Purpose – The aim of this study is to understand how artisanal food entrepreneurs acting as businesses,which are grounded in the logic of profit and growth, navigate the anti-growth constraints of artisanal logic.The study answers the research question of, how and when do the artisanal entrepreneurs respond to tensionsbetween the small-scale craftsmanship logic and the business growth logic?

Design/methodology/approach – This study consists of two cases of artisanal food entrepreneurs situatedin rural regions of Sweden. The empirical material is collected through interviews, observations and secondarysources. The analysis consists of two steps: a narrative analysis and a categorization of institutional logicsusing Pache and Santos (2013) framework.

Findings – Our findings show that the artisanal food entrepreneurs used several types of response to thetensions between the two institutional logics. As businesses grew, business growth logic increasinglypenetrated the companies’ operations. They responded by combining and blending the two logics and avoidedgrowing too large themselves by collaborating with suppliers and local farmers. In addition, other activitiesneeded to be compartmentalized and hidden since these activities could threaten their business images andtheir own criteria for small-scale food artisans.

Originality/value – Much work on how different institutional logics affect businesses have been on astructural level. This study answers the call on that more research is needed on an individual level by studyinghow individuals interpret logics and use them in their business activities