Kalle Tanner, who was named the 2018 chef of the year in Finland, and Noora Sipilä, named waiter of the year, have teamed up to create a new menu for Viking Line that focuses on the classics of French cuisine with a modern twist.

According to Viking Line, this spring’s so-called grand cuisine menu updates French culinary classics by making them lighter and using responsibly and locally produced ingredients. The grand cuisine menu will be available from March 7 until May 31, 2019 on the ships travelling the Helsinki–Stockholm and Turku–Stockholm routes.

Since last fall, Viking Line has been a supporter of the chef of the year and waiter of the year contests, highlighting the importance of the professions and the high level of expertise of kitchen and service personnel. At the cruise ferry company, more than 220 chefs and 300 waiters and waitresses work aboard its ships. Their contribution is considered a vital part of the overall cruise experience, the company stated.

The menu includes a seafood cocktail, onion soup served with cheese from Åland and Nordic deer tournedos Rossini with mushroom butter. The dessert is a mille-feuille pastry served with rhubarb. The menu has also been paired with carefully selected classic and elegant old-world wines.

Commented Janne Lindholm, restaurant manager at Viking Line: “In addition to being highly skilled, Kalle and Noora have a fantastic and proactive attitude towards their work and the ability to adapt their creations to suit the needs of ship catering. Their specially designed menu, while inspired by tradition, has a unique modern twist, making it a classic in its own right. Many of our passengers have surely tasted these French culinary classics before, so I’m excited to provide them with the opportunity to compare their experiences with our modernized versions.”