Meet Melker Andersson, co-founder and chairman of the F12 Group

What's the pace of life in the city?
MR A. - Stockholm is not Paris. It's neither a very big city, nor a very touristy one. From June to September, it is empty. Some restaurants even close during this period. We work mainly from September to May and, for us, the peak season is from September to December.

Are business lunches widespread in Stockholm?
MR A. - Of course, we often think that breakfast is not an important meal for us, but this is completely false. In fact, it's the main meal of the day, with starter, main course and dessert.

Another common misconception is that Scandinavians eat very early in the evening. Is this true?
MR A. - That's not entirely true. I've worked in many countries and Sweden certainly has the longest service: we open at 5pm and don't close until midnight. Of course, this varies according to the season: don't forget that in winter here, the sky gets dark as early as 3pm...

What types of cuisine are in vogue in Stockholm?
MR A. - It's extremely diverse. It's hard to talk about a "swedish style in a country that only has vegetables in August! This particular climate has always forced us to bring in things from outside. Maybe that's the real "swedish style The Swedes were the first to import other types of cuisine, resulting in a very open range of restaurants.

We are a population of"early adopters. I often say: "if you want to launch a product, try it out on the Swedes first"..