Q&As

A - O Kavli and Knut Kavli’s Charitable Foundation (the Kavli Foundation) is the sole owner of the Kavli group. Profits from the commercial operation are divided between good causes and further development of the group. The Kavli Foundation decides which causes should be supported, and donates millions of kroner every year to scientific, cultural and humanitarian projects.

A - Primula became a timeless food product which suits palates all over the world, and is a sales success which still flourishes - based on Olav Kavli’s 1924 recipe. His vision was to get Norwegian dairies onto the world market, and he lived to see that dream fulfilled. The burning faith of this farmer’s son in hard work yielded results, and he was awarded Norway’s Order of Merit in gold in 1933. He died in 1958 at the age of 80

A - Kavli cultivated and maintained his passion for cheese by going on study tours and reading books. In the early 1920s, he resolved to visit countries which knew a lot about this product. That tour took him to Switzerland, the home of cheese, as well as Serbia and Bulgaria. His stay in the last of these countries gave him much inspiration, and increased his determination to expand in the cheese business. It was in Bulgaria, the home of yoghurt, that Kavli had the idea for Primula - the world’s first spreadable cheese. By combining the best properties of yoghurt and cheese, he hoped to create a soft cheese with a long shelf life. After countless unsuccessful attempts, with hard work and undaunted faith, he was finally able to unveil Primula in 1924. For product related questions, please refer to the lifestyle section.