Herring of the year
Årets Sild 2026
Den traditionsrige konkurrence Årets Sild 2026 blev afholdt den 5. oktober 2025, hvor otte stærke restauranter konkurrerede om at kreere Danmarks bedste sildemad og løbe med den eftertragtede titel:
– Restaurant Munchs
– Eurowind Kantine
– Restaurant Kronborg
– Remouladen
– Hjorths Badehotel
– Restaurant Lilleheden
– Restaurant Værdsat
– Fakkelgården
Vinderen blev Restaurant Kronborg, som imponerede dommerne med deres kreative og velsmagende fortolkning af den klassiske sild. Restaurant Remouladen sikrede andenpladsen, mens Hotel Amerika / Eurowind Kantine tog tredjepladsen. Publikum kunne glæde sig over en dag fyldt med smag, kreativitet og kærlighed til den klassiske sild – fortolket på nye, overraskende måder.
The judges
Vi var stolte af at præsentere de fem eksperter, der smagte, vurderede og kårede Årets Sild:
– Dennis Kindberg – Uddannelseschef for Gastronomi & Service på EUC Nord i Hjørring. Dennis har mange års erfaring inden for kokkefaget og har tidligere arbejdet som souschef og lærer på Food College Aalborg.
– Esben Sverdrup-Jensen – Direktør for Danmarks Pelagiske Producentorganisation (DPPO). Esben har en baggrund i offentlig forvaltning og fiskeribiologi og har tidligere arbejdet i Fødevareministeriet og Mekong River Commission.
– Simon Juhl Olesen – Ejer af Restaurant Møntergade i København, kendt for sit fokus på bæredygtig gastronomi og smørrebrød. Simon har tidligere arbejdet på Michelin-restauranter i Spanien og har en passion for naturlig og personlig service.
– Dorte Vad – Produktchef hos Tenax Sild A/S. Dorte har stor viden om sildeprodukter og kvalitetssikring og arbejder med udvikling og produktion af den klassiske modnede sild.
– Mikkel Wejdemann – Gastronomisk konsulent og ejer af MadMikkel. Mikkel arbejder med madprojekter, der rykker på madvaner og inspirerer til bæredygtig gastronomi. Han har også cyklet 11.000 km fra Danmark til Antarktis for at fremme bæredygtighed.
Disse eksperter fandt frem til den bedste sild blandt de deltagende restauranter, og dagen blev en stor succes med masser af smag, kreativitet og kærlighed til den klassiske sild. Vinderen, Restaurant Kronborg, kan glæde sig til, at deres sild kommer i butikkerne i starten af 2026.
Herring of the year
Since the beginning of the 1990s, it has been a fixed tradition to choose the Herring of the Year at a competition in Hirtshals.
This year's Herring is held in a strong collaboration between Hirtshals Fishing Festival, the North Sea Oceanarium and Denmark's Pelagic Producer Organization as well as Tenax Sild A/S.
Vindersilden must reflect innovation, craftsmanship and, not least, good taste. It must have a balanced and intense taste, which is the special characteristic of an old-fashioned matured herring. The inspiration must come, among other things, from Årets Bjesk, which is awarded every year during the Hirtshals Fishing Festival.
Tenax Sild is responsible for the production of the old-fashioned matured herring and the subsequent serial production for consumers.
The winner is chosen by a competent and dedicated panel of judges, who have the challenge of finding the best lunch herring among the participating restaurants. The participants are chefs from some of Denmark's best smørrebrød restaurants.
Herring and Bjesk – a natural pair of partners
The awards for the Bjesk of the Year and the Herring of the Year are staggered. Thus, the Bjesk of the Year is chosen for the coming year in August in connection with the Hirtshals Fishing Festival. In this way, the herring marinaders (from various restaurants from all over the country) get some flavor notes to match their marinade to when they start creating their take on the best herring marinade in the spring. The Herring of the Year is chosen every autumn at a major event at the Nordsøen Oceanarium, and from this time the Herring of the Year is also released for sale from the laboratory at Hirtshals Museum.
Hirtshals Museum is responsible for the collection of herbs from the large dune area that surrounds Hirtshals. A visit to Hirtshals museum gives you the history of bjesken, the small sharp bitter, which became something very special in Hirtshals, thanks to the former nurse Signe Hansen, who invented the "Klitbjesken" drink from Hirtshals.
At the museum you can see an exhibition of plants from the dune, which are suitable for seasoning brandy - the so-called Bjesk.
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