Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, the Norwegian line famous as being oh-so-very British, is to start giving its passengers a taste of Norway when its ships are cruising in the fjords.
It's a great idea - I had only just had a meeting with Chris Townson, managing director of Scenic Tours UK, where we both were saying how nice it is when cruise ships serve cuisine from the areas they are cruising in, when Fred's news appeared in my in-box.
As I don't eat anything that comes out of water, I can't get over enthusiastic about the very fishy offerings they will be dishing up - well it is Norwegian cuisine after all - but I can still applaud the thought.
There will be Norwegian starters at dinner such as trout tartar, Aquavit-smoked salmon with mustard sauce, and traditional caviar of capelin and salmon, with warm potato cakes, sour cream and chives, and salmon prepared in 13 different ways over a 13-day cycle.
They are even offering some Norwegian foodie tours - the "Orchard of Norway" excursion from Eidfjord, to see traditional farming, and a "King Crab" day out from Honningsvag to see and taste the local crabs.
As part of Cruise Norway's Taste the Coast promotion, on two seven-night cruises on Braemar, on June 11 and August 12, local celebrity chef Fredrik Hald will be going on Bergen and demonstrating his seafood cookery skills in the Neptune Lounge. Come evening, there'll be a special seafood menu of salmon, scallops, herring and mackerel.
My fishy friends would love it. Excuse me if I give it a miss though.
Jane Archer
