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DAFGÅRDS – Sweden's – If you're a German and you first hear "Dafgårds," it probably doesn't ring a bell. But once you learn that Dafgårds is the Swedish producer of the world-famous and beloved Original Köttbullar, you immediately know who or what is being talked about. Dafgårds, or rather Gunnar Dafgård AB, has been the producer and supplier of traditional Köttbullar meatballs to the world's largest Swedish furniture manufacturer from the very beginning. Almost everyone has eaten them, but few know who's behind them. Intrigued and wanting to learn more, I took a closer look at this Swedish family business and examined its history and background.
Founder Gunnar Dafgård distributing the meatballs
The story of Dafgårds
The story of Dafgårds began in 1937. That year, company founder Gunnar Dafgård himself stood in the Lidköping market – a town on the shores of Lake Vänern, Sweden's largest lake – selling his own homemade meatballs. Of course, no one at the time could have imagined that they would embark on such a global success story and make the family name one of Sweden's most recognizable brands. But it wasn't long before Gunnar Dafgård established his own small factory in the Swedish town of Källby to sell his ever-growingly popular meatballs. In the 1950s, the industrious Gunnar Dafgård increasingly made a name for himself as a pioneer in the then still relatively uncommon field of frozen food. As part of this, he produced items such as hand-rolled cabbage rolls to accompany the meatballs and continually introduced new products to the market. Another milestone in Dafgårds' history had been reached. More and more products found their way into the company's product range.
The Swede pronounces them "Schöttbullar".
Even today, one of Dafgård's most popular products – Swedish meatballs – is still prepared according to a traditional recipe. While hand-making is no longer feasible with these quantities, the company's meticulous attention to detail regarding ingredients and production – across its entire product range – remains unchanged. No artificial flavorings or flavor enhancers are used in production, and only the finest (organic) beef, pork, or poultry is employed. Today, Dafgårds is run by the third generation, Magnus Dafgård – the founder's grandson – and is considered the largest producer of premium frozen foods in Sweden and parts of Scandinavia. To find Dafgårds' headquarters, one still has to travel to Källby, Sweden, where the company, now employing around 1,000 people, remains located. The sheer size of the company premises hints at it: Over 80,000 tons (!) of various premium food products are manufactured on site and distributed throughout Sweden and Scandinavia, as well as in other countries. Incredible, isn't it?
Swedish meatballs. Delicious, right?
Also important: Social responsibility and adherence to associated environmental goals regarding energy use are top priorities for the Swedish family business. For example, all organic waste at Dafgårds is converted into biogas in a biogas plant. Similarly, the company focuses on recycling and a comprehensive animal welfare policy to promote species-appropriate animal husbandry.
Dafgård's top seller: Billy's Pizza Snacks
It should be clear to everyone that the aforementioned figure is not solely generated by meatballs. The product range also includes frozen meals in the form of various baked goods, vegan (organic) dishes, a large number of homemade ready meals, lasagnas, quiches, numerous (organic) meat dishes, as well as convenient, microwaveable pizza snacks in various varieties.
The latter particularly caught my attention during my research on Dafgårds. Firstly, because these handy pizza snacks sell over 40 million units (!) annually in Sweden and are incredibly popular there (…so they must be pretty good?…), and secondly, because "Billys" – as the Swedish pizza snacks are called – are also available in Munich. There are many different flavors, but not all of them are available in Germany. I discovered that there are four different varieties in Germany: "Billys Original" with ham, "Billys Veggi" as a meatless option, "Billys Pepperoni" with a mild kick, and "Billys…" Chicken Fajita“with chicken.” I haven’t had a chance to try them yet, partly because I was traveling over the holidays and want to take my time – also to be able to compare the different varieties.
I'll be taking a closer look at Billy's Pizza Snacks soon.
In my next article, I'll be taking a closer look at all the Billy's varieties available on the German market and trying them out with a few friends. In my opinion, even before I've thoroughly tasted this convenient frozen snack, I think I'll like "Billy's Original" and "Billy's Veggie" the best, but we'll see. If you'd like to know exactly what I'm talking about, you can pick up some Billy's from the freezer section at numerous Edeka supermarkets in Southern Bavaria for your own taste test. In a few weeks, Billy's will also be available in the freezer section at Edeka supermarkets in Northern Bavaria. More details coming soon. You can also look forward to a giveaway that will give you another chance to learn more about Billy's.
Have you ever had anything from Dafgårds in your freezer (besides the meatballs or maybe even the Billy's Pizza Snack) and tried it, or otherwise had the chance to sample their products? They're completely new to me, and I'm really excited to try them. Oh, and for those who want to impress with their Swedish knowledge: Swedes don't call Swedish meatballs "Köttbullar," they call them "Schöttbullar." Just in case you're about to grab a portion. 😉
+++ This article was created in cooperation with Gunnar Dafgårds AB. Thank you! +++
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