Beyond the renaissance of the traditional Voss sheepʹs-head meal: Tradition, culinary art, scariness and entrepreneurship

Attempts have been made to make traditional local foods a part of the touristsʹ experiences, but few have caught great interest among the tourist and leisure consumers. An exception is the Norwegian traditional Sheepʹs-head meal. This article focuses on driving factors behind this success. Sheepʹs heads have been continuously available and used at private meals, albeit the status of the meals has changed from everyday food to party food, and a festival and commercial meals with unique ceremonies have developed. Participation in these may give a sense of symbolic proximity to traditions and historical “roots”. The culinary qualities of the product are important especially for the experienced sheepʹs-head meal participants. The scariness of the product itself and the measures taken to make the meal an enjoyable adventures trigger the feelings of courage, mastery and inclusion in the “in-group” of sheepʹs-head eaters. Most important for the success were the individual entrepreneurships and entrepreneurial networks which were the number one drivers behind the rejuvenation of these unique meal experiences. This case illustrates the significance of the individual and network entrepreneurial processes in the branding and development of tourism destinations.