Tore Wretman

Tore Fredrik Wretman (7 May 1916 – 13 February 2003) was a Swedish chef and restaurateur. Wretman is perhaps best known for helping to popularize cooking to men in Sweden, and his work as a restaurateur founding several of Stockholm's most popular restaurants. He is also known for creating Toast Skagen.

Biography

Early years Wretman was born in Stockholm to writer Harald Wretman and Helga Nordström. He was the nephew of writer Tora Nordström-Bonnier. A year later he started working as a waiter at Operabaren in Operakällaren. There he met wine importer Fredrik König, who subsequently got him a job at Maxim's in Paris, in 1933. At Maxim's he learned the basics in the kitchen and was an apprentice under chef Louis Barth and restaurant owner Albert Baser. He worked as commis saucier and poissonnier. There he became acquainted with Sara Reuterskiöld, who was about to open the restaurant Regnbågen; she hired Wretman as head chef. He got the opportunity to introduce French cuisine on the menu. His position at Regnbågen was short-lived as in 1937 he was drafted into the Svea Life Guards infantry regiment. Because of the ongoing war in Europe, he was unable to return to Sweden.

Wretman later sold his restaurants and moved to Mougins on the French Riviera.

Personal life Wretman's first marriage, from 1945 to 1953, was to actress Lillebil Kjellén. The couple had two daughters—Ann-Sofie (born 1946) and Charlotta (born 1949). His daughter Ann-Sofie is a food writer.

His second marriage was from 1953 to 1971 to actress Meg Westergren. They had a son named Fredrik (born 1953) and a daughter named Malin (1956–1997).

He married flight attendant Ewa Wikmar in 1971. The couple had two children—Johan (born 1973) and Filip (born 1975). Together they ran a real estate business called Wretman Estate on the French Riviera. The radio show began broadcasting in 1950 and was hosted by journalist Folke Olhagen.

He is known to have introduced avocado and green pepper to the Swedish public, as well as prawns on toast, a dish which is better known as Toast Skagen.

He received an honorary PhD from Umeå University, as well as an honorary doctorate in gastronomy from the same university.

In 2002, Wretman was featured on a stamp in the series "Svensk Gastronomi".