Crayfish party with LondonSwedes and Ocado in London

A crayfish party is a traditional summertime eating and drinking celebration in the Nordic countries, especially in Sweden. Come mid August and the delicacy crayfish comes back in season, it’s all the reasons you’ll need to have a party! Ocado together with LondonSwedes used the opportunity to share a bit of Swedish tradition in the heart of London last night, and we were invited to come along.

Ocado has for a time now offered a selection of Swedish and Nordic foods to the UK market, in what they call the Ocado’s Scandinavian aisle. With rye crisp bead, Vasterbottensost and Lingonberry jam there’s no need to be homesick for Scandinavians residents in the UK. Then in collaboration with LondonSwedes, a community group for Swedish people in London, they invited to a a night out. A traditional crayfish party, celebrated Swedish style in the lovely back garden of the Swedish restaurant Lisa’s on Portobello Road in Notting Hill.

Tables set with traditional decorations, such as the lighting moon shaped paper lanterns and silly party hats. Did you know that in the 1500s only the nobility in Sweden would eat crayfish? And it wasn’t before the 1920s that the crayfish parties started to take their current form, available to all regardless of class.

Artur from Ocado enjoying the Swedish delicacy.

British press people enjoying being Swedish for a night!

And this is the drinking song we sang

Helan går
Sjung hopp faderallan lallan lej
Helan går
Sjung hopp faderallan lej
Och den som inte helan tar*
Han heller inte halvan får
Helan går
(Drink)
Sjung hopp faderallan lej

It’s in Swedish (and I’m Norwegian) but I think it means that you’ll manage to drink your schnapps ‘bottoms up’!

And towards the end of a great night out, this is the fabulous team from Scandinavian Kitchen, Jonas in the middle and Karin to the right (yours truly on the left)