The bustling indoor market of Saluhallen has hosted some of the finest fresh food stalls in Lund for a long time. With a recent redevelopment of the interior and the imminent opening of a Systembolaget, it seems that this stalwart of life in Lund will soon be opened to a younger audience.
In Saluhallen, the faint aroma of fresh bread mingles with fish and meat as it enters the nostrils. Coupled with the sun blazing through the recently installed glass ceiling it can almost feel like a bustling Turkish bazaar. Except it’s freezing outside, and this is Lund.
First opened in 1909, the indoor market of Saluhallen has undergone a recent redesign which sees the traditional red brick and faded roof tiles stand watch over a new, openly designed market floor.
Originally a market for the sale of meat and fish, Saluhallen has slowly expanded to include a series of boutique restaurants and the famous Osthuset (cheese house) tended for over ten years by Matilda Hanson, who takes a second from intricately cutting a block of brie to remark:
“Even after all this time I love working here, you meet so many people and hear so many stories. And now after the reconstruction it is a much cleaner and brighter place to be. It also helps that I’m a big fan of cheese!”
A short walk around the corner from Osthuset is the butcher Holmgrens & Co. where Martin Skagh plies his trade.
“It is a pleasure working here and serving people what is one of the most important things in life: food. I’m always delighted when I am able to offer my advice and suggestions to customers.”
This personal touch is a running theme under the shimmering glass roof of Saluhallen and a particular attraction for customers like Ena and Maria Hellborg and Stig åberg:
“We like to come here for our meats and cheese, they are always friendly, the quality good and the much of what we get here is local produce,” comments Ena.
Björn Malmsten runs the fish monger and restaurant Malmstens Fisk & Kök with his brother and will shortly be re-opening after the re-design of Saluhallen.
“I’d say I’m more tired than excited right now! But I am looking forward to it. We have traditionally not seen many students come here but are planning to open in the evenings as well so maybe the attraction of some beer and wine time with their fresh fish will draw in the crowds.”
But with a Systembolaget set to open upstairs from the market it may well be that a new generation are drawn to the sights, smells and local tastes of this hitherto little discovered stalwart of life in Lund.
