40 years of Ikea meatballs, selling 1.4 billion a year. And now falafel debuts
With more than 710 million customers each year in 473 restaurants in 63 markets, Ikea is a major player in the global restaurant industry
2' min read
2' min read
Ikea celebrates 40 years of its meatballs. A dish that has become a symbol of Swedish cuisine all over the world, thanks to the popular restaurants in the famous DIY furniture chain's shops. As many as 1.4 billion of them are sold every year. Perhaps not everyone knows that with more than 710 million customers each year in 473 restaurants in 63 countries, Ikea is a major player in the global restaurant industry. And now the Swedish giant announces the falafel variant, with chickpeas, courgettes, onions and spices; it will be served with couscous, aioli (garlic-based sauce) and a slice of lemon.
Ikea started serving typical Swedish recipes in 1960, with the first in-store restaurant in Älmhult, Sweden. "Founder Ingvar Kamprad knew that offering hot dishes to his customers would make them happier. In 1985,' the company says, 'Ingvar invited Swedish chef Severin Sjöstedt to create a recipe for meatballs to be offered globally. After 10 months of meticulous testing, the final recipe was born, which is still used today, with only minor adjustments made over time'.
In 2006, the 'Swedish Food Market' introduced frozen meatballs to take home, along with sauces and other Scandinavian products. In 2015, chicken meatballs were launched and, shortly afterwards, vegetable meatballs. Over time, recipes with elk and salmon were also tested. In 2020 came the plant-based meatball 'Huvudroll', designed to replicate the taste of the meatball. Falafel is also a renewed focus on the vegetarian audience.
"We sell flat-pack furniture and round food! - jokingly comments Daniel Yngvesson, global food designer at Ikea -. After so many variations of meatballs introduced over the years, when we started testing new recipes, falafel seemed like the perfect choice to add to the menu. It is now part of Swedish gastronomic culture and its aromatic and slightly nutty taste is loved all over the world. It is also a new and exciting taste for Ikea.
Ikea has collaborated with Swedish designer Gustaf Westman to create a porcelain plate designed to serve meatballs in a fun and original way. The plate, part of the new collaboration with Gustaf, is designed to hold 11 meatballs in an orderly row. Gustaf, known for its tableware that emphasises food in unusual and often amusing ways, pays homage to the Swedish meatball by turning it into the focal point of every table.
