Alchemist founder and chef Rasmus Munk launches Spora – a new innovative food lab

With his opening of Restaurant Alchemist in 2019, chef and founder Rasmus Munk created a restaurant merging gastronomy, art, science, storytelling, and activism into a multisensory and holistic experience. Alchemist has since been awarded 2 Michelin stars and is currently ranked no five on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. With the restaurant’s strong emphasis on gastronomic development and innovation, Alchemist has already established research collaborations with several leading universities and commercial partners, such as UC Berkeley and the University of Copenhagen.

It is the same visionary and innovative approach that will be the driving force behind Rasmus Munk’s new groundbreaking global research centre, Spora. Spora will be dedicated to pioneering sustainable culinary that positively impacts the lives of millions. Through cutting-edge research and collaborations with industry leaders, Spora aims to reshape the future of food and gastronomy. It will be a multidisciplinary team running Spora, including industry leaders from the fields of gastronomy, science, design, art, engineering, and business.

Like with Alchemist’s research, Spora will also allow deliciousness to lead technology in order to play a pivotal role in developing nutritious and sustainable products that people want to eat repeatedly while also driving global change. An approach that has previously entailed a track record of dishes from ingredients that would otherwise be considered inedible or waste, like farmed butterflies or lamb’s brain.

Spora will open a stone’s throw away from Alchemist on Refshaleøen in the former space of Restaurant Amass. The 1,000 square meters will feature a purpose-built research kitchen, cutting-edge microbiology labs, and a fully equipped 3D design and sound studio. Spora will initially focus on two main areas: upcycling side-streams from the food industry and developing delicious and diverse protein sources. Spora will operate independently from Alchemist, the restaurant remains a gastronomic partner, holding an ownership stake in the company. 

Spora is supported by an initial seed investment of DKK 10 million (USD 1,5 million) from bioscience pioneers, Claus and Bente Christiansen. While Spora’s CEO, Mette Johnsen, comes from leading positions at the global bio-solutions company, Novozymes.

• A global food innovation centre founded by Alchemist Chef Rasmus Munk
• Dedicated to pioneering sustainable culinary solutions
• Located in Refshaleøen in the former space of Amass
• Restaurant Alchemist will be a gastronomic partner in Spora
• Will be run by a multidisciplinary team comprising of leaders from the fields of gastronomy, science, design, art, engineering, and business
• CEO of Spora is Mette Johnsen, who has 14 years of experience in leading positions at the global bio-solutions company Novozymes
• The centre is realized through a seed investment of DKK 10 million from bioscience pioneers Claus and Bente Christiansen.
• Has ongoing collaborations with UC Berkeley, the University of Copenhagen, DTU BioSustain and San Francisco-based Wildtype, a leading pioneer in the production of cultivated seafood