A combined mortar and pepper mill in cast iron was the start of an exciting venture for John Andersson. A product he started developing during Summer eXpression 2017 and which took him to both the Swedish Embassy in Tokyo and the interior design fair Formex. But it was only when he made contact with Andreas Stridkvist at Lyrestad Foundry that he felt the Gravitas mortar could become a reality.  

Lyrestad Foundry was known in my circles as the most skilled foundry in Sweden. There, the sand moulds are shaped by hand and cast as it was done in the old days. Their specialist skills mean that they work as expertly with the Swedish engineering industry as they do with works of art, commercial products and the restoration of cultural monuments. Working with classical materials and traditional craft methods has always been interesting to me. I find that's where new ideas can take hold," says John. 

As Andreas and John worked on the prototype, it became clear that they worked very well together. They complemented each other's skills and also had similar interests in design, cooking and product development.  

When John contacted us, I had started working and thinking about Lursta Cast Iron and soon realised that his mortar was a product that I wanted to sell through Lursta. We agreed on a royalty arrangement where Lursta would have the rights to Gravitas. After we started working together, we clicked very well and John's skills were exactly what we needed to bring into the company. The fact that he had a keen interest in food was of course a big plus as many of Lursta's products are about food," says Andreas Stridkvist, CEO of Lursta Cast Iron. 

Together with Andreas' father, the master caster Peter, they started Lursta Cast Iron AB. The vision is for Lursta to be a staple in every home and to create tomorrow's classics with their timeless design that will be inherited for generations. John is responsible for design, innovation and product development, and he sees working with cast products as a responsible thing to do.  

Once a model is ordered, it should be able to be used for a long time and not much can be changed. That responsibility appeals to me, to think things through critically all the time. It breeds an unexpected amount of creativity and refines your ideas. To always ask yourself in the back of your mind questions like "Is this idea worth melting iron for? Is this idea worth 1300 degrees?" I think it's useful," says John. 

If the idea is good and the manufacturing is successful, the result can be a beloved product that passes from generation to generation as cast iron is difficult, if not impossible, to wear out. Should the products become completely unusable, they can always be recast into something new. 

The Gravitas hand-held portioning mortar has been with them from the start, then they have developed a burger press, a frying pan and some smaller products. In addition to their own products, they also work closely with several of Stockholm's most high-profile restaurants to develop custom solutions. In innovative and beautiful ways, they contribute to interesting dining experiences of the highest order. One project that is closest to their heart is a passion project with Stefan Ekengren, head chef at Hantverket in Stockholm.  

We have been working closely and fun-driven with Stefan for a long time to develop a pancake maker that we will call the Heritage. It's the finest pan I know and we hope that more people will feel the same way, that many generations will eat pancakes fried in this pan," says John. 

John also reveals that we will also see another former Summer eXpression participant's product become a reality at Lursta Cast Iron.  

That's right, we plan to produce and sell one of the products she designed during her participation in Summer eXpression together with Felicia Hjelmqvist. In the long run, we will certainly be open to more collaborations. Good ideas are out there! 

Text: Maria Persson
Header image: Erik Ögnelooh and Roland Persson.