in Miami just one day into their stay. "When you are travelling and do not have a permanent kitchen, there will always be challenges, but I think we handled it well. All in all, these weeks have been a great experience that I will never forget," Espeland said.

One unexpected highlight for Espeland was the global interest in the team's approach to food and nutrition. "I never expected the interest in our food to be so enormous. It is not every day that I am contacted by some of the world's biggest media outlets, but it has been both rewarding and fun to speak positively about Norwegian ingredients. I now believe that a great many people have realized that the Norwegian players love both seafood and cheese."

Source: Seafood from Norway