Danish craftsmanship when it’s best
Creativity, diligence and ambitions were just some of the words which were brought into play when Kristian Frederik Bruun received his silver medal. It all took place at a tradition-bound medal ceremony at Copenhagen’s City Hall on May 16th.
The Copenhagen Federation of Crafts have celebrated the best of the newly qualified craftsmen for more than 150 years, and this year Kristian was recipient of this honour. As the Chairman of the federation, Robert Sørensen, explains, the medal is given in recognition of the young talents and their contribution to Danish craftsmanship.
“This celebration is about honouring the best of this year’s newly educated craftsmen – those who have excelled at their apprenticeship test. They are representatives of Danish craftsmanship at its best and we would like to say to them ‘Well done – and congratulations’.”
In addition to the medal Kristian received a grant of 15,000 DKK from Executive Director Ib Henriksen’s Foundation for travel grants.
Full endorsement
Kristian currently works at Compass Group’s Centre for Excellence, Mikado House. He has been part of the team for the last three years, first as an apprentice and now as Cater. At Centre for Excellence the latest trends are tested and the food craftsmanship is developed further. This is where a talent like Kristian’s comes into play.
As Key Account Manager Gitte Resdal says: “At Compass Group we are proud of providing the right settings for Kristian’s apprenticeship – and now his workplace. It puts certain demands on us as a company. To create a space where our students can develop their talent with expert guidance. This makes us all aim higher and it is rewarding for our apprentices and us, as a company.
How is talent defined?
A highly developed set of skills and lots of ambition are just some of the words that were used to describe Kristian, when colleagues and superiors are asked. Former head chef, Simon Juul Mortensen, explains:
“Kristian is an exciting new talent with a go-get-them attitude, lots of dedication and passion. When he works with food, he has a creative approach. He puts his all into the task at hand, and even when the result surpasses expectations, he is the type that says, “Yes, it’s good – but how can it be done even better?” And that’s what’s makes him so talented.”
The distinctly CAN-do attitude and passion that Kristian has for his profession has lead him to receive one of the most prestigious awards – as the only Cater in Denmark this year. It is therefore with good reason that a sense of pride can be felt in the halls at Compass Group. “We’re just so proud”, Gitte Redahl elaborates.
The young talents’ future
Besides family, friends and colleagues, Denmark’s royalties generated attention to the young talents at the ceremony at the city hall. H.M the Queen followed the ceremony from first row and next to her Secretary of Education, Merete Riisager, applauded the young talents.
’This is just the beginning’ numerous speakers said during the medal ceremony. And all hope and expectations are that Kristian is entering a bright future – together with his colleagues at Mikado House and within Compass Group.
Watch the ceremony and experience the atmosphere when Kristian was honoured by H.M. the Queen here: