Kelowna 
IKEA Canada will introduce a new menu in late fall 2025 to mark the 40th anniversary of its Swedish meatball, a dish first created in 1985 by chef Severin Sjöstedt.
Credit: CNW Group/IKEA Canada Limited Partnership
The new offering expands on the company’s long-standing food program, which began in Sweden in 1960 when founder Ingvar Kamprad opened IKEA’s first in-store restaurant.
The menu, available in IKEA Swedish Restaurants and Delis across Canada, will feature six new dishes reflecting global cuisines alongside the traditional eight-piece meatball plate. Prices begin at $6.99. New options include:
- Plant ball nachos with pico de gallo and jalapeno aioli, $6.99
- Eight-piece plant balls with roasted potatoes, scallions, pesto and parmesan cheese, $8.99
- Eight-piece falafel balls with couscous, mixed vegetables, garlic aioli and a lemon vinaigrette, $8.99
- Six-piece cod balls served alongside French fries and kale salad with Lingonberry vinegrette and tartar sauce, $9.99
- Chicken ball tikka masala served with rice, yogurt and naan, $9.99
- Salmon filet dinner with roasted pesto potatoes, peas, and lingonberry kale in a hollandaise sauce, $11.99
Per the news release, the initiative highlights IKEA’s efforts to diversify its menu while maintaining affordability. Over 1.4 billion food balls are sold annually worldwide, including variations such as chicken and plant-based options introduced in recent years. The HUVUDROLL plant ball, designed to mimic the flavour of the original, was launched in 2020 as part of a shift toward more sustainable and health-conscious dining.
Since the 1990s, the retailer has expanded its restaurants globally, later adding frozen take-home products through the Swedish Food Market in 2006.
