Famous for her contribution to Danish gastronomy, Ida Davidsen has been awarded the Bailliage of Denmark Medal of Merit. The medal was presented at a private ceremony in her home and attended by most of her family.

At the ceremony Chancellor Thorbjørn Moy recounted Ida’s career path.

Ida Davidsen is a proud fourth generation member of the renowned family business Oskar Davidsen, which has operated a significant wine shop and catering business in the heart of Copenhagen since 1888. Ida was thus born into a strong professional tradition, which she has managed to refine and develop with impressive skill and passion. She began her apprenticeship at the luxurious Hotel d’Angleterre and Hotel Richmond. Later she travelled to both the scenic high-mountain hotel in Geilo, Norway and to the famous restaurant Scandia in Hollywood, USA.

After her experiences abroad, she returned enthusiastically to the family business, where her far-sighted father had initiated an export of open sandwiches, which were transported by air and created many valuable international contacts. This development gave Ida Davidsen the opportunity to get exciting assignments far beyond Denmark’s borders.

In the early 1970s, Ida Davidsen opened her own restaurant in Store Kongensgade in Copenhagen under her own name. She ran the successful restaurant together with her husband and their two children until 2023. The impressive open sandwich menu, one and a half metres long with 178 different varieties, earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records. The restaurant was known far beyond Denmark's borders and was, with its mix of cosmopolitan atmosphere and classic Copenhagen charm, an iconic institution.

Ida Davidsen is widely recognized as the foremost goodwill ambassador for Danish open sandwiches and this is not just a cliché - her persistent efforts have made this significant part of Danish cuisine known worldwide.

Furthermore, she has worked diligently to promote a higher standard of education within the profession and has helped to train dozens of apprentices in the profession.

With her professional competence and her special combination of friendliness and authority, she has won great respect in the world of gastronomy. It was therefore well deserved that the Bailliage of Denmark’s Medal of Merit was presented to Ida Davidsen in recognition of her lifelong contribution to Danish gastronomy and her role as a world-famous ambassador for the Danish smørrebrød tradition.

Jørgen Krenk
Bailli Délégué
Member of the Conseil Magistral