An interest in small-scale food production has emerged in many regions of Sweden (Rytkönen, Bonow & Wramner, 2013). The products in specific regions are linked to their origin and authenticity since they stem from a site-specific tradition, e.g. terroir (van Leeuwen, Roby, Pernet and Bois, 2010) that is older than the industrialized food production (Nygård and Wramner, 2103). Related to the idea of terroir is the concept of patrimonisation that has become popular in parts of Europe with a movement of small-scale local food production, getting away from globalization, centralization and industrialization and instead focusing on food without additives and substitutes. Patrimonisation expresses the wish to preserve a rural landscape and traditional food products connected to a local heritage (Gade, 2004). Since local lay knowledge of how to grow food and local food culture have been largely lost, it is through the experience of small-scale food producers, their practical hands-on expertise and adapting expert knowledge to local conditions, that some of the knowledge can be rebuilt (Fonte, 2008). This knowledge is found in our case studies focusing on foreign food entrepreneurs moving to Sweden. The geographical region in which a person is born and raised will permanently influence that person's view of itself and this regional imprint remains when the person moves to a new location (Nygård and Wramner, 2013).

Our research interest is to understand how patromonisation is shaping food entrepreneurs when moved to a different location. 

We have studied two immigrated rural entrepreneurs interested in small-scale food production and community development; the Charcuterie farm entrepreneurs from Germany and the Goat farm entrepreneurs from Switzerland. The charcuterie products are produced by German handcrafted manufacturing methods and given German names but locally produced in Halland, Sweden. So, the locally produced charcuterie is sold with a German geographical identity i.e. terroir since the production is based on the owners self-educated knowledge of the German craftsmanship and quality standards. The regional imprint then remains even when moving to a new location (Nygård and Wramner, 2013). The reason for the owners of the Charcuterie farm to start a charcuterie in Sweden was due to weaker legislation for producing charcuterie and that the Swedish farm prices were very attractive. Attractive prices were also an important reason for the Swiss family to buy a Goat farm in Sweden. The Goat farm is primarily producing goat milk that is sold locally to a Cheese farm that they work closely with. For instance, the cheese farm is offering “genuine Swiss cheese fondue”. The Swiss find it interesting that goat meet is not a delicacy in Sweden and express an interest in making use of the goat meet, instead of what is common in Sweden, discarding it or selling to dog-food producers.