Magnus Nilsson

Magnus Nilsson (born 28 November 1983) is a Swedish chef who was head chef at the restaurant Fäviken in Sweden until it closed in December 2019. He had previously worked at L'Astrance and L'Arpège in France, before moving onto Fäviken in 2008, which was ranked the 57th best restaurant in the world and won two Michelin stars in 2016.

Career Although a family story is told of Nilsson cooking his first meal at the age of three, his first culinary memory is of chopping cucumbers at his grandmother's farm. He had originally wanted to become a marine biologist, but instead attended a culinary school in Åre, Sweden. After he attended oenology school,

After initially ordering ingredients from around the world, the restaurant became known for using local produce. Because of the local climate over the winter, efforts are made to preserve ingredients, Nilsson said "We say goodbye to fresh ingredients on the first of October, and then we don't see them again until April." Due to the techniques and sourcing of ingredients that Nilsson uses, comparisons have been made to René Redzepi of Noma.

In 2014, season 3 of PBS's The Mind of a Chef series featured chef Nilsson in episodes 9 through 16. Each episode showed a different aspect of the chef's interest in Nordic cuisine and traditions and his process in creating dishes for Fäviken. Episode 16, titled "Fäviken," gave viewers a behind-the-scenes look during a dinner service at the restaurant.

In 2015, Nilsson was one of six chefs featured on the first season of Netflix's original documentary program, Chef's Table.

In May 2019, Nilsson announced that he plans to stop working as of 14 December 2019 and focus on his family and his hobbies. He and his wife Tove have four children.

Published works

Nilsson, Magnus (2016). Nordic: A Photographic Essay of Landscapes, Food and People. Phaidon.