Localfolk Stavanger

STAVANGER / SABI OMAKASE / EILERT SMITH HOTEL / EIKUND

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SUBMIT Artists, makers, artisans, entrepreneurs and designers are welcome to apply to be featured in the magazine.

Selected creatives get a personally designed presentation in our publication (both in magazine and on platform) that will feature a journalist written text, link to your website, your social media handle, and 5-10 images of your work.

Have your work seen by our community and followers from all over Norway and the rest of Scandinavia, including leading galleries, designers, companies, entrepreneurs, writers, art consultants, and more. Don’t miss this opportunity to put your work out there and connect with a new audience!

Visit www.localfolknorway.com to learn how to submit your application Localfolk Magazine

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his is our story

We know every product has a story behind it, so here’s ours.

I’m Mette, founder of Localfolk Norway.

My mother is a talented ceramicist. Her gorgeous creations have always been hugely popular at the local Christmas markets. But the rest of the year, she struggled to find those appreciative customers. As an artistic soul, her passion for ceramics doesn’t extend to sitting at a computer marketing her work. I offered to help.

Then, I realised my mother wasn’t the only one. Most creatives are devoted to their craft but feel daunted by promoting themselves or their work, not knowing where or even how to begin.

Therefore, we created Localfolk Norway to give a voice to artisans in Norway and at the same time create a space where it's easy for supporters of authentic, Norwegian made products to find items that inspire them.

To enrich our online catalogue and support our community, we decided to publish this bi-monthly design magazine. Localfolk’s mission is to become the leading premier design magazine of Norway, writing about local artisans, makers, designers and entrepreneurs, and hopefully introduce you to creatives you would never otherwise hear about. Enjoy this first issue, and I hope you discover something new about the creative community in the Stavanger Region.

Never stop creating, Mette Tønnessen Editor and founder @metteishere

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ISSUE 01 November 2020

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Mette Tønnessen post@nordicworkshop.com

Editorial Concept Design Mette Tønnessen

Localfolk Magazine - a Localfolk Norway Publication A big thank you to all the contributors and everyone else who supports Localfolk Norway.

Words Silje Langerud, Anna Richardson Taylor, Kai Isaksen, Marianne B. Dysthe, Madina Salamova, Abby Tariq, Vivian Nielsen, Linda Constance Hjelmaas, Julia Elizabeth Yager, Allison Helene Schmidt, Hannah Warren, Sally Fox Images Mikkel Andersen, Marian Strand, Eivind Horne, Tom Haga, Minna Suojoki, Mette Tønnessen, Arne Ove Østebrøt, Steinar Figved, Fredrik Ringe, Lars Petter Pettersen, Arne Bru Haug, Rasmus Hjortshøj, Silje Kverneland, Jeanette Larsen, Anne Lise Norheim, Vibeke Høie, Ramla Seedow, Elisabeth Tønnessen, Åsne Valland Nordli, Eduard Grund, Raymond Eckholm, Ann Kristin Karlsen, Thomas Tepstad Berge Subscribe Visit our website at www.localfolknorway.com to subscribe to our magazine, and recieve every issue in your email.

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Cover Stilken & Strøm by Anne Lise Norheim

www.localfolknorway.com post@nordicworkshop.com instagram.com/localfolknorway facebook.com/localfolknorway

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Contents

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Matthew Coutts

Artist of the month: Marie Svardal Brattebø

Kokko

Local Photographers from Stavanger

Eikund

Sabi Omakase

Food Recipes

Region Stavanger

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Stilken & Strøm

La Feve

Local Makers from Stavanger

Entrepreneur Profile: Innovation Dock

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Welcome to the

Stavanger Edition

Localfolk - The voice of Norway’s creative community This is the very first issue of Localfolk – a publication by the online community of Localfolk Norway. This bi-monthly design magazine was born to enrich our online catalogue and support our community, and in the hope to become established as Norway’s premier design magazine.

In each issue, you’ll discover a new region of Norway through the eyes of its creative community. We’ll introduce you to these dynamic businesses and producers through fascinating interviews, in-depth features and high-quality photography.

Images / Mette Tonnessen

Words / Sally Fox

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A deeper look into Localfolk Norway We’re here to connect talented Norwegian artisans and producers and their supporters. Localfolk is: - An inspiring online space for Norway’s community of independent artisans, makers, small businesses, designers and entrepreneurs to showcase their work and reach new customers.

- A convenient way for people to find authentic, handmade, traditional, shorttravelled and sustainable products and services made in Norway.

We created Localfolk to forge links between Norwegian artisans and producers and the customers who treasure their work. To give a voice to artisans and at the same time make it easy for supporters of authentic, Norwegian made products to find items that inspire them.

Now, Localfolk can connect you with creatives across Norway for Scandinavian craftsmanship and design without the lengthy search.

Authentic Handmade Products Localfolk will showcase a wide selection of creatives from every corner of

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Norway, and it will give you a chance to learn about the people and the products they make. Know that the pieces you find here are made with heart and built to last. Back independent creatives, helping keep traditional techniques alive.

Shop Local, Shop Sustainable Support Norwegian sustainability and nourish local economies by choosing eco-friendly products made near you.

Shopping locally is not only greener, it’s less expensive.

Discover New Favourites Skip the search engines and browse a handpicked selection of artists and creatives, some of whom can’t be found anywhere else online. Discover local Norwegian design experts you might have never encountered before anyone else.

Remember - local is the new normal.

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A Celebration and Preservation of Culture Why buying handcrafted items is so important

Images / Pixabay.com Words / Allison Helêne Schmidt

It goes without saying that there are innumerous benefits to purchasing anything handmade. From preserves and condiments to art or furniture, there is an overwhelming amount of rewards in selling these items for both the consumer and the producer. And that is exactly where this article will begin – with the “consumer” and the “producer” and the relationship between the two. Buying handmade is not necessarily about the exclusivity of the product, and there is more to the purchase than quality guaranteed. Yes, a relationship is created: the consumers are not consumers, but the clientele; the producers are not producers, but the craftsmen.

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here has been a reemergence in seeking out something special, something that took some time to conceive as well as create.

An item that says something about the artist as well as the artist’s customer is a gift to both.

Purchasing handmade is a celebration of a relationship formed and of the continuance that relationship provides – the continuance of a specialty item and the skill it took to make that item. Through an item sold, a skill is taught, and thus the knowledge of a tradition is exalted and also passed along. You are directly supporting the artist, their time, their efforts and process and practice, and you are helping all this to prosper.

As mentioned earlier, one of the positive aspects of buying handmade products is that you are given something special, something that isn’t heavily circulated or mass-produced.

Each piece is one-of-a-kind and exclusive, but you are doing so much more than owning something trendy. You are perpetuating the love a craft, a skill, or perhaps even a deeply rooted cultural practice, and so it becomes preserved as well as created.

Here are some of the other many benefits of purchasing handmade: • It’s Green: Mass production usually means a heavy impact on our environment.

Handmade is smaller scale, therefore producing little to no carbon footprint. Additionally, if you are purchasing something local, there were

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no heavy shipments covering cross-continental distances from the seller to the buyer.

there are plenty of handmade treasures to discover.

• It’s customised: Something handmade can often be custom-made, and something custom-made is tailored to you and your tastes.

When you buy something handmade you are often dealing directly with the maker, and they are open to requests and sometimes even collaborations on the item you want, ensuring it’s an item you’ll keep forever.

• It’s available: No longer do you need to go to a market to peruse the local handmade goods. Not to mention that what you see in front of you is exactly what you will receive, as people sell handmade take pride in what they create and present to you, in the shop and online.

• It’s honest: Made with integrity and pride, which means higher quality, with carefully selected materials and easily accessible information on what it is made from, where it came from, etc.

• It’s alive: You are keeping the art in-demand. You are praising a skill but also providing that skilled creator the chance to pass their abilities along, giving their craft the potential to live on and prosper.

• It’s history: A handmade product is something that is usually made with traditional methods and techniques.

• It’s quality: It takes longer to make each product, but it is also made to last with quality materials and/or ingredients.

In Norway, especially in the Stavanger region,

Alix Souissi: Elaborate and strikingly original hand embroidery.

Cokott: Intricate pieces, from jewelry to home decorations, made from beautifully folded paper.

Handmade Stavanger: A small collective of extremely skilled crafters.

Matthew Coutts Furniture: His incredible staple, the Swallow Chair, is made entirely by himself.

Odd Standard: A design studio that makes stunning tableware.

Pottemakeriet: A ceramics studio where you can make your own pottery.

Pryd Brodering: Ornamental embroidery as patches Vibeke Høie: An incredibly talented freelance illustrator and graphic designer.

By supporting these people and the like, you are supporting their dream, art, tradition, heritage and history. So when you purchase something handmade, it’s not just about what you’re getting, but what you’re helping create.

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DESIGN

Handmade Furniture Boutique Hotel Flower Art

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Image / Eikund

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TIMELESS HANDMADE FURNITURE

MATTHEW COUTTS FURNITURE

Image / Eivind Horne Words / Allison Helêne Schmidt

After working briefly in the United Kingdom, Matthew closed shop and relocated to Norway. Eventually he took up his passion once more, and Matthew Coutts Furniture was established in Stavanger. Matthew has continued to make exquisite wooden home furnishing with just basic blades and his experienced hands ever since.

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atthew Coutts wants his legacy to be one of intergrity. “Quality and design are both really important, but so is sustainability.” Matthew does mainly custom designs, anything from tables and chairs to desks and drawers. It is important to him for his pieces to be appreciated, known for their value, and passed down for generations. So it is no surprise that Matthew wants simply to be respected as a craftsman and able to provide for his family.

With materials, obtaining them is always interesting. Matthew’s timbers are from properly sourced and well-managed providers.

If it’s not the local Norwegian timber from neighbours or local accidents, it’s certainly European. (Matthew shared with Localfolk that recent sources include a sycamore found across the road and two beautiful cherry trees that blew over on a nearby farm. We believe this makes him more admirable as a craftsman and even more endearing as a person.)

Matthew trained in Cornwall and received vocational qualification through courses and an apprenticeship. He had a furniture business in Cornwall for one year before moving to Norway, with his wife, which was nine years ago. The two spent time traveling the country and lived further North for a few years before settling in Stavanger. That’s where Matthew started his business again, four years ago. “I always wanted to start again after Cornwall, but I wasn’t established in the country.”

Matthew and his wife agreed while traveling

Images / Marian Strand Autumn console table

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“Quality and design are both really important, but so is sustainability” that they would invest in it for the next few years and see what became of it.

Now, being fluent in both Norwegian and English, it is easy for Matthew to communicate with his clients. The whole process of creating and selling a product is really satisfying for him, as he and his clients invest a great deal of time. “It’s not a product on a shelf.” The design process always varies and is completely dependant on his clients. “They might have an idea, or we might meet in the middle, or they might want it entirely tailor-made.” Matthew says his customers can be as involved as they want to be. In fact, he encourages it, as 24

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Image / Eivind Horne

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“In a way, it’s my only product, and it takes eight days to make.”

he wants to create “exactly what the customer really wants.”

For him, filling and exceeding his clients’ expectations is something that will never get old. He believes buying anything handmade is much more satisfying and personal due to the amount of interaction that takes place. He wants his pieces to last more than a lifetime, and he wants to design things that challenge him. “The more you do it, the more you learn.”

When asked what his first product was, Matthew told Localfolk that he has only one product. That might not be exactly true, as the craftsman does plenty of exceptional and ongoing commision work. (His very first commission job was a chair for an author.)

Outside of the requests, it is true that Matthew has one staple piece: the extraordinary Swallow Chair. The process of making it is available to watch on YouTube. “In a way, it’s my only product, and it takes eight days to make.” The process for all of his creations varies, however, and certain custom pieces can take much longer to create.

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The craftsman says he is blessed and very busy outside of work with his family, having two young daughters. He wishes he had more time for rock climbing (a sport very reasonably expected of the region), but he knows he will in due time as his daughters get older. They’re an active family, and he imagines they will climb with him someday.

Local florist Stilken & Strøm, ceramics maker Odd Standard, and Kokko Kaffebar (a local café/roasters/architecture office) are inspiring people and places for Matthew, the latter being a location he made a lot of the interior for. Matthew states Stavanger is an incredible city. “There are lots of other craftsmen here,” ensuring “a huge amount to offer for such a small city,” a city he believes is beautiful. mjcoutts.com Instagram / @matthewjohncoutts Facebook / @matthewjohncoutts

Image / Eivind Horne Facing page / Swallow chair in reclaimed teak

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Eilert Smith Hotel

Design, luxury and functionalism in Stavanger Eilert Smith Hotel is a carefully curated boutique hotel overlooking the mesmerizing fjord in Stavanger. With its original charm and historical heritage still intact, this hotel honours the functionalism of the 30s and the architect who originally designed it – Eilert Smith. Home to a two Michelin-star restaurant and 12 uniquely designed rooms, this hotel is now a place for comfort, style and luxury – an absolute must-visit for anyone interested in design.

Images / Rasmus Hjortshøj Words / Marianne B. Dysthe

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own by the wharf, amongst the many wooden buildings, one building stands out from the rest. White, modern and tall it stretches towards the sky – a perfectly designed pearl by the fjord. The Eilert Smith Hotel is a rare architectural gem, and the style and grace that you find on the outside are also apparent on the inside.It has been eight years since Signe Anne and Kristoffer Stensrud fell in love with its interesting façade and bought this previously slightly run down-building.

Although they had no specific plans for it at first, it seemed only right to make it a luxury hotel with a smart homely feel. This wonderful funkis building has been through several improvements since then. With the help of the architect firm Trodahl Arkitekter, the Stensrud family has managed to keep the original buildings charm and historical heritage, yet managed to create a modern hotel with a warm and inviting atmosphere.

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Images / Silje Kverneland

Eilert Smith

Images / Tom Haga

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The building itself dates back to 1937 and was originally designed by its namesake, Stavanger architect Eilert Smith. Although Mr Smith is known for designing several hotels, this building, when first opened, was an agricultural store for the people of Stavanger. It was filled with everything from tractor parts to the newest freezers on the market. The newly built brick building was a modern addition to the city and was created as a result of the upturn in the economy. At the time there was a newfound enthusiasm for functional brick buildings and plans were made for several of these to be built throughout Stavanger. However, a new recession wanted it differently, plans changed, and few of these buildings were built. Down by the harbour, there was only one– the now, Eilert Smith Hotel.

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Scandinavian sustainability, design and excellence The building has been the host of many different endeavours throughout the years but is now the home to RE-NAA, a gourmet restaurant with two stars in the Michelin Guide, and 12 exquisitely designed hotel rooms.

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Images / Eilerts Residence (5th & 6th floor)

Every single room is unique, and with all rooms individually designed, it can be hard to pick a favourite. Perhaps you would like the pleasant view of the fjord from room 1 or maybe you would prefer room 5, the library room with its five-meter-long bookshelf? But no matter what room you choose there is always something new to discover and admire within these brick walls.

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The Eilert Smith Hotel embrace sustainability in everything they do. Food and fresh produce are collected from a nearby island, and floor to ceiling is filled with locally designed items; handmade porcelain dishes by Odd standard fill the kitchen shelves and artistic, colourful flowers, from the flower shop Stilken and Strøm, brightens up every room. The interior itself is Scandinavianbased and the lovely wooden furniture throughout the hotel have been handcrafted at Københavns Møbelsnedkeri in Denmark, and two local furniture companies, Eikund and Egersund Møbelsnekkeri. It is evident that everything from interior to exterior has been chosen carefully, every element complements each other and there is no doubt that the Eilert Smith Hotel is an impressive work of art.

RE-NAA

Image / Tom Haga

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Eilert Smith Hotel is the perfect place for those who appreciate design and comfort but is also ideal for those who want to feel pampered while experiencing something different and unique. Whether you are passing through Stavanger, staying for a few days or wanting the perfect place for your event – you can be confident that this hotel will provide. With few and intimate rooms, the staff are only too happy to make your stay special, comfortable and luxurious. Breakfast is served every morning in your room and Norwegian-made duvets will provide you with an amazing night’s sleep.

The cultural centre of Stavanger is not too far from this marvellous design hotel. Spend time in museums, shops, restaurants and everything else the city has to offer. However, with Eilert Smith Hotel’s amazing design, staff, and atmosphere, no one would blame you for wanting to spend your time in Stavanger to simply explore this modern and stylish hotel. eilertsmith.no Instagram / @eilertsmithhotel Facebook / @EilertSmithHotel

Image / Tom Haga

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Eikund

The company that gives new life to Norwegian design treasures

Images / Eikund Words / Silje Langerud

Sweden and Denmark are well-established on the international design scene, and the minimalistic and timeless Scandinavian style has proven to be immensely popular around the world. Norway has now joined the party and is receiving praise and attention from far and wide, thanks to a young and ambitious furniture company in Hellvik. Morten Hippe, Frode Tingbø and Jørgen Tengesdal share a passion for Norwegian design, and the three friends decided to collect the best of Norwegian furniture design from the 1950s and 1960s under one brand. Their ultimate goal is to create classics that can be handed down through generations, and a few years in they’re definitely on the right path.

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Treasure hunting in dusty attics It was an extensive project which they knew would require hard work, plenty of patience and a whole lot of dedication. In 2015, they started going treasure hunting in dusty attics and spent hours and hours ploughing through filing cabinets, interior magazines and all the literature they could dig up in search for the perfect designs. They also needed detailed drawings or produced originals in addition to the rights to use the designs, which resulted in many visits to family members of the designers and other persons with the intellectual property rights of the designs. Among the designers in their impressive collection we find names such as Fredrik Kayser, Sven Ivar Dysthe and Sigurd Resell. One of their best sellers is the lounge chair “Krysset”, for which they were awarded the design award “Klassikerprisen” by Designindustrien in 2019. The chair was designed by Fredrik Kayser in 1955 and was one of the first relaunches Eikund introduced to the market.

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Our goal is to create classics that can be handed down through generations

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That was a proud moment for Eikund and Kayser’s daughters.The three friends were met with nothing but positive attitude towards the project, and roughly a year after the pursuit started, they were quite simply spoilt for choice and ready to enter the next stage of the project. Eikund was registered and founded as a business in 2016, and the furniture factory was officially opened in 2017. After a challenging start, the ball was now rolling smoothly.

The importance of being comfortable They have one clear rule at Eikund: they will never produce a piece of furniture that isn’t comfortable. The Scandinavian style is famous worldwide for its simplicity, functionality and style, but the comfort is equally important for the young furniture company. Jørgen explains that “You’ve failed if the furniture isn’t comfortable”, and they make sure every single furniture that leaves the factory ticks all the boxes. It’s also important for Eikund to be faithful to the original designs, which means they don’t allow themselves to be creative with alterations and modifications. “These designs are so great they deserve not being tampered with”, Jørgen tells us. They do, however, make use of modern technology to ensure perfect quality and durability.

In addition to it being a fun concept to work with, Jørgen also stresses that it’s a concept that’s easy to understand: Eikund is a Norwegian furniture company which is producing Norwegian classics for a contemporary audience. They simply want to give new life to great design that otherwise would be gone and forgotten.

Facing image / Tom Haga

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The brand has already found its way into a number of homes as the list of retailers keeps growing, but their largest market is the professional market. They have furnished places such as Grand Hotell Egersund, the Michelin restaurant Re-Naa in Stavanger, the Foreign Office in Norway and the hotel At Six in Stockholm.

Eikund has already achieved a respectable name and reputation both domestically and across Norway’s borders, but they don’t make a secret of the goal to grow even bigger and establish themselves as a leading furniture brand both nationally and internationally.

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Keeping it local The brand name origins from the island Eigerøya, located just outside Egersund. It was originally named Eikund, which is one of the oldest place-names in Norway and mentioned in Heimskringla, the famous collection of sagas about Norwegian kings dating back to 1230. The island used to be full of oak trees (“eik” in Norwegian), which is where the name Eikund comes from.

It’s the perfect name for a furniture company in Egersund. They like to keep things local in as many aspects as possible, and that includes the work force and production. The western coast used to be an important area for furniture production from around 1850 until the mid-1900s, so they’re bringing back more than just Norwegian design heritage – they’re also relaunching what used to be an important industry in the area. www.eikund.com Instagram / @eikund_norway Facebook / @eikund

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Images / Eikund & Arne Ove Østebrøt

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Made With Hart Images / Made With Hart Words / Silje Langerud

Not your average high street shirt shop On the popular shopping street Kirkegata in Stavanger city centre, Mathias Made Wijk and Alexander Hart Røed found the perfect location for their unique clothing brand Made with Hart, which specialises in premium quality made-to-measure shirts and suits.

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uality clothes made with love

It was a passion for design that brought Made and Hart together, and in 2008 they started playing with the idea of starting their own shirt brand.

Made travelled to Italy that summer to find the best collaborators, while Hart stayed in Stavanger to look after potential customers and continue the planning. With his large network and extrovert personality, Hart provides exceptional service to each and every customer. Made and Hart’s goal has always been to create premium quality shirts. “If you know shirts, you will be able to point out a real quality shirt from across the room”, Made tells us.

As a test project, they made 100 sample shirts which sold out quickly, mainly to friends and acquaintances, but the feedback was solely positive, and they decided to go for it. Thanks to hard work, dedication and help from friends and family, the dream of starting their own brand officially became reality in 2009. In addition to the shop in Stavanger, they now also have a studio in Oslo and an online shop, so they can supply customers outside Stavanger with their exclusive clothing.

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More than just a shirt For Made and Hart, it’s all about the customer experience. “We want to bring colour and joy into people’s lives”, Made explains. When you step into the shop, you’re met by warm and inviting colours, classic furniture and walls covered with art. The coffee is always waiting, and they’re ready to help you with your fashion needs.

“Taking part in and hosting events is also a big part of our business”, Made says. It’s important to them to support the local community and other independent businesses, so they can create a vivid and attractive city centre together. Made and Hart collaborate with several businesses from different industries, such as the hospitality industry, Porsche and furniture shops, which strengthens the sense of community in Stavanger.

Experimenting with colours and details Although Made and Hart offer a great selection of classic white and light blue shirts, they are perhaps better known for the playfulness when it comes to bold and colourful designs. They love to experiment with different styles every season, and they make sure they’re always renewing themselves.

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Even when Made and Hart follow the fashion of the season, such as the safari trend, they always make it their own by adding a personal and unique touch. “It could be something as subtle as contrasting stitches or a pattern on the inside of the collar”, Made explains.

In addition to made-to-measure shirts and suits, they can also tempt you with swimming shorts (to match your new shirt), socks, ties, bowties, driving gloves, shoes and stylish casual wear – everything you need to complete the outfit.

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The power of social media Social media plays an important marketing role for the business. In addition to their blog where they offer helpful advice on topics such as how to tie the perfect tie knot or what to wear on different occassions, they’re also active on Facebook and Instagram, where they have more than 7000 followers. On the Instagram account, they frequently post outfits to inspire their followers.

Made tells us about one customer who was indeed inspired by their

posts, and contacted them asking if they could help him jazz up his rather plain style. Made and Hart were more than willing to help him piece together a new and dapper wardrobe, and he left the shop a happy and well-dressed man.

A focus on quality, sustainability and ethics Made and Hart are passionate about quality, sustainability and ethics. All the materials are thoroughly selected, and so are the factories. They have built a close relationship with the manufacturers and suppliers. “We even get invited over for dinner with our collaborators’ families when we’re visiting”, Made tells us. Because quality is top priority, they have tested different factories in various countries to find the perfect match for their brand. Made says that some of the finest handicrafts are produced in a factory in India, where women are offered employment and thorough training, so it’s guaranteed that the shirts are always made to the standard Made with Hart is famous for. The factory has great working conditions, and they even open bank accounts for the women so they can be in control of their own finances.

First class materials, excellent welfare and thorough training of the workers ensure quality and sustainability. Made and Hart don’t believe in a throwaway society, which is why they create clothes that last and are likely to stay in the wardrobe for years to come. www.madewithhart.no Instagram / @madewithhart Facebook / @mwhstore Localfolk Magazine

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Stilken & Strøm When flowers become art

Image / Anne Lise Norheim Words / Silje Langerud

Stilken & Strøm is a floral design studio and botanical concept store where flowers truly become art.

When you enter the studio located in what once upon a time used to be a canning factory in Stavanger, it’s like walking into a jungle surrounded by exposed brick walls and large windows. It’s certainly a building with charm and character, and the perfect scene for a floral artist to perform. Stilken & Strøm can take on any creative challenge and create something that will stop you in your tracks.

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A creative meeting hub After years of working in a florist’s shop, Elisabeth Strøm decided to take the big leap and start her very own business. She wanted to focus on floral design rather than standing behind the counter in a busy shop, putting together the same two or three bestselling bouquets from early morning until closing time. The goal was to open a studio outside the city centre, where she could focus on letting the business develop in the direction she wanted, undisturbed by the bustle and competitiveness of the high street. Elisabeth found the perfect location in Hermetikken, which is now an industrial building that accommodates for various creative businesses. By placing herself away from the busy city centre life, it was possible to be more playful and create an environment where she didn’t have to work at the assembly line day in and day out. Customers tend to step into the studio with something rather extraordinary in mind, and this is what makes Elisabeth flourish as an artist.

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Image / Stilken og Strøm

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Images / Stilken og Strøm

Freedom and expression The thing Elisabeth enjoys the most about running her own business is the freedom it entails. Rather than being restricted by chain assortments and decisions, she can pick whatever plants and flowers she wants from the suppliers, and she has the freedom to focus on being an artist. Creating is at the heart of the business, and her dream has never been to have a busy shop on the high street.

“I’ve been asked if I want to move my studio to the city centre, but I’m not interested in that”, she tells us. A busy shop wouldn’t leave enough room to create and work on all the exciting commissions, which is why the shop is only open three days per week, from Thursday to Saturday. The level of service you can expect from an independent studio such as Stilken & Strøm is quite different from many chain florists. It takes a certain kind of passion and knowledge about your industry to take the leap and start your own business, which is why Elisabeth would advise you to take the opportunity to ask her all the questions you might have about caring for your plants. “Plants are living things”, she reminds us. Whether it’s a customer who wants something out of the ordinary for the coffee table, a bride-to-be looking for the perfect wedding bouquet or a hotel that wants that final exclusive touch – they’re all well-received challenges in Elisabeth’s studio.

Right image / Minna Suojoki

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“Rather than being restricted by chain assortments and decisions, I have the freedom to focus on being an artist.”

Air plants and dried flowers You will find all types of plants and flowers in Stilken & Strøm, from familiar green plants and peculiar air plants to highly unique flower arrangements with fresh or dried flowers. Although her creations are anything but ordinary, there are certain trends which she too embraces and puts her own personal touch on. One example is dried flowers – they are easy to maintain, extremely versatile and have a long lifespan.

“Dried flowers are definitely a leading trend right now”, Elisabeth confirms. You’re not alone about wondering where she gets all her unique and exotic products from – surely she must have a secret and exclusive supplier? “There aren’t many suppliers in Norway”, Elisabeth explains, and reveals that she gets her plants and flowers from the same suppliers as most of the chain florists in Norway. The difference is that where the chains tend to play it safe with traditional choices, Elisabeth prefers to experiment with the rest of the assortment and create something beautiful out of the unconventional.

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Left image / Minna Suojoki Right image / Stilken og Strøm

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Bring your vase to the studio Every now and then, a customer will step into the studio with a dearly beloved vase which unfortunately has never been of much use due to an awkward size or shape. These are the kind of challenges Elisabeth enjoys the most, and when she comes up with her most creative creations.

Another favourite is when customers present photos of their homes, asking her to make the interior complete with the perfect plants and flowers. Playful interior with patterns, bright colours and a personal touch has started invading our homes, and that includes the plant kingdom. Gone are the days of “less is more” and minimalism. Elisabeth wants to show people what’s possible – you can even create beauty out of something as unconventional as the stem.

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www.stilkenogstrom.no Instagram / @stilkenogstrom Facebook / @stilkenogstrom

Image / Stilken og Strøm

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ARTIST OF THE MONTH

Marie Svardal Brattebø Image / Jeanette Larsen Words / Madina Salamova

Marie Svardal Brattebø pursued a life-long dream of creating art. She put in many hours of painting and developed her technique and voice as an artist in between work and raising four kids. That didn’t go unnoticed by the art critics and the artists union. In 2019 she opened her exhibition for the first time.

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he colours in Marie Svardal’s Brattebø paintings are powerful and strong. Yet at home, she takes a break and surrounds herself with calm earthly colours.

“I’ve always liked to use a lot of colour in my work, as long as it is a pleasing balance to the eye. I hope the viewers notice the mood, the symbolism, the technique and that the painting gives them a positive and pleasant feeling,” Marie tells Localfolk.

Ideas for paintings often come to her when she lets her mind fly. She can find inspiration in everything around her–a figure, a story, a melody. She explains that the “thoughts move on and it is during this phase I am most creative, that’s when the painting slowly materialises in my head.” Once she is at the studio, her focus is on a technique which comprises painting with oil on large canvases and very thin brushes. To finish a painting takes between four to six months.

Art has always been an enormous part of Marie’s life. Originally from Tromsø, she moved to Stavanger when she was seven years old and got an education in drawing.

For 12 years she was working on technical drawings. Once she got married and had four kids, she continued to do some drawings and illustrations from time to time. “When the kids got older, I got more time to work on my painting skills and started taking art classes. There was a lot of trial and error alone in the studio,” she admits.

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Image / Steinar Figved

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Her hunger for knowledge and constant improvement led her to “develop my artistic voice and feel comfortable with it.”

In 2017 she summoned the courage and applied to the Norwegian Association of Independent Artists (NFUK). It is a national membership organization for all active, visual artists in Norway. It is difficult to join and the application process is extensive. However, the two acknowledged artists and one member evaluated her work and she got in. She became part of a community that led to fresh opportunities.

In 2018 NFUK celebrated 25 years jubilee, and the jury chose Maries two paintings–Veggpryd and Wallflowers. It took its toll to finish them before the exhibition. Marie got a tendon inflammation because she worked so hard.

However, it was all worth it. “A well-known art critic commented that my paintings were of good technical quality. That meant a lot to me.”

In 2019 she opened her exhibition for the first time. These days she is running Gallery Krossen in Sandnes together with five other artists, also members of NFUK. Marie continues to explore the different phases of art and hopes to study more and develop her skills.

Image / Steinar Figved

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nfuk.no/artist/marie-svardal-brattebo Instagram / @mariesvardalbrattebo Facebook / @Marie Svardal Brattebø KUNST

Image / Steinar Figved

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FO OD

Recipes Restaurants Food Producers

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Roger Asakil Joya – Omakase (Trust Me)

Images / Fredrik Ringe & Lars Petter Pettersen Words / Kai Isaksen

In the last few years, the restaurant scene in Stavanger has produced a few true gems, and none more so than Sabi Omakase at Pedersgata. Since its opening in 2015, critics have been overwhelming in their positive reviews, underlining the quality of the food, the simplicity and pureness of the presentation and the exceptional skill of Head Chef Roger Asakil Joya. So, what is the story behind this groundbreaking, Michelin Star restaurant?

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“I seek to be faithful and true to the Japanese tradition, but with my own Norwegian twist”

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ctually, it's a good thing Roger Asakil Joya did not listen to his high school teacher who told him that if he didn't manage to become a Head Chef by the age of 30 it could be difficult to have a girlfriend, family, or social life outside of work because of the work pressure needed to succeed. Otherwise the Sabi Omakase restaurant would never have seen the light of day. “She kind of scared me away from following my aspirations of becoming a chef for a while, and I went in a different direction, applying for University as a criminology student after leaving high school,” he tells Localfolk with a smile. Luckily, his passion for cooking in general, and sushi especially, was kept alive by working part time jobs at House of Sushi and later Alex Sushi while studying. “Sushi was quite new in Norway at that time, and I felt that what was being served was not truly authentic,” he says. His dream was to build competency in the authentic EdoMae style of sushi, which hails back to old Tokyo (Edo) more than 200 years ago. He then wanted to bring this style to Norway. “This is the highest form of the art of sushi where the Itamae (chef ) seeks to exploit the produce they find in their vicinity, and then present it as pure and simplistic as possible, as so to enhance the natural flavour and texture of the produce,” Roger explains enthusiastically.

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He spent considerable time in Japan, learning the style and working with true masters of the art of sushi. He still returns to Japan once per year and is one of the very few chefs in Norway that is accredited

by AJSA, All Japan Sushi Association.“I seek to be faithful and true to the Japanese tradition, but with my own Norwegian twist, I have dubbed my style Normae sushi” Roger exclaims. He even gets Japanese visitors to his restaurant every now and then, that have travelled purely for the purpose of trying his style of EdoMae sushi. “They recognise the distinct EdoMae style but are often surprised and impressed by how we use the local ingredients,” he says with a hint of pride.

In 2015 he could finally realise his dream of opening his own sushi restaurant - Sabi Omakase by Roger Asakil Joya, in Stavanger. He tells Localfolk how he looked all over Norway to find the perfect location, and when he saw the building at Pedersgata in Stavanger advertised on finn.no, he knew he had found what he was looking for. A quick phone call to the owner, and not only had he secured the location for his new restaurant, but he also agreed to take part in building up a chain of sushi restaurants in the Rogaland area.

Today the Sabi Sushi chain is the leading chain of high-quality sushi take-away restaurants in Norway.

“Omakase means “I trust you” in Japanese and means that the restaurant has no fixed menu.”

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After barely seven months in operation, Sabi Omakase was awarded one star in the Michelin Guide for 2017 – as the only sushi restaurant in the Nordic region to achieve that honour, something Roger was, and still is, rightfully proud of. He maintained the rating in 2018 and 2019. Since then, the awards and positive reviews have been piling up for Roger and Sabi Omakase and the restaurant is fully booked for many months.

The restaurant is only open Thursday to Saturday and Roger spends considerable time and days to source local produce for his restaurant. He works closely with local fish and shellfish distributors, divers, and fishmongers to discover new and exciting ingredients he can serve to his customers at Sabi Omakase. Omakase means “I trust you” in Japanese and means that the restaurant has no fixed menu.

Instead the Head Chef decides what to serve and puts all his experience and prestige into selecting and presenting the ingredients in a way that creates a unique experience for the guests.

One might expect Roger to be apprehensive and not wanting to share his knowledge and secrets with others. Nothing could be farther from reality.

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“I want to create something for future generations of chefs in Norway,” he states. Sharing his unique competency is a purely positive thing for Roger, and he relishes the chance to teach and mentor other young chefs that aspire to achieve something of what he has achieved. Talented chef, Vladimir Pak worked for Roger for a few years, and when the time was ripe to open a Sabi Omakase restaurant in Oslo, Roger and Sabi team decided that Vladimir deserved his chance to develop his own style. “Although both restaurants use the same EdoMae style, I do not micromanage what is served in Oslo,” Roger says, underlining that the Head Chef must have the authority and autonomy to make his own selections and decisions. It has worked well. Sabi Omakase by Vladimir Pak opened at Vika Terrace in Oslo and achieved one Michelin star in 2019.

So, does he ever regret not choosing a career in criminology? “No, but I use many of the same skills when I investigate local produce and search for the highest quality ingredients, so in a way I am working as an investigator as well,” Roger says. “I believe in simplicity, pure ingredients and the quality of work,” he says, “and our guests should always have a truly exceptional dining experience.” www.omakase.no Instagram / @sabiomakase Facebook / @sabiomakase

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LA FEVE

Where chocolate meets art

Images / Arne Bru Haug Words / Silje Langerud

“I want to make beautiful chocolate jewellery, something you want to look at, not eat”, Pavel says passionately.

Pavel Pavlov is a versatile chef with a degree from the HRC Culinary Academy in Sofia. After finishing his studies in Bulgaria, he gained invaluable experience from the restaurant Pirandello in Holland and the Michelin-starred restaurant Solbar in California. In 2010, he made the journey from sunny California to Stavanger to spend some time with his sister who was living there. Pavel decided to start looking for suitable positions at restaurants and little did he know that he would still be in Stavanger ten years later, making his breakthrough by specialising in the irresistible cocoa bean.

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fascination for the sweeter things

It was never Pavel’s plan to become a pastry chef. When he first came to Stavanger, he worked at several well-reputed restaurants, including Renaa and Tango. It was at Tango his fascination for the sweeter things was really brought to life. “After some time at the restaurant I was put in charge of the dessert menu, and started experimenting with new combinations”, he explains. Up until this point, desserts had only been one of many things on his repertoire.

Pavel is full of ambition, and his brainchild La Fève is where his creativity and passion can run free. The name La Fève is a tribute to the ultimate star of the show: the cocoa bean. Pavel is self-taught when it comes to chocolate, and this unique road is perhaps why it’s been so successful. Rather than being trained after set techniques and traditions, he has carved his own path and made La Fève utterly unique. “Our curiosity regarding textures and unique taste combinations is our strength”, he says about his team at La Fève. Pavel has taught himself many a skill over the years and stresses the importance to never stop learning, and how much you learn when you dare to make mistakes. “When you’re on your own you make mistakes and learn a lot”, Pavel concludes.

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A taste for awards Already in the early days of La Fève, Pavel received plenty of praise for his chocolate. “I was of course very pleased with the feedback, but I was still wondering if I really was that good”, he explains. Pavel decided to get an expert opinion on his sweet creations. The first step was to enter The International Chocolate Award, which was held in Guatemala in November 2019. It was a successful debut – he was awarded medals in the final, and that lit a spark in the Bulgarian pastry chef. The next competition took place already a few months later at the Academy of Chocolate in London, where he was awarded both gold, silver and bronze medals for some of his contributions.

“I was extremely surprised and proud; I’ve learned to make chocolate by myself and now I’m winning medals in international competitions”. He’s now got a real taste for awards: “Gold is the only way to win, and the sky is the limit”, Pavel laughs. He has certainly come a long way in the culinary world, using his creativity and perfectionism to come up with winning combination, quite literally.

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Passion for detail Pavel and his team have a deep respect for the ingredients and will only use raw materials of the utmost quality – like the famous Valrhona chocolate. Chocolate connoisseurs will know that this is the kind of chocolate you can expect at high-end restaurants.The great majority of the chocolates and cakes at La Fève are made completely without preservatives to ensure exquisite quality and are therefore considered fresh produce. Even the flavours and colours are completely natural.

All the creations are of course handcrafted, and every piece of chocolate and slice of cake are little masterpieces where taste, quality and beauty are equally important. “Passion for detail is our focus”, Pavel says, and at La Fève they’re always striving for perfection.

Your perfect chocolate match “Norwegians are becoming more experimental and willing to try new flavours and combinations”, he says. It can be challenging to know what to treat yourself to when you have so many unique creations to choose from, but at La Fève they’re ready to find the perfect match for your taste buds.

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“I ask the customers questions such as what flavours they like, if they want something classic or perhaps would like to try something new, and by doing so we can eliminate the alternatives and find the perfect match for them”

“I ask the customers questions such as what flavours they like, if they want something classic or perhaps would like to try something new, and by doing so we can eliminate the alternatives and find the perfect match for them”. When asked what his own favourites are, he explains that he has a lot of favourites, particularly from the brand-new line he’s currently working on. “It consists of 28 unique pieces, and each piece has a small history to my heart”, Pavel says with a smile.

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www.la-feve.no Instagram / @la_feve_by_pavel_pavlov Facebook / @LaFevebyPavelPavlov

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Kokko - The finest beans in town

Images / Atelier Kokko Words / Silje Langerud

Kokko is not just one thing. It’s a coffee shop, roastery, design shop, showroom, architecture studio and now also a photo studio – all gathered under one roof. The owner Ole Marius Skjærseth likes to refer to the establishment as ‘the house’.

Kokko’s goal is to inspire whoever steps inside the architect-designed premises, where different activities, interest groups and themes are tied together by exquisite coffee. The fact that you can buy the chair you’re sitting on is the icing on the cake, how many times have you been eyeing up the furniture in a coffee shop?

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place for inspiration

his home town, but he also needed room for an architecture studio.

Ole found the perfect house, and as an architect he was able to design Kokko exactly the way he wanted. One of the quirky details is a window in the ceiling in the coffee shop, which allows you to see the bright orange roaster upstairs, matching the equally bright orange coffee machine in the coffee shop.

There were almost no speciality coffee shops in Stavanger when Ole returned from Trondheim, where he’d been studying to become an architect. He originally came back to spend more time climbing and work on a villa project, but had to withdraw from the project after a bouldering accident. Ole has another passion in life, coffee, and thought it would be ideal to find a way to combine these components. Curious about the origin of the He decided to introduce a coffee name, Kokko, we asked Ole shop with its very own roastery to to tell us the story behind it.

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Kokko, in Norwegian, is the sound the cuckoo makes, and is also a way to describe something kooky. “I do get a few questions about the name”, Ole laughs. He explains that the idea origins from his university days, as one of his professors often greeted the students with a cheerful “ko-ko” (cuckoo) as he entered the room. It was also the name of the first architects’ office he started with two student friends, and they were happy for him to use it for his new business adventure. It’s this kind of informality and playfulness he wants Kokko to represent, which is why he found the name suitable. Simple as that.

Kokko frequently host events such as coffee tastings and talks about architecture, design, coffee and mountain expeditions. “We want to focus even more on events in the future”, Ole says. He would like the place to be the ultimate meeting place where inspiration and possibilities can grow.

One evidence of how well the concept Kokko works, is how neatly the entire building functions as a showroom for both the web shop and Atelier Kokko, without feeling like a showroom. The architect studio designs everything from houses and rooms to floors, windows, interior and furniture. They also offer

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“The beans should always be traceable”, he tells us, and underlines that it’s crucial to treat the beans right to achieve that – coffee roasting is an art.

photographing services and SoMe solutions for businesses at Kokko – it’s like a one-stop shop for all your architecture and design needs.

Coffee roasting is an art Their coffee is so renowned on the Stavanger coffee scene that Kokko has started supplying various cafes and restaurants in town – including the popular Michelin-restaurant Re-Naa.“The coffee bean suppliers are carefully selected”, Ole explains, and only those who can guarantee ethical production, satisfactorily working conditions and of course premium quality are welcome to supply Kokko with beans. The beans are provided from a great variety of places, and Kokko’s aim is to deliver perfect beans so the customers can distinguish the Ethiopian beans from the Columbian beans. “The beans should always be traceable”,

he tells us, and underlines that it’s crucial to treat the beans right to achieve that – coffee roasting is an art. Kokko wants specialty coffee to be accessible for everyone –quality is certainly not reserved for the self-declared coffee connoisseurs.

Bring the chair home Are you admiring the chair you’re currently sitting on drinking your coffee, thinking it would look rather nice next to the bookshelf in your living room? You’re in luck, the furniture in Kokko is for sale.

In fact, quite a few objects in the coffee shop are. It’s a showroom for their webshop, called Kokkostore, and the items for sale are all carefully selected, just like their coffee beans. Ole explains that the products must be “durable and of excellent quality, eco-friendly and sustainable, ethically produced and of course aesthetically pleasing”.

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In addition to furniture, Kokko can tempt you with a great selection of books, stylish home interior, espresso machines of superb standard, coffee and tea equipment (including outdoor equipment for those who won’t compromise on the great coffee experience when they’re out exploring the majestic fjords of Norway), and of course the coffee and tea itself. Ole is quite the outdoor enthusiast, and since Stavanger can offer some truly astonishing scenery, it’s only natural that Kokko is used to promote the great outdoors.

In fact, Ole and his team have recently opened a new Kokko-branch, where they’re being extra adventurous when it comes to playing with elements from nature. This branch is located in AIR by Bolder, a brand new activity centre in Stavanger which covers no less than 3000 square metres. “I’m very excited about this project”, Ole says, and at AIR by Bolder they’re equally enthusiastic about the collaboration. They describe Kokko’s coffee as the best in town, and the cakes and sandwiches as extraordinary. Kokko has only been around for a few years, but is already a well-established and central part of the food and drink scene in Stavanger. www.kokkokokko.no Instagram / @kokkostavanger Facebook / @kokkostavanger

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King Mikal Salmon Images / King Mikals Laks AS Words / Marianne B. Dysthe

Fresh, award-winning fish from the depths of Norway King Mikal is an award-winning smokehouse with great focus on taste, tradition and quality. Their passion for fresh, local seafood is evident in all their different products; from juniper-smoked trout to cured aquavit-marinated salmon. With several awards to boast of, King Mikal’s products are as the name suggests, fit for a king. Luckily, you do not need to be royalty to taste King Mikal’s exquisite fish.

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"We have to think local and be a bit patriotic" Only an hour and a half away from Stavanger, amongst the green scenery of western Norway, you will find the small village of Skiftun and Mikal O. Viga’s family-run smokehouse. Mikal grew up in this area, surrounded by the sea, boats and fish, and with these beautiful surroundings, it was only natural for him to one day venture into the fishing industry. In fact, with a family who has worked with fish and fish smoking for generations, it was perhaps inevitable. However, it was more than scenery and familyhistory which led Mikal down the smoked salmon road.

Back in the 1980s, after working offshore, Mikal joined his parents’ salmon farming company where his labour was paid in fish. Although,

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an unconventional salary, it was this fish that started his smokehouse adventure. Mikal built himself a smokehouse and used an old family recipe from the 1870s to make smoked salmon. He sold the fish to people in the community – and eventually, to tourists and foreigners.

Mikal’s smoked salmon quickly became popular –so popular in fact, that Mikal ended up receiving a phone call from the director of a company in Switzerland.

This resulted in Mikal driving to Switzerland with an order of 300 kg of smoked salmon. Without an export licence, and with the order doubling the following year, Mikal’s smokehouse did well. However, not everything went as smoothly the third year.

With an order of 1200 kg of smoked salmon, Mikal was stopped at the Swish-border due to lack of paperwork. With a raged customer on the phone, and 1200 kg of fish in the boot –Astrid, Mikal’s wife and CEO of King Mikal, announced that now was the time to either quit the salmon smoking business or to go for it! In the year 2000, King Mikal was officially established.

A slow, traditional delicacy King Mikal’s products are all about quality, tradition and flavour. Mikal oversees the production himself, and to him only the best is acceptable.

The whole process is carefully monitored, and each fish is assigned a number which can be individually tracked for quality assurance. All

ingredients are natural and many of them are sourced locally–with the fish itself being fresh off the boat.

Often, it takes only a few hours for the fish to be extracted from the sea until the smoking process begins.

‘We have to think local and be a bit patriotic, sometimes.’ Mikal says.

He believes it is important that we are aware of where our food comes from, how it was made and what it contains. He is committed to making real food, and uses the term ‘slow food,’ when it comes to King Mikal’s products. The process is time-consuming, but the result is a fish full of flavour – rich and fullbodied like good wine.

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The products are clean and flavoursome and allow any chef or hobby-chef to be creative in the kitchen by adding a bit of their own personality to the delicacy – but King Mikal’s fish can happily be eaten as is.

Mikal thanks the chefs of Stavanger for their contribution and inspiration, but it is evident that it is also his own interest for food and seafood that makes King Mikal’s products so great. The smokehouse has a solid cornerstone in its original product, cold juniper-smoked salmon, but they are not afraid to be innovative and develop their products further.

From 2006 to 2019, King Mikal was awarded 19 different titles and awards for their various different products – prizes which inspire Mikal to progress.

King Mikal has become synonymous with quality. They make real and honest food – a tasteful and luxurious adventure that everyone should have the chance to experience.The familyrun smokehouse has become popular across the world and they export to countries such as Germany and Malaysia, but their different products can also be found closer to home in chosen stores in the Stavanger area, delicatessen stores across Norway or on their website. kingmikal.no Instagram / @kingmikalsalmon Facebook / @kingmikalsalmon

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Sporhaug Mushroom Farm Banking on spores: growing a business on mushrooms

Images / Mikkel Andersen Words / Anna Richardson Taylor

The founders of the Sporhaug mushroom farm in Stavanger are determined to make their small hobby venture into a consistent, profitable business. With an infectious enthusiasm for stunning fungi and a dogged dedication to their production, Portuguese João and Stavanger-born Mikkel are bound to succeed.

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In principle it is very easy to grow mushrooms,” says Mikkel Andersen with cheerful and convincing optimism. Mikkel is the co-founder of Sporhaug, a small mushroom-growing farm that he started with his friend João Pedro Paixão in the Stavanger borough Storhaug.

The duo had been dabbling with different projects for a while (such as brewing their own beer) when they came across the idea to produce mushrooms. Both have always been interested in growing, and the idea of mushrooms appealed. “It’s not something mainstream like growing potatoes,” explains João. “Mushrooms are different, uncommon, they look alien.” In addition, oyster mushrooms were quite trendy at the time, says Mikkel.

Inspired by other small producers in the region, such as microgreens farm Smågrønt, Mikkel and João explored different ways in which they could make their idea a reality.

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Even though growing mushrooms is not difficult per se, the reality of growing them at a larger scale has many pitfalls. For example, when starting out, the wooden shelves in their original container ended up rotting, due to the humidity that mushrooms need to thrive. Other setups and experiments also yielded mixed results, none consistent enough to deliver reliable profit.

The duo now has a new location and is more determined than ever to make the business work. In fact, João enjoys this side of the venture. “There is a lot of lab work involved, which I am interested in,” he explains. “It’s very much a research job because it’s not like you can go to school to be a mushroom farmer.”

As well as methods of growing, Mikkel and João have been experimenting with different varieties of mushrooms. Their crop has included types of oyster (golden, king and pink), lion’s mane and shiitake.

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“Mushrooms are different, uncommon, they look alien.” .”

“My personal favourite is the pink oyster mushroom,” says Mikkel. “That’s the one that has grown best for us, it looks awesome and it tastes almost like bacon if you fry it until it’s crisp.”

People are often intrigued by the way the mushrooms look – the Sporhaug Instagram page reveals some mesmerising colours and shapes. “That’s part of what I get excited about too,” says Mikkel. “Learning and understanding the way they grow.”

Born in Stavanger, Mikkel thinks there has been a shift in the region towards new ventures, as people realise the traditional energy industry is not as steady as it once was. The vibrant culinary scene in the area, however, means there will always be a market for fresh produce.

“The chefs can make food out of anything, and fresh is

exactly what they want,” says Mikkel.

At the moment the Sporhaug farm is growing its crop from spores, although Mikkel and João have also looked into sourcing mushrooms at a slightly more advanced stage of growth to create a more reliable crop. “There is a lot of inspiration online of people doing it around the world, so that gives us confidence,” says Mikkel. “Seeing that it’s working in other areas means there is no reason for it not to work in Stavanger.”

Currently working as a parttime teacher, Mikkel hopes that his business will be able to provide their main income in the future – that would be the dream, he says. “We are quite stubborn and don’t give up, and I am very sure we are going to succeed. I see no way that we can fail.”

Instagram / @sporhaug

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SMÅGRØNT Smågrønt is a budding business that successfully introduced Stavanger to the taste of microgreens. Founded by Polish Kamil Slowik, the small indoor farm supplies the high-end restaurants of the vibrant harbour city with around 15 different microgreen varieties, delicate, fresh and full of nutrients and taste.

Increasingly selling direct to consumer and with ambitions to expand across Norway, Kamil’s passion for this surprising crop is infectious.

Images / Smågrønt Words / Anna Richardson Taylor

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Every time we have a new customer who tries our product for the first time, you can see the surprise on their face,”says Kamil Slowik.

“It’s because of the taste, it’s so intense.” That surprising product is ‘microgreens’, and Kamil’s budding business, Smågrønt, is an indoor farm that brings these taste- and nutrient-packed miniature crops to the restaurants and consumers of Stavanger.

Smågrønt grew through a combination of chance, diligent research and Kamil’s longstanding passion for plant biology and indoor growing.

“Everything involved with indoor growing has been my passion for more than 15 years,” he says.

Trying to become more self-sustainable, Kamil had experimented with growing in his tiny Stavanger apartment for some time.

He liked the idea of developing his own farm and explored many different set-ups. When his travels to Thailand introduced him to microgreens,he embraced the crop’s potential. Microgreens are plants at a specific stage of growth - “after the plant starts sprouting and the cotyledon (the smaller, initial leaves) appear and before it has the first true leaves”, Kamil explains.

It was the ideal crop for Kamil, who has always valued high quality food.

“The majority of microgreens contains from five to 20 times more vitamin and nutrient values compared to grown-up plants,” he says.

The crop’s quick turnaround time of seven to 10 days and their suitability for indoor growing also made them ideal.

With a degree in psychology, Kamil is not your typical farmer. After a disappointing foray into corporate psychology, Polish Kamil moved to Norway “to try something else, to take a year off ”. When his wife joined him, they decided to stay and Following more research set up their own venture. and experimentation at

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“The majority of microgreens contains from five to 20 times more vitamin and nutrient values compared to grown-up plants”

home, Kamil launched his business around three years ago and started supplying the local restaurants almost immediately. “Stavanger is quite a small city and all the chefs know each other,” says Kamil. “They are interested in high-quality, local crops and direct contact with the producer, so it was quite easy for me to get into the loop.”

The choice of Stavanger as his new home was fortuitous, he adds. “It is very vibrant. The area is one of the biggest producers of crops and because of that the restaurants are very high quality - with two Michelin-starred.

This is very unusual for a small city.

People are keen on high quality food and open-minded, and it is a great entrepreneurial environment.”

Smågrønt offers around 15 different varieties, including mustard, broccoli, sunflower, sugar peas, red cabbage, carrots and radish. The next challenge is to connect more directly with customers. Smågrønt does 126

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home deliveries, farmers markets and supplies some grocery stores, and Covid-19 has seen the direct-toconsumer side provide 100% of his income. But Kamil is keen to develop this further, to spread awareness of his miniature super crop.

The farm’s current bestseller is radish - “it’s quite big, it’s crunchy and it has a lot of radish taste, which is spicy, intense and very interesting,” explains Kamil. But it is the lesser known shiso that is his favourite, as it combines perfectly with his other great passion - coffee. According to Kamil, the Japanese microgreen “has a very intense flavour, more on the floral side, with a passionfruit smell to it”.

Pour espresso - preferably Ethopian or Kenyan beans - onto a shiso leaf, and the taste is intense, he advises.

“You will bring out more of the floral and fruity flavours, which I think is fascinating. You get much more aromas which enhance the flavour it’s a great marriage.”

Instagram / @smagront Facebook / @smagront

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OSTEHUSET Made with natural and local ingredients - and a whole lot of love

Images / Ostehuset Words / Marianne B. Dysthe

Restaurant, café, bakery, store, catering and a wine bar – Ostehuset is exactly what you want it to be. With three locations in the heart of Stavanger and their vast selection of delicious treats, Ostehuset is perfect for any occasion. Bursting with both flavour and atmosphere – and with freshly baked goods, bountiful salads and fresh local meals, this is the perfect spot for every hedonist.

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to taste and learn. At the time, this type of delicacy store was fairly new to Norway and it was the first of its kind in Stavanger.

The focus on cheese came from Tom Helge’s passion for cheese and a coincidental meeting he once had with a Frenchman. And although the cheese counter is still an important part of the place today, the couple have since then, advanced Ostehuset into something more.

They have gone from one small delicacy store to expanding to three different locations – all offering food, drinks and other products such as scented candles, teas and cookbooks.

Everything and more

O

stehuset translates to ‘the cheese house,’ and was first opened over 20 years ago by the co-owners, husband and wife, Tom Helge Sørensen and Hanne N. Berentzen. The couple have years of experience behind them, working in both hotels and restaurants – and with their shared love of food, they wanted to create a place of knowledge; somewhere that could motivate and teach others about good, healthy everyday cuisine. After nearly ten years of daydreaming and planning, their idea was finally realised in 1999, with the first Ostehuset – a delicacy store like no other. The original store had a cheese counter and a section for other tasty accessories, and because the couple aimed to educate and spread knowledge, they created a small seating area for customers –

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With restaurants, cafés, bakeries, catering and a wine bar – it is safe to say that Ostehuset has it all. However, the list does not stop there.

Ostehuset is all about fresh, sustainable and local food, and the couple makes sure that everything served at Ostehuset is as good for the environment as it is for us to eat. They do not steer away from difficult decisions, even if it means removing best-sellers like tropical shrimp, an unsustainable product, from the menu. When it comes to food, Tom Helge and Hanne believe that everything should be environmentally friendly and that there should be no short-cuts. The food served at Ostehuset is, therefore, homemade.

Everything from freshly pressed orange juice to freshly baked bread is made with natural and local ingredients. Ostehuset obtains their fresh produce from a local market garden, and drinks such as smoothies, fruit drinks and energy shots are all made with berries and fruit harvested during the current season.

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Tom Helge and Hanne have made sure that there is plenty to choose from at Ostehuset.

Ostehuset is a place where healthy, local and sustainable choices have been made for you, and all of Ostehuset’s recipes have been carefully put together throughout the years.

It has always been important to the owners that the people visiting Ostehuset feel like they have made a good choice eating there – not only in terms of flavour but also in terms of what is healthy for the body. Because of this, they use a lot of fresh root vegetables in their salads and have chosen to change white rice with quinoa for added nutrition. ‘We make food for the stomach, head and heart,’ Hanne says, ‘we want everyone eating here to think that not only does it taste amazing, but it is healthy.’

Tom Helge and Hanne have made sure that there is plenty to choose from at Ostehuset. Whether you want a healthy, delicious meal, to buy fresh cheese or simply want to quench that sweet tooth of yours – Ostehuset is the perfect place.

With its calming and inviting atmosphere, Ostehuset is an all-around enjoyable experience where you feel safe and taken care of. This is healthy, honest food at its best and definitely a place to visit when in Stavanger. ostehuset.no Instagram / @ostehuset Facebook / @ostehuset Localfolk Magazine

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The 5 Best Online Food Delivery Services in Norway It doesn’t matter how you look at it – grocery shopping is a chore. Once a week (if you’re lucky) you have to drag yourself around the same store looking for the same products while navigating various obstacles. If you make a game of it maybe you’re at the checkout in 15-20 minutes, but most weekly or family-sized shops take a minimum of half an hour.

Images / Pixabay.com Words / Hannah Warren

That’s half an hour of your life each week! It’s no wonder that online shopping for food is becoming just as popular as shopping online for just about anything else we need. Life moves fast, and the last thing we want to do with our spare time is to drag ourselves around a supermarket.

Shopping online means you can do it from the comfort of your home (or at work if you dare), you can browse for as long as you want, you can reorder staples at the click of a button. You make the order and, as if by magic, the food is delivered to your doorstep at the time of your choosing.

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The Rise of Online Food Shopping in Norway In 2019, 7.5% of UK groceries were bought online, 5.6% of French, and Czechia bought 3.2% of its groceries online. Norway and Sweden are behind – with only 2% in both Norway and Sweden, but that figure is changing fast.

Oslo is, of course,the city that has adapted to online shopping most readily over the years, but other areas are moving to do the same. While it seems we are generally happy to go out shopping for groceries regularly, that’s all recently changed.

The Impact of COVID-19 The coronavirus pandemic is drastically affecting everyone’s lives. With restrictions on movement and a real fear of picking up the infection, suddenly going to the supermarket feels like a life and death decision, and online grocery shopping is booming.

So what are our options if we’d prefer to avoid the supermarket?

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Kolonial.no Kolonial.no, the country’s biggest online grocery provider, is experiencing a 250% increase in orders over the same period last year due to the pandemic.

Kolonial.no was founded in 2013 by a group of entrepreneurs whose aim was to provide a great shopping experience and make their customers’ lives better. It is now the fastest-growing company in its category in the whole Nordic region. The company is based in Oslo and can deliver to approximately 45% of Norwegian households.

Delivery: Kolonial.no usually offers next day delivery as long as you order by midnight.

Why Use Them: If you’re in Oslo or are in the 45% of households they can deliver too, you’ll find their website extremely user-friendly with a huge range of products that are often cheaper than the stores you normally head to in-person.

There is a small charge for delivery but they also have free pick-up points.

Morgenlevering.no

Delivery: They deliver to 1.6 million households in all the big cities and smaller places like Lier and Lom, among many others.

Why Choose Them: They’re the delivery service that is most likely to deliver to your home if you live outside a major city.

You can order up until 9 or 10pm the night before your delivery.

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Meny.no

Nettmat.no

The second biggest online grocery presence in Sweden, Meny.no, is expecting a similar jump in orders due to coronavirus and is having to upscale to cope. Meny.no has190 stores around Norway but its online food delivery service is growing.

Nettmat is a little different from the others listed - you can order ingredients by choosing recipes and then getting a box of fresh food delivered to your door.

There is a wide selection and diners include sweet chilli salmon, meatballs, baked fish and more.

Delivery: It boasts of being able to deliver to most of the country either directly or to drop off/pickup points.

Why Use Them: Meny.no has over 10,000 products available for online order and they have a feature where you can order the ingredients of over 2,000 recipes with just a click – great for trying something new.

Retthjem.no Retthjem isn’t known for delivering to private households normally, but in the light of the coronavirus, they’re able to deliver the next business day to consumers.

Delivery: They’re based in Oslo and have a quick delivery checker at the bottom of their website, so simply enter your address to see if they deliver to you.

Why Choose Them: They have a good selection of fresh groceries, freshly baked goods, and cleaning products, so you’ll likely find all your favorite products there.

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Delivery: They deliver in Oslo, Bergen and Rogaland.

Why Choose Them: If you’re not interested in replacing your trip to the supermarket but want to reduce your outings and spice up your meals, this is a good option.

Online grocery shopping is still in its infancy in Norway but our current circumstances mean the growth curve is a fast one. The two major players, Kolonial and Meny are good at adapting and forward-thinking – Kolonial has even experimented with driverless delivery vehicles.The inevitable increase in business occasioned by the pandemic will drive this sector forward as it seeks to meet the demands of its new customers so you’ll see new food delivery options popping up in the future.

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food

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Cold-smoked salmon sandwiches with avocado and egg mayonnaise Image / Anne Lise Norheim Recipe / Mikals Laks AS recipe developed in collaboration with Charles Tjessem

Ingredients (4 servings): Good-quality bread 300–400 g cold-smoked salmon 1 avocado Romaine lettuce Green spices Serve with lemon or lime on the side.

Mayonnaise: 1 egg 2 tbsp vinegar A little salt and freshly ground pepper Approx. 5–8 drops Tabasco sauce 1 tbsp Dijon mustard approx. 0.5 l neutral oil (sunflower, corn, rapeseed) 4 hard-boiled eggs

Egg mayonnaise 1

Egg mayonnaise 2

Use a cylinder bowl. Add the egg, mustard, Tabasco, vinegar, salt and pepper into the bowl. Then pour in the oil – wait 1 minute for the oil to float to the top.

Add all of the ingredients into a bowl, except for the oil.

Take a hand blender and, make sure it touches the bottom of the bowl, whisk the mixture. The hand blender will ensure that the ingredients are mixed into a creamy consistency. Once you have the right consistency, carefully move the blender up and down a little in the bowl until the mayonnaise is nice and rich. Then add the hard-boiled and shelled eggs to the mayonnaise and whisk again with the hand blender until you have an even consistency.

Thoroughly mix all the ingredients together and pour in the oil in a thin stream to dilute the mixture, while stirring constantly. Once you have a creamy mayonnaise, mash the hard-boiled and shelled eggs up in the mayonnaise.

Wash the salad, using a salad spinner to get rid of most of the water, if you have one Spread the egg mayonnaise on the bread slices and place the salad and smoked salmon on top. Serve with avocado wedges/cubes, egg mayonnaise and spicy greens.

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Salad with hot-smoked salmon, basil mayonnaise, romaine lettuce, tomatoes & walnuts Image / Anne Lise Norheim Recipe / Mikals Laks AS recipe developed in collaboration with Charles Tjessem

Ingredients (4 servings): 2 leaves of Romaine lettuce 360–400 g hot-smoked salmon 0.50 cauliflower 35 walnuts 1 pomegranate

4. Half the pomegranate and remove the seeds.

2. Wash the salad, using a salad spinner to get rid of most of the water, if you have one.

6. Another way is to use a hand blender to mix the oil and basil into a green oil. Add all of the ingredients into a bowl, except for the basil oil. Thoroughly mix all the ingredients together and pour in the basil oil in a thin stream to dilute the mixture, while stirring constantly.

Basil mayonnaise 1

5. Use a cylinder bowl.

Add the eggs, mustard, Tabasco, vinegar, Basil mayonnaise basil leaves, salt and freshly ground pepper 0.50 pot basil into the bowl. Then pour in the oil – wait 1 egg 1 minute for the oil to float to the top.

1 tbsp Dijon mustard Take a hand blender and, making sure it 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar touches the bottom of the bowl, whisk Salt & pepper the mixture. The hand blender will ensure 5 - 6 Tabasco sauce that the ingredients are mixed into a 5 cups neutral oil (sunflower, corn, creamy consistency. Once you have the rapeseed) right consistency, carefully move the blender up and down a little in the bowl 1. Remove any skin and dark muscle until the mayonnaise is nice and rich. meat/fat from the salmon. Then tear the fish into pieces.

Basil mayonnaise 2

3. Wash the cauliflower in water with a little salt to remove any caterpillars. Cut it into slices.

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support a maker, support a dream

Follow us on www.localfolknorway.com

Local Folk makers from Stavanger We sat down with five local makers from the Stavangerregion and asked them some questions about life and work.

This is what they had to say.

Pryd - Building a business one stitch at a time Images / Pryd Words / Madina Salamova

Line Lønning dreamt for years of starting her own business. However, nothing felt quite right until she got an idea for embroidered patches.

She applied for a scholarship for young graphic designers and bought an embroidery machine. In March 2019, Line founded Pryd and landed her first business deal. “I had an idea for a patch with “lenge leve havet /long live the sea” and embroidered waves. I spent a lot of time on the machine trying to make it right. At the same time, I documented my efforts on Instagram. Some of my acquaintances from the green movement saw the patch and fell for it. They wanted to buy patches for an event, they had at the time. The timing was perfect, so I just went for it”, says Line.

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Pryd is all about sustainability. That is why Line decided to avoid using threads consisting of plastic. Instead, she chose a viscose thread. It made the process complicated, but more sustainable.

Recycling is a topic close to her heart. “It is important to take care of the clothes we have. What a better way to make them new again but with embroidered stickers.

I am also doing embroidery on the used clothes, although it would be cheaper just to buy new white shirts. Today the fashion industry has some major sustainability problems.”

Another project she has made were embroidered koala patches. “During the bushfires in Australia, I donated all of the income from these koala patches to

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WWF. I try to contribute to the issues I am passionate about.”

Line’s workday is flexible since she works from home. It usually consists of emailing customers, designing, and producing new patches. Sometimes she can take time off during the day to be with her daughter.

That`s one of the perks of working for yourself.

Besides the advanced embroidery machine, the tools she can’t live without are iPad Pro and an Apple Pencil. “I also use the program that was included in the embroidery machine. The software is ancient, but it is still very useful. I use it to transform my designs into stitches.”

Her goal is to continue developing the business. “My niche is meaningful embroidered patches. There’s a lot of merch about veganism and sustainability on the market, but the designs are typically in big dominant fonts and black and white colours. My goal was to create something different.”

Line`s advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to do research and find a niche first.

“However, don’t spend too much time on research. Otherwise, you never get started,” Line adds. www.prydbrodering.com Instagram / @prydbrodering Facebook / @prydbrodering

“During the bushfires in Australia, I donated all of the income from these koala patches to WWF. I try to contribute to the issues I am passionate about.”

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Vibeke Høie – Work hard. Be kind.

Images / Vibeke Høie Words / Kai Isaksen

In many ways, Vibeke Høie is living her dream.

“I always liked drawing, and I started very early making different illustrations,” she tells Localfolk. “In fact, from I was 10/11 years old, my big dream was to have a job where I could draw all day, and just be creative.”

Yet, she did not initially follow that dream, starting her academic career by studying to become a teacher. “It was when we worked with children’s books as part of the studies, I realised that I would much rather be the one that creates the books, than the one that reads them,” she explains. That was her moment of awakening. She changed her path, heading for Kent in the UK, where she gained her degree in Communication Arts and Illustration in 2000, and she hasn’t regretted that change of direction one day since. “Even when I struggled to make a living from this after leaving university, I never regretted my decision, and I always knew that hard work and dedication would pay off,” she

tells Localfolk, adding a story about how she at times had to resort to recycling bottles to be able to buy food while she lived in Oslo the first few months after university.

Now, twenty years later, back in her hometown of Sandnes, she looks back with fondness on the journey to get to where she is today – an accomplished graphic designer and illustrator. “I like that I am able to work with both graphic design and illustrations”, she says, adding that her work is probably split almost evenly between the two areas.

She is especially proud of work she did with the “Gleding!” series of children’s books, where she created the illustrations for the characters Lykke & Wilmer, in close cooperation with the author, Siri Abrahamsen. “That project really triggered me, and I loved working on that,” she says, allowing herself a moment of nostalgia.

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Image / Together with Dan Cato Olsson, Vibeke was chosen to create a new logo and profile for Hotel Jæren. The hotel managers, Mette Vigre and Else Strøm Larsen wanted to dedicate each hotel room to a person who inspires, either a local or global hero. 52 hotel rooms – 52 personalities – 52 portraits. This image of all portraits together is displayed in the lobby, and each room has a large portrait of one person on the wall.

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www.vibekehoie.no Instagram / @vibekehoie.no Facebook / @Vibeke Hoie

According to Vibeke, the secret to success is to work with projects that really engage and trigger you. That, and hard work. “There really is no substitute for hard work”, she says, “if you work hard and really believe in what you do, you will eventually succeed.”

training also landed her another of her most memorable jobs; when the company that developed the official NY Marathon training app needed a new logo for the app, they came to Vibeke to get the job done - and she duly delivered.

“Stavanger is a very creative place”, says Vibeke, adding that the work of Pia Wall – another graphic designer and illustrator from Stavanger – is a great inspiration for her.

Having talked about how kindness is the other part of her life motto– hard work being the first - she ends our little talk with a bombshell; “I really look forward to growing old!” she says with enthusiasm. “I will be that kind and cool old lady in the street, that we all remember so fondly from our own childhood!”. Hopefully still running and drawing every day.

She likes to keep busy also outside of work, and when she is not pottering about in her green house, she runs marathons, having completed the NY Marathon three times. Her interest in

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“I will be that kind and cool old lady in the street, that we all remember so fondly from our own childhood!”.

Illustration / The childrens book about the foxes - Petter and Pelle

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Tailored Soap Marte Ravn Tovik is conquering the world, one bathroom at the time Images / Tailored Soap Words / Kai Isaksen

Having finished high school in 2013, Marte Ravn Tovik decided to take a year off and focus on her hobbies – of which she had many. Little did she know that a chance encounter in a hobby shop would change the direction of her professional career completely. “I tried every hobby imaginable,” she tells Localfolk with a smile.

In one of her many visits to hobby shops, she came across a soap making kit, and was immediately fascinated; “I had no idea that soap making was a thing at all, but decided to give it a try.” And the rest is history, as they say.

In 2014, she invented her trademark Galaxy soaps, which became the original product she could build her success on. But she develops new products continuously

to ensure Tailored Soap remains the preferred supplier for her customers, and at any time she sells over 400 unique products through the Tailored Soap web shop.

Having kept soap as a fastgrowing hobby project while completing her BA in Marketing, she finally decided to pursue soap making full time in 2016.

“2016-17 was really a fantastic period for us”, tells Marte. She returned to her hometown Stavanger, and set up her first proper soap studio, allowing her to increase both production and – perhaps more importantlyproduct development and research. Tailored Soap was featured by Buzzfeed, and in early 2017 Business Insider contacted Marte and asked Localfolk Magazine

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“I never had imagined the amount of red tape, documentation and regulations one must cope with, to produce soap.“

for permission to feature a video about Tailored Soap on their INSIDER BEAUTY channel. The video achieved over 10 million views and really opened a flood gate of orders for the small soap company in Stavanger.

Talking to Marte, one might initially get the impression that success came easily, but everything is not always what it seems. “Sure, we did have a bit of luck with Buzzfeed, Insider etc., but nothing substitutes hard work and dedication when starting a business from scratch,” she says. She still does all the work herself, splitting her week into

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three days for production, dealing with orders and shipping off sold products, and two days for product development, marketing, and administrative tasks.

Dealing with the formalities of getting products approved has been a challenge, and at times she admits she felt like giving up. “I never had imagined the amount of red tape, documentation and regulations one must cope with, to produce soap,” she says with a hint of black humour in her voice, adding that it was really just because of her stubborn nature that she persevered. “Rules are more relaxed in the US”, she says, “and 85% of our sales now go to the US,” she says with a hint of pride.

So, what is her advice to others thinking of getting into the same business?

“Start with a few products, and ensure you make these properly. Stay original, and true to what you want to produce.” Competition is a major challenge when starting up a soap business.

“There are so many competitors,” Marte tells, “so the key is to have original products that separate you from the others.

Marte tells that her secret is really that she produces soaps that she herself would buy, and that seems to have been a hit with her customers. www.tailoredsoap.com Instagram / @tailoredsoap Facebook / @TailoredSoap

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Cokott - Folded Paper Jewels From Stavanger

Images / Cokott Words / Vivian Nielsen & Allison Helene Schmidt

Marina Blain moved to Stavanger two years ago, bringing her company Cokott with her. She makes gorgeous and intricate designs using her imagination, her origami skills, and carefully selected paper, offering a product that really stands out.

Originally from France, Marina started Cokott eight years ago. The self-made jewellery and design company was born from Marina’s desire to gift something homemade to her friends and family for Christmas. The paper designs she created became popular, and a shop wanted to sell her creations, making them even more indemand. You can now find her striking artistic designs in a shop in Stavanger, and also in three shops in France, making Cokott a full-time job for Marina.

Marina makes traditional folding creations, origami, which can be custom made depending on customer requests. “I create

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jewellery, like diamond-shaped earrings. I can make whatever the client wants, or I create a limited series that suits everybody’s tastes.” She creates other pieces of jewelry as well, such as necklaces and hairpins, and various home decorations, like picture frames and baby mobiles.

Marina learnt the art of paper folding by reading books, watching videos, and lots of practice. Her very first creation was a paper crane. “I am inspired by Asia, having lived in South Korea, but I am also inspired by the countries and places I have visited.” She enjoys learning about different cultures, and she adapts different cultural elements into her designs. She seeks further inspiration from fashion, and from the changing colours of the seasons.

“In my spare time, I like to visit a shop in Stavanger called Syvende Himmel. I find much inspiration there.” She also enjoys visiting Pottemakeriet, a ceramic studio in

Stavanger, where people can create things with their own hands. “I go to different markets and introduce my products. You can find me together with plenty of other artists at the market in Stavanger city centre, several times a week.”

A typical day for the artist starts around 08:00 or 09:00, and she always tries to begin the day with the aspects of her job that she doesn’t enjoy. “I try to start with the things I do not like to do, like advertising and accounting. The rest of the day is used to create. I choose a design, the paper I want to use, cuts and folds, and assemble my piece.” She uses Japanese (chiyogamis) and Korean (hanji) folding paper of premium quality, with beautiful floral or geometric patterns.

“The paper and my imagination are the most important tools I have!”A pair of earrings can take her anywhere form twenty to forty-five minutes. Her final steps are varnishing her creations, which is a process that makes the jewellery durable.

Marina came to Stavanger with her partner, who was offered a job in the city, and she truly loves living there, stating that “the creative environment is very inspiring.” When asked if she had any advice for those who are starting their own businesses, Marina shared: “Work hard and be patient. Persevere! I love my job and cannot quite imagine doing something else.” www.cokott.com Instagram / @cokottorigami Facebook / @Cokott

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Alix Souissi - Embroidery is my mindfulness project Images / Alix Souissi Words / Kai Isaksen

“Not everyone is aware of my creative side,” says Alix Souissi with a smile. “In fact, I wasn’t really aware of it myself until just a couple of years ago,” she continues. Having worked as a physicist in the oil industry for a few years, life has been nomadic for Alix and her family. Moving from the UK to Texas, then on to Stavanger in a space of just two years, brought big changes for the family in a short period of time.

“I really started embroidery as a mindfulness project for myself during the time of our moves, to have something to focus my mind on, other than constant changes,” says Alix.

She started upcycling items of clothing, using embroidered patterns to make them

unique and fresh - the first one being a jumper for her daughter, inspired by patterns Alix had seen on bunads in Rogaland. She then moved on to do amazing embroidered portraits, including one of her best friend Vicky, which meant a lot to her personally.

“I wasn’t quite prepared for the emotional aspect of embroidering portraits,” she says, continuing; “portraits are very personal. With a landscape or a pattern, you create a pretty picture, but with a portrait, it really is almost like looking into the soul of the person, even if you do not know him/her. Creating an embroidery from scratch can easily take 2030 hours of work and when people buy it, they get a piece of me with it.”

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“Creating an embroidery from scratch can easily take 20-30 hours of work and when people buy it, they get a piece of me with it.”

Surprisingly, she is entirely self-taught, and her creations have become more sophisticated as she has developed her skills by the trial and error method. Posting photos of her designs on Instagram brought her a steady growing group of fans, and after a while she started getting requests and inquiries about doing embroideries for others. “I never really planned this to become a business, as such,” she tells Localfolk, “and I don’t have a fixed business plan and a set of defined products – at least not yet.” She admits she will have to focus more on that side of starting a business now that she is getting more attention and orders. However, her best advice to others in the same situation is to not lose sight of who you are and what you want to create. “Many people get caught by their own success, getting stuck making a particular product that becomes very popular, and that can prevent them from developing their creative side.”

Alix and her family have only lived in Stavanger for a few months, and with the corona situation, she has not had the chance to explore the local handy crafts scene as much as she would have wanted. “But I have seen that there are several fantastic local craftspeople, making all sorts of wonderful and unique handmade products. That is

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really what you should look for when buying a handmade product – the quality and uniqueness of it.”

“For me, everything is about sustainability, environment and the quality of work,” ends Alix.

Instagram / @alixsouissi Facebook / @alixembroidery

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Localfolk - a Localfolk Norway Publication Read on localfolknorway.com

Local Photographers from Stavanger

We sat down with five photographers from the Stavanger region and posed the same set of questions to all. Each brings a unique perspective both in life and in photo. See Rogaland from the lens of a photographer.

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Ramla Seedow From a very young age, Ramla has been interested in photography, and growing up in Sandnes with nature right next door this region has been a source of inspiration for her.

It’s an honour for The Localfolk to show you this beautiful region of Stavanger through her lens.

Images / Ramla Seedow Words / Mette Tonnessen & Ramla Seedow

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W

here are you from and where do you live now? I’m from Somalia and I came to Norway at a very young age. I’ve also lived in England for a couple of years but right now I live in Stavanger.

What is your current job, and what are your aspirations? I currently work as a nursery assistant. My aspirations are to become a full time photographer and work alongside different brands.

What do you love about Rogaland, and where is your favourite place in the region, and why? Rogaland is where I grew up, in particular Sandnes, so it’s practically home for me. Sandvedparken holds a lot of childhood memories for me so that has to be my favourite place.

How did your interest for photography start and what type of photography gives you joy? When I was around 10 we were out in

Sandvedparken as a family and my dad was taking photos so I asked to borrow the camera. I just snapped a photo of my younger sister and I looked at the screen to see how the photo turned out, and it happened to capture my sister jumping mid air. I was so fascinated, it blew my mind. That is how it all started.

Nature has always been a huge part of my life so photographing the nature around us gives me a lot of joy.

What photo gear do you use and what is your favourite lens, and why? I use a Canon 700D and my current favourite lense is the Canon 50mm F1.8. This is my first prime lens and since it only has a single focus length, it forces you to think about your shot a bit more. Oh, and did I mention it is super sharp.

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If you could photograph any person or place of your choice, who/what would it be, and why? My goal is to explore the northern part of Norway, especially Lofoten, and hopefully get to experience the midnight sun. I think that would be a surreal experience.

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Where is your favourite place you’ve ever visited, and where is your dream destination? Switzerland has captured my heart since the first time I visited back in 2013. If I had to pick one city from there, it would be Lucerne. That place has got stunning nature scenery.

If you could have dinner with one person, past or present, who would it be, and why? As a religious person I would have love to just have a casual conversation with Prophet Muhammad.

After reading his biography, his virtues and character just amazes me.

When did you feel you were most out of your comfort zone? What did you learn from that experience? Living in Norway, where nature is literally at your fingertips it was easy for me to go out and capture what I loved. So when I moved to Birmingham, England, it was out of my comfort zone to photograph a big city with no nature in sight. However, in that period of time I learned more about how to use my camera and develope my skills.

What would you say to your former self? My former self almost gave up on pursuing photography, so I would say don’t stop and keep going.

Instagram / @rxmlaiv

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Elisabeth Tønnessen Elisabeth is an advertising photographer based in Sola. She is passionate about nature and the marine environment, and her dream assignment is to document whales for National Geographic. When she is not taking photos, she loves to travel and free-dive, both within Norway and abroad.

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here are you from and where do you live now? I grew up in Hinna and currently live in Sola, close to a beach called Solastranden. I love this place - here I can watch the sunset over the ocean from the living room window.

What is your current job? I work as an advertising photographer, something I’ve done throughout my entire career. I started my company 17 years ago and I love my job just as much now as I did back then.

Where is your favourite place in the region? What makes it your favourite? My favourite place that I visit as soon as I get the chance is the sound around Askje/Åmøy, it’s beautiful under the surface of the ocean there - a large variety of species and plenty of space for fishing, collecting scallops and taking photos. (I free-dive.)

How did your interest in photography start? What type of photography gives you the most joy? I’ve wanted to be a photographer ever since I was little, there’s something about capturing As a photographer, what are a moment, the light and the your aspirations? In the future, beauty of the world that fascinates I hope I can work more with me. I see being a photographer the things I’m passionate as a continuous journey, I learn about - nature and the marine something new every day and no environment. two days or assignments are the same. What brings me the most What do you love about joy is to take photos of passionate Rogaland? Rogaland is fantastic people, or when I’m out taking because it’s close to both the photos and the light is just perfect, mountains and the ocean. The that is incredibly satisfying. varied landscape is a huge inspiration. From the beautiful What kind of gear do you use?

Jæren beaches where you find Do you have a favourite lens? minimalistic, unobstructed Canon, Olympus for underwater views, to the mountains and the photos and Mavic Pro 2 drone. fjords which are so magnificent My favourite lens is Canon’s and majestic. fixed 50mm 1.2 because it’s very versatile.

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If you could photograph any person or place, who or what would you choose and why? I’ve always wanted to be a photographer for the National Geographic, and my dream assignment would be to document whales. I find a certain calm under water that doesn’t exist on land and when I meet large sea creatures, I get a feeling of happiness that can’t be described! If I’m also able to photograph them, the experience is nothing short of perfect.

Out of all the places you’ve visited, which was your favourite? It’s difficult to choose one place, I love to travel! In Norway there’s Engeløya in the north, we usually travel there to free-dive and catch fish. When I travel abroad, I usually go to a destination where it’s nice to free-dive. The Comoros, a small archipelago between Mozambique and Madagascar, with the world’s largest lagoon or Phú Quoc island outside of Cambodia are some of the nicest places I’ve been.

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Is there a place you dream of visiting? My dream destinations are South America, preferably Peru, but also New Zealand and Canada.

When did you feel you were most out of your comfort zone?

What did you learn from that experience? I am actually very happy to challenge my comfort zone. The time I was most outside of my comfort zone would have to be when we were chased by a rhino in the jungle of India, we ended up saving ourselves by climbing up a tree.

Over the course of a few months in India, Nepal and various other non-Western countries, I’ve been outside of my comfort zone many times, but it has been incredibly valuable for me. These experiences have taught me that the world and our emotions are so much larger than we think. In everyday life, I’m pretty much outside of my comfort zone every time I fly a drone. I’m terrified that it will crash, that someone will yell at me or that it will be attacked by birds.

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If you could have dinner with one person, past or present, who would it be? Why? Mahatma Gandhi, he has the wisdom that every leader and politician should have. I try to live by his ‘laws of life’ as best as I can and would love to discuss world politics with him.

Is there anything you would say to your former self? Focus more on what makes you happy, forget about other people’s opinions and society’s expectations of you. I wish I had started with it earlier. www.elisabethtonnessen.no Instagram / @elisabeth__photos

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Ann Kristin Karlsen

Images / Ann Kristin Karlsen Words / Julia Elizabeth Yager

Ann Kristin thrives on creativity and drives all over Rogaland taking photos. Being able to tell people’s stories through pictures is what she loves most about photography. When Ann Kristin is not behind the camera, she can often be found outdoors or working on other creative projects.

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here are you from and where do you live now? For the first ten years of my life, I grew up in Stavanger, then we moved to Ogna in Jæren. I’ve also spent some years in Bergen, but now I finally found my way back to the wonderful Jæren, in a village called Sirevåg.

What do you love about Rogaland?

Rogaland is just the full package, with everything you could want to experience. The local food is top notch, the nature is absolutely stunning - full of variety and contrasts - and the people are totally awesome!

How did your interest in photography start? What type of photography gives you the most joy? The first time I remember holding a camera was when my mom came home with a disposable camera for me and my siblings. I ran around taking photos of our rabbits in the yard, my family and all sorts of things I stumbled upon.

Later, the disposable camera was replaced with an old Sony Ericsson mobile, which I also used to take photos of everything! In high school, I was introduced to singlelens reflex cameras, and that’s when I really started shooting. I’ve always loved being out in nature, but in recent years I’ve found joy in photographing people and their stories. I take so much pleasure in getting to know everyone I put in front of the lens, hearing who they are and helping to create valuable memories for them.

Where is your favourite place in the region? What makes it your favourite? My favourite place is

What kind of gear do you use? Do you have a favourite lens? Most of the time, I have two cameras on

What is your current job? I just graduated with a Graphic Design degree and am currently looking for a job in that field. Fortunately, I’ve managed to create my own photography business, which has exceeded all of my expectations!

As a photographer, what are your aspirations? If I am able to reach my goals, I really hope to have photography as a full-time job. That would be a dream come true!

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definitely Jæren, especially along the coastline. There is no other place that makes me enjoy the stormy weather and find complete tranquility like the Jæren landscape does.

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my shoulders when photographing, Canon 5D mark IV and 5D mark III. On both of these, I use 85mm and 35mm lenses, and sometimes 100mm. My favourite lens is definitely 85mm. With this lens, I get the soft, blurry background and a fantastic sharpness. I don’t need to be completely in the face of the people I take photos of, but close enough to give direction without having to shout. This distance is perfect, especially for children who hide themselves behind their parents in the beginning and need to warm up and get loose before I can come any closer.

If you could photograph any person or place, who or what would you choose and why? I have a small vision that I really want to achieve, and that is to photograph my grandparents outside of their childhood home in Stavanger with old photographs in their hands. My partner’s grandfather also has an incredible story from when he was a prisoner during World War II, and that’s also a story I want to convey through photographs. One of the biggest reasons I love photography is being able to tell people’s stories through pictures.

Out of all the places you’ve visited, which was your favourite?

Edinburgh is definitely the most magical place I’ve visited! There’s so much history and mystery in the streets, and it’s without a doubt the most photogenic place I’ve seen.

Is there a place you dream of visiting? My dream is to someday take a road trip along the coast of England and up towards Scotland, and photograph nature along the route.

When did you feel you were most out of your comfort zone? What did you learn from that experience?

Five years ago, I was called into a group interview for a job I really wanted. Over 1,100 applications had been received, and I’d made it to the interview with 50 to 60 other people who had applied for the same position. I knew I had to stand out, and at that time, I was much more shy than I am now. The whole setting was so uncomfortable and totally out of my comfort zone.

The interview lasted three hours, with a full schedule of various tests and competitions. At one point, all the interviewees had to form a

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large circle while the interviewer asked very difficult questions. The objective was to get to the middle of the circle first and answer these questions. Of all these people, there were maybe only five that dared to step forward and answer in front of everyone, and I was one of them.

This experience really pushed me out of my comfort zone, but I think it made me grow as a person and become more confident in myself.

In addition, I got the job! After this, I’ve managed to think that I actually can do EVERYTHING, as long as I put in the effort and step out of my comfort zone.

If you could have dinner with one person, past or present, who would it be? Why? I could certainly make a list of several historical and famous people, but for myself, it would mean a lot to have dinner with my great grandmother who I never got to meet. My grandmother is my greatest role model in life, and it would have been so nice to meet her mom and see where the goodness and values that have been passed down multiple generations come from, which will hopefully soon be passed down to my own future children as well.

Is there anything you would say to your former self? Take the chances that come your way, trust yourself and remember to enjoy every moment.

www.fotografannkristin.no Instagram / @fotograf.annkristin

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Thomas Tepstad Berge Thomas Tepstad Berge is a Norwegian photographer who currently resides in the county of Rogaland. His exceptional dedication and deftness at capturing landscapes equals the vast beauty of the locations he visits. See for yourself and follow Berge’s journeys and his incredible work.

Images / Thomas Tepstad Berge Words / Allison Helêne Schmidt

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here are you from and where do you live now? I grew up at Askøy, an island right outside of Bergen. Now I live in Tananger, in Sola municipality.

What do you love about Rogaland? The key aspect I love about Rogaland is the diversity, as you have everything from the fjords, to the beaches, to beautiful farmland, all within relatively What is your current job? I work short distances. Also, to have as a Project and Rick (HSSE) the raw ocean, with its wind and Management Consultant, mainly waves straight from the North within the oil and gas industry.

Sea, hitting the coast. That makes great scenes for photography.

As a photographer, what are your aspirations? My aspirations would Where is your favourite place in perhaps be to commercialize the region? What makes it your more within photography, so that favourite? It’s almost impossible my photos could hang around on to select one favourite location, more walls.

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but if I have to, I’ll choose Sele beach, as you can photograph anything from beautiful beach landscapes, from Milky Way shots, to surfers riding the waves.

How did your interest in photography start? What type of photography gives you the most joy? I actually started with filming and video editing, which evolved into timelapse photography and videos. After my last time-lapse project, I realised that it was too time-consuming to start on another one, so I started to focus more on photography. My favourite type of photography is landscape and I enjoy hiking to beautiful places and finding the right framing for my style. The common denominator in all my photos is that I hunt for the right light to make the image stand out, and I find it equally important within portraits as it is for landscapes.

What kind of gear do you use? Do you have a favourite lens? I use a Canon EOS 5D Mark III with two lenses: Canon EF 70-200mm f/45.6L USM and Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 II USM. They both serve their purpose but my favourite would be the 16-35mm as it’s fantastic for

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landscape and night-photography, with the capability of getting those nice foreground elements that I try to include in my landscape photos.

If you could photograph any person or place, who or what would you choose and why? Iceland comes to mind as it is a spectacular location with diverse and raw landscape scenery. The geology there displays beautiful colors in the summer, and icy scenery below the Northern Lights would be a good reason to go there during winter.

Out of all the places you’ve visited, which was your favourite? The hike to Molden, along the Lustrafjord, in Sogn and Fjordane. It’s a stunning hike with an amazing view down to the fjord one thousand and one hundred meters below - a hike I would recommend to anyone who’s in the area.

Is there a place you dream of visiting? A dream destination of mine in addition to Iceland is Lofoten, also a location with mountains rising straight up from the sea, which is a favourite scenery of mine.

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When did you feel you were most out of your comfort zone? What did you learn from that experience?

I photographed a wedding for some friends. After I agreed to take on the assignment, I realised that it was quite different from my normal photography, and that the expectations to such an event are always very high.

The required lens changes (I only have 1 camera) to capture the moments correctly were my biggest concern, but I think it turned out ok in the end. I definitely learned a lot about wedding photography, and also that stress before an assignment can be useful when it forces you to plan more rigorously and sharpen your focus when it all starts.

If you could have dinner with one person, past or present, who would it be? Why? Jim Carrey, as most of the movie quotes I use are from him, and it would probably be an entertaining dinner.

Is there anything you would say to your former self ? Buy a DSLR today! tberge.picfair.com Instagram / @tberge

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Raymond Eckholm

Images / Raymond Eckholm Words / Mette Tonnessen & Raymond Eckholm

Raymond is a teacher and photographer residing in Jørpeland. With landscape photography having a special place in his heart, he loves to live in Norway, where he can combine his love for photography and outdoor activities.

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here are you from and where do you live now? I come from an island named Fedje, but I have lived my last 15 years in Jørpeland.

How did your interest for photography start and what type of photography gives you joy? I believe Jon Olsson was the one that made me want to see more and have fun with my camera. I like so many types of photography, but to me, as an outdoor guy, landscape photography has a special place in my heart and portfolio.

What is your current job, and what are your aspirations? I am a teacher and run a photography business in my spare time. My aspirations are to see more, shoot more, and move more people with what I love.

What photo gear do you use and what is your favourite lens, and why?

What do you love about Rogaland, Right now I only use the Sony a6000 and where is your favourite place with the Tario Vassar 24 - 70 mm, f/4. in the region, and why? Rogaland A very light and great set UP. I will get has everything; the mountains and a portrait lens in the future. fjords, beaches and shores, city and countryside. To me, being near the If you could photograph any person or place of your choice, who/what water has always been appealing. would it be, and why? I would shoot My favourite place must be home, Matterhorn, because it is such a where my heart is. Otherwise I find marvelous mountain and landscape. true happiness in visiting my everyday Otherwise I would take pictures of mountain, Tunglandsfjell. my girlfriend sitting in a river boat in Venice, smiling at me while we enjoy our honeymoon.

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Where is your favourite place you’ve ever visited, and where is your dream destination?

Hjørundfjorden, Trolltunga and Lofoten are the most beautiful places I have visited so far.

I love my own country. Beside Matterhorn and Venice, I dream of visiting the Dolomites.

Such beautiful landscape.

If you could have dinner with one person, past or present, who would it be, and why?

No doubt, Jesus, the Son of God. Then write a book about our conversation.

When did you feel you were most out of your comfort zone? What did you learn from that experience? When I was a photographer for The Telegraph, I felt I had to step up my game as I worked with trained professionals.

It went well and I learned to trust my guts.

What would you say to your former self ?

Love yourself! www.raymondeckholm.com Instagram / @raysofnorway Facebook / @raymondeckholmphotography

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Region Stavanger

Images / Mette Tonnessen Words / Anna Richardson Taylor

The Stavanger region in Norway is blessed with a mild climate and stunning nature. Combined with world-class culinary venues, vibrant arts scene and limitless outdoor activities, it attracts visitors year-round.

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he Stavanger region of Norway is rich, and not just in the literal sense. Yes, it is wealthy due to the petroleum industry at its backbone – it is Europe’s energy capital.

But it is also rich in geography, in lifestyle, in culture, in visitors and in vibrancy.

Nestled among the fjords in the South West of Norway, the region straddles the Stavanger peninsula, extending across mountain and ocean. Being so geographically blessed is one of the region’s main draws, says Ellen Frisvold, sales manager of leisure at tourist organisation Region Stavanger. “Everything is within reach in Stavanger,” she adds. “The distances to everywhere are very short – from the city centre into the fjords, it’s one hour; if you want to go to the beaches, it’s half an hour. To the mountains, half an hour. You can reach a lot within a very short time. Beaches, the ocean, fjords, mountains, valleys, so a little bit of everything.”

Stavanger’s natural attractions include scenic landmarks such as the Lysefjord, Sola beach – in fact more than 70km of beaches – and the imposing Preikestolen. This natural abundance and its associated activities, from climbing and hiking, to kayaking and other watersports, attracts more than 1.7.m of visitors a year (although Covid-19 has currently had a marked impact), a mix of domestic as well as international tourists.

This stunning offer of nature and activities is mixed with high profile cultural events and attractions. The city boasts some intriguing and exciting historic sites and museums,

Image / Eduardo Grund

such as Europe’s best preserved wooden house settlement at its centre. Frisvold also highlights the city’s Norwegian Petroleum Museum and Norwegian Canning Museum.

“Those two you won’t find anywhere else,” she says. They perfectly encapsulate Norway’s history, “from oil to oil”, from the historic fishing industry that started with herring, then sardines, to the petroleum industry that is now a huge part of Norway’s success.

Last year also saw the opening of Viking House, an exciting new attraction that allows visitors to travel back in time via virtual reality technology. They can experience the sagas of Harald Fairhair, Norway’s first king, and immerse themselves in the battle of Hafrsfjord in 872 that united Norway.

In addition to Stavanger’s historical focus, the city is packed with cultural highlights.

One of the most famous, says Frisvold, is Nuart, the annual street art festival that has put Stavanger on the map among art lovers across the world. Usually taking place at the beginning of September, the festival was established in 2001. The art on show now ranges from situationism and graffiti to muralism and stencil art. “It is without doubt the most exciting development in visual art for decades,” according to Visit Norway, and attracts collectors, auctioneers and curators from all over the world. Its focus on street art makes it one of its kind, and visitors can follow guided tours or discover the different artists on their own.

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For a relatively small city of approximately 130,000, Stavanger is also surprisingly popular with food lovers. Due to its relatively mild climate thanks to the Gulf stream, the Stavanger region has access to some of the freshest local food in Norway.This has created a vibrant culinary scene, which includes Michelin-starred restaurants, Re-naa and Sabi Omakase. There is also a leading annual food festival, Gladmat, and a huge variety of small independent producers, many of which allow visits.

For accommodation, Stavanger offers a huge range, “something to suit every budget”, says Frisvold. For example, the boutique hotel Eilert Smith Hotel is a stunning ode to Scandinavian functionalist architecture and style, with 12 distinct rooms. A more rustic option is Hummeren (Lobster) hotel, which overlooks the Melinsundet Strait at the site of an old fishing village and is all about the lobster and deep sea fishing.

One of the most exciting locations to experience Stavanger’s nature and outdoor activities is the Flørli old Hydroelectric Power Station. Accessible only by ferry, it is a stunning base to explore nature, the surrounding mountains or spectacular Lysefjord. The historic site features the world’s longest wooden stairs – with 4444 steps – as the starting point for some serious hiking routes. You can opt for easy 30-minute loops that take in part of the staircase to more challenging exertions, such as the newly opened Flørli Foss hike, which takes in a spectacular waterfall. As Frisvold says, in Stavanger, there is something for everyone. www.regionstavanger-ryfylke.com Instagram / @regionstavanger Facebook / @regionstavanger

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20 ways to have a sustainable trip to Stavanger

Stavanger is a fusion of old and new. From the 173 wooden houses of Gamle Stavanger to the colourful street of Øvre Holmegate, there’s much to discover in Norway’s so-called ‘Energy City’. This list of outdoor activities, eco-friendly places and green shops will help make your trip to Stavanger as sustainable as possible.

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Book a ticket to visit Flor & Fjære, an experience which includes a boat trip, a garden tour of 50,000 flowers and a dinner buffet with locallysourced ingredients.

Run, jog or walk around Mosvatnet lake. There’s a free 5-kilometre parkrun every Saturday for runners of all ability levels.

Taste locally-produced foods and drinks at Fermenten, a collective of artisan fermenters, preservers and makers that’s set inside an old canning factory.

Find exclusive garments in sustainable materials at Oleana, a shop which brings the organic and the industrial together.

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Stay green at Sola Strandhotell, where sustainable initiatives include investing in the latest environmental technologies, composting all food waste and serving local dishes.

Cozy up with an organic cup of coffee or a craft beer at Bøker & Børst, a book-lined coffee and beer bar.

Go surfing, windsailing or kiteboarding at Jæren. The beaches are known to have the best surfing conditions in all of Norway.

Try different flavours of organic apple juice at Grønvik Gard, an award-winning fruit farm which makes 100% natural juices without additives.

Enjoy a picnic at the Stavanger Botanic Garden, or explore the flora and fauna by bicycle.

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Try the vegan special beye’aynetu at Gådjå Etiopisk Restaurant for an authentic plant-based taste of Ethiopia.

Images / Pixabay.com Words / Julia Elizabeth Yager

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Experience how life was before the Viking Age at the Iron Age Farm, a live open-air museum at Ullandhaug that takes you 1,500 years back in time.

Go for a hike in Vålandsskogen forest. Vålandstårn tower is open on Sundays and offers a stunning view of Stavanger from above.

Eat fish soup at Fisketorget, a fish and seafood eatery with a menu based on today’s catch. The ‘Fisketorgets Suppefond’ initiative gives a percentage of soup sales to charities.

Buy vintage and second-hand clothing at Faded, a thrift store in the centre of Stavanger.

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Go for brunch at Ostehuset, an eatery and shop where ingredients come from local suppliers and products are sourced from environmentally-conscious and sustainable manufacturers.

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Explore Lysefjorden by kayak or stand up paddleboard. Kayaks and SUPs are available for rent, or you can join a guided fjord tour to experience Norway’s nature and wildlife up close.

Take a chocolate making course at Egersund Chokoladefabrik & Co., which specializes in Belgian chocolates of high quality local ingredients.

Visit the Geopark with kids, a sustainable playground built out of materials salvaged from the oil industry.

Have a beer at Lervig, an independently owned and operated craft brewery.

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Devour a vegan zucchini pizza at Renaa Xpress, an Italian pizzeria which uses fresh, natural and local ingredients.

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Top hikes in The Stavanger Region If you want to explore and discover the world through hiking, the Stavanger region needs to be on your bucket list. And if you don’t have a bucket list, make one just for the Stavanger region.

Images /Mette Tonnessen Words / Abby Tariq

Facing page Sunset next to Trollpikken

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hen it comes to the best hikes in the world, you will find Norway at the top of the list with its dramatic and scenic places. Norway offers the best for hiking with its jagged mountain peaks and awe-inspiring landscapes.

But if you want to see a versatile landscape that has mountains, fjords and beaches, we’d recommend you to visit the Stavanger

region. On these hikes you will fall more in love with this mesmerizing place in southwestern Norway. So, without further ado, let’s get started on the top five hikes in and around the Stavanger region. Keep in mind that some of these hikes are very easy, while some hikes are strenuous. However, you can complete any of these hikes in a half-day to a full-day.

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Preikestolen (aka The Pulpit Rock) The hike to Preikestolen is without any doubt, one of the most popular hikes in Norway.

The convenient accessibility of this hike from Stavanger makes it more appealing to so many tourists and locals. This relatively easy hike offers some jaw dropping views. As over 300,000 people hike Preikestolen every year, it can get crowded. Even Tom Cruise decided to visit and shot the final fight scene in Mission Impossible - Fallout here. The hike is about 6 km and the best time to do it is between May and October.

Duration: It can take approx. 5-6 hours, but we are quite certain that you would stay there for a bit longer just to appreciate this natural beauty.

Directions: You can go to the Pulpit Rock hiking trail by taking a public bus. There are two bus companies that can take you there: Go Fjords and Pulpit Rock Tours. Alternatively, you can go from Stavanger by car by driving to Ryfylketunnelen first and then a 40-45 minutes easy drive to the Pulpit Rock parking lot.

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Image /Pixabay.com

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Kjeragbolten

Flørli Stairs and Rallarstien

Hiking to Kjeragbolten, a giant boulder wedged between two cliffs, may become your all-time favorite hike. If you’re a bit skeptical about it, we dare you to give it a try. It is not just that you will hike to a 5-cubic-meter (180 cu ft.) rock suspended above a 984-meter (3,228 ft.) deep abyss and take a photo to show to the world how daring you are, it’s also due to the fact that hiking to Kjeragbolten is incredibly fun and rewarding.

The Flørli stairs is one of the longest wooden staircases in the world with its 4,444 steps.

People from all around the world come to visit this remarkable staircase and walk on a 100-year old trail. It is a hiking experience that adds historical value, so we would highly recommend you to consider it. And on your way back from the hike, you can visit Flørli gallery and café in the historic hydropower station to enjoy a snack.

Duration: The hike is about 12 km (7.5 miles) and can take 8-9 hours, but given that there can be photo stops along the way , it can take a full day.

Duration: The length of the hike is about 4.8 km and it would take approx. 4 hours - return trip.

Directions: You can reach Kjeragbolten by taking the car ferry from Stavanger to Lysebotn and then going to Øygardsstøl by car or taxi. There is also a bus service that can take you to Kjeragbolten.

Directions: As Flørli is only accessible by ferry, you can easily hop onto a ferry from Stavanger.

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Rennesøyhodnet

Bynuten

This kind of view is rare. The road from Vikevåg to Sel is actually a narrow serpentine road up to the mountain, and it can get steep. However, once you reach Dalestemmen Lake, it becomes relatively easy. The hike is about 5 km long and on the top of the mountain (which is only 234 meters high), you get to enjoy a spectacular view of the entire Stavanger and Ryfylke regions.

With 670 m above sea level, the highest peak in Sandnes is Bynuten. Although the hike to the summit can be a great challenge, it's all worth it when you look at the magnificent views of Sandnes, Lysefjord and the surrounding areas. If you want to enjoy hiking as well as fishing and swimming, you can go to the left side of Trodlabergtjørn. People who hike to Bynuten admit that it can be a demanding hiking experience, but it is equally satisfying.

If you want a hiking experience that is equally challenging and fun, then simply go for this one with your eyes closed (not literally, of course).

Duration: The hike will take about 4 hours return.

Directions: You can only reach Rennesøyhodnet by car. The road E39 to Vikevåg will take you to Vikevågveien and from there to Daleveien and Selsveien. There you will find a clearly marked trail to Rennesøyhodnet.

Duration: The length of the hike is about 11.6 km and it would take about 6 hours - return trip.

Directions: You can easily take a taxi or drive from Stavanger to Bunuten and it is approximately a 40-min drive.

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Trollpikken Norway is on the bucket list of many travel enthusiasts for its stunning natural phenomena like the midnight sun and the captivating northern lights. But it was Egersund, a town in Rogaland County, which came into the limelight for its penis-shaped rock formation, Trollpikken.

Images /Mette Tonnessen Words / Abby Tariq

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E

gersund is a town known for its long history of fishing, it’s 132 years of pottery production, the 17th-century cruciform church, a historic lighthouse, and the lovely Skadbergsanden beach.

However, it was something else entirely that put Egersund on the map: a stone formation called “Trollpikken” that resembles an erect penis. The weirdly shaped rock formation in Magma Geopark was knocked down by vandals in 2017. What unfolded next is inspiring, but we’ll get to that later.

The “rise” of Trollpikken. Trollpikken, “the troll's penis” in English, is a rock jutting out from a cliff in Egersund between Kjervall and Veshovda. The rock itself is called anorthosite. With a height of about 12 meters (39 ft.), this rock didn’t emerge out of the blue. In fact, it started forming about 10,000 years ago when most of Norway was nothing but just a large and thick ice sheet. Time went by and the glacier retreated. The water melted when it got warmer and got into existing cracks in the mountain. The water then froze and expanded which applied pressure on the rock and caused it to crack

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more (it is called mechanical weathering).

Over the years, the ice sheet melted and the ice disappeared. Due to the release of pressure, it caused more cracks in the rock and luckily, it resulted in the formation of a unique rock called Trollpikken. Some may say it was a miracle, but the rise of Trollpikken remained unnoticed for many years.

Trollpikken finally getting the attention it deserved. A hiker noticed the strangely looking rock by chance and the only thought that came into his mind was that it looked a lot like a troll’s penis. Well, that’s how the rock got its deserving name. As expected, people from all over the country started to visit Egersund to take a closer look at the majestic and “erected” rock. It was the new tourist attraction of Egersund and the global media went crazy for it.

The “fall” of Trollpikken and restoration to its former glory. It was June 24, 2017, when some joggers saw that Trollpikken had been severed. Someone had drilled holes into its base to cut it off. Everyone was sad because they thought the landmark was destroyed forever, but a local

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building contractor gave them hope and said “re-erecting” the landmark was not a big problem. In the following months, a crowdfunding campaign helped raise 226,000 kroner ($27,000 at that time) and the rock was reattached using a crane assembled on-site. Approximately 30,000 people watched the live streaming of the restoration work.

The impact of Trollpikken on Egersund’s tourism. Before someone chopped off Trollpikken, the rock attracted a lot of tourists and it was a big hit. Locals were concerned that the incident would mean fewer tourists as most of them were flocking in to see the landmark, but luckily the incident had the opposite effect as it got more media attention and became a more prominent attraction than ever before. The person who chopped off the rock presumably wanted to put an end to the attraction, but Trollpikken had the last laugh. If Egersund wasn’t known before, the incident certainly changed it in a big way.

Tourism in Norway has been growing for many years, and so has tourism in Egersund. Before Trollpikken, there were other unusual rock formations in the region which gained a lot of attention, such as Kjeragbolten and Trolltunga.

However, it is the unique story of Trollpikken that left a mark. Previously, over 25,000 people hiked to Trollpikken in a year and this number has increased a lot due to the media coverage it received.

The location and direction.

Trollpikken sits in the Geomagma Park near Egersund. You can easily get there from Stavanger. Once you get there, there is a dedicated Trollpikken car park. The hike itself is quite easy. The 1.9 km oneway trail leads through the grassy area and there are some boulders around as well.

The marked trail will guide you through some small hills and it is also marked with blue signs on the trees and rocks. So, it is quite easy to follow.

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So much more than just Trollpikken.

Egersund is also well-known for its culture, anually hosting music festivals in the summer, Octoberfest in the autumn and of course, the Christmas market called 'Julebyen'. Other activities to make a note of is chocolate making at Egersund Chokoladefabrik, outdoor activities with Coastal Adventures (such as scuba, snorkelling, canyoning, rappelling, hiking and camping), hiking in Magma UNESCO Global Geopark, learn about the history of pottery and the impact on Egersund at the Egersund Fayance Museum.

www.trollpikkennorway.com Instagram / @trollpikkennorway Facebook / @trollpikkennorway

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Flor & Fjære - a tropical oasis Images / Flor & Fjære Words / Silje Langerud

Åsmund and Else Marie Bryn wanted a peaceful place where they could withdraw from the busy everyday life, so in 1965 they decided to buy the smallholding Mangela on the island Sør-Hidle. They were both gardeners by profession, and were running a popular gardening business in Stavanger. “Back then, the smallholding looked nothing like the estate does today – in fact, it’s hard to believe it’s the same place”, Hanne Kvernberg Hidlefjord says. She’s married to Endre Bryn Hidlefjord, Åsmund and Else Marie’s grandson, and is enjoying her first season as general manager of Flor & Fjære.

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A windswept headland There wasn’t a flower or tree in sight when they bought the smallholding, so they planted a forest to protect the estate against the wind. When Åsmund retired in 1987, he decided to move out to the island, and the couple handed over the running of the business to their sons. “Else Marie didn’t want to leave Stavanger at this point, and stayed in the city to help their sons for a while”, Hanne reveals.

To keep himself occupied, and to tempt Else Marie into joining him on the island, Åsmund came up with the idea of cutting down some of the trees and turning the place into a beautiful oasis filled with cut flowers. A flower production was soon up and running, and Else Marie started making bouquets which were sold in Stavanger.

It soon became Åsmund and Else Marie’s permanent home, and their sons were busy running the gardening business in the city, which was supplied with flowers from the island. One day they came up with the idea of bringing some regular customers over to the island for social excursions. This was immensely popular, and the customers were eager to come back.

“It soon became a regular event, and Åsmund wanted to make sure he always had something new and exciting to impress them with”, Hanne tells us. Words about the beautiful oasis spread quickly throughout the 90s, and companies started enquiring about having

work parties on the island. The overwhelming interest gave their son Olav and his wife Siri the idea of opening Flor & Fjære for the public. When the family business opened in 1995, they had 600 visitors. A year after 7000 people visited Flor & Fjære, and 25 years after the opening they have about 35 000 visitors per year.

Exotic and blossoming gardens Second generation Bryn is still very much involved in Flor & Fjære, particularly when it comes to planning and creating the exotic and extraordinary gardens for the coming seasons. “Around 50 000 annuals flowers are planted every single year”, Hanne informs us.

As well as growing in popularity and number of visitors, Flor & Fjære has also grown in size over the years. They started out with approximately 1.2 acre, but after being given the opportunity to buy more land, the family estate is now spread over more than 12 acres – plenty of space for the gardens and possibilities to blossom.

They’re currently in the process of building a large greenhouse in the garden, where they will produce the annual flowers, keep everything that can be stored over winter (such as potted palms and angel’s trumpets), keep a workroom, store wine, build a kitchen and last but not least welcome the visitors to a tropical jungle restaurant. “Getting this greenhouse on the island is a

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"No area is ever completed, there are big changes happening every year and the gardens are always under development”

dream come true, as we’re spending a great deal of time and resources on transporting all the plants to and from Jåttå in Stavanger”, Hanne says. The 4000m2 building will have a 1700m2 jungle restaurant with a capacity of 600-800 guests. They will collect all the rainwater from the roof into large containers inside, and they will recycle the water used for watering.

The building will also have solar panels on the roof where the energy will be stored in the large containers to be used for the production of annual flowers during the winter.

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big changes happening every year and the gardens are always under development”, Hanne explains.They want to make sure they’re constantly renewing themselves to always have something new and extravagant to impress their visitors with, even the recurring and regulars.

“Every year our goal is to create the best gardens ever”, Hanne says. At Flor & Fjære you will find several different gardens with various themes, beautiful ponds and exotic elements you wouldn’t expect to find on the Norwegian west coast, such as waterfalls, tropical palms and even banana trees. “One thing we want to make crystal clear is that this is not a botanical garden”, Hanne emphasises.

It’s not necessary to have

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any knowledge about the plant kingdom to enjoy your visit. “At Flor & Fjære, we want to offer our visitors an aesthetically pleasing experience. We would like them to enjoy the surroundings and tranquillity, not spend their time and focus reading one information board after the other”, she concludes.

The full experience “What we offer is a total package experience. It’s a day out which is something quite out of the ordinary”, Hanne explains. The entire visit takes just under five hours, and starts with the scenic boat trip from Skagenkaien in Stavanger. You’re then greeted by a member of the family who will take you on a highly entertaining and

inspiring garden tour, and the tour is followed by a scrumptious meal inspired by cuisines and flavours from all over the world. Plenty of time is set aside after your meal to enjoy a coffee and an ice cream on the veranda, or you can bring your treats with you on a stroll around the gardens. You’re also welcome to go for a refreshing dip in the water, or simply relax and enjoy the surroundings from a sunlounger or a quiet bench. Remember to book your trip in advance to secure a place, it’s easy to see why it’s such a popular day out.

Flor & Fjære is Norway’s own tropical oasis at the end of the rainbow. florogfjare.no Instagram / @florogfjare Facebook / @florogfjare

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The North Sea Road Slow Travel That's Good For The Soul

When planning for the North Sea Road trip, remember to take your time. The North Sea Road stretches from Kristiansand in the south to Haugesund in the west of Norway. The landscape is a mix of spectacular nature, idyllic coastal towns and echoes of rich Viking history.

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Images / Mette Tonnessen Words / Madina Salamova

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“It is not about rushing from A to B all the time, but about taking your time.“

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Margareth Idsø is the director of the North Sea Road. The project consists of 14 municipalities and thousands of unique travel highlights. She says that “you can spend a week or a month travelling the 450-kilometre route along the sea. It all depends on how many stops you want to make”. Slow travel is the core idea of the North Sea Road, and it attracts visitors who want unique and leisure-paced adventures. “It is not about rushing from A to B all the time, but about taking your time. Maybe you end up driving behind a tractor for a while, or a cow is walking on the road. That's okay. Here you can be and enjoy.”

Margareth's favourite highlights along the road: – Sogndalstrand, “because of its spectacular nature and history of the village.” In 2005 the town was preserved since its wooden buildings date all the way from the 18th and 19th centuries.

– Jøssing fjord, “because of the raw nature and steep landscape of the fjord country”. By the Jøssingfjord in Sokndal you can find a

beautiful picnic area in an abandoned tunnel.

– Flekkefjord, “because of the southern idyllic scenery” and the historical Hollenderbyen.

Many Dutchmen settled here between the 16th-18th centuries. They made a living from trading goods that you can still find traces of in Amsterdam. The nearby island, Hidra is one of the most beautiful islands in the Nordics. The place is full of art galleries, local culinary experiences, and you can even walk a cultural trail.

Other spots to check out are Avaldsnes, north of Boknafjorden. It was Norway’s oldest royal seat from Viking time. Here you can try to be a Viking for a day, take part in different activities and learn about life in the Viking Age. There are miles of beaches, especially in Southern Norway.

For example, Solastranden beach ranked as one of the best beaches in the world by Sunday Times.

Margareth’s job is to develop and promote the road regionally and internationally, from social

media to brochures. “Many of our travellers come from Germany and the Netherlands. They drive up in cars with bicycles, make many stops, go hiking, shopping and fishing.” This year because of the corona restrictions, there are many Norwegian tourists. “We see that especially young people are discovering the road. They try activities like surfing at the Jæren coast, or kayaking in Karmøy.”

Her advice to travellers is to prepare for any kind of weather to maximise their experience. “Last summer was very warm and sunny, but some days it can be 15 degrees and rain. Also, a good pair of hiking shoes is imperative.”

Margareth is very excited about the future of the road.

“We have recently received support to develop and mark our bicycling routes. The routes will stop by the biggest highlights on the road.” www.nordsjovegen.no Instagram / @nordsjovegen Facebook / @nordsjovegen

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Shopping in the Stavanger region Stavanger has a large creative community and many independent shops where you can find many unique and local products. In this article we will share some of our favourite shops and most of them are fairly easy to reach from the centre of Stavanger.

Images / Pexels.com Words / Linda Constance Corneliusesen

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Spødet is a store that sells crafting and knitting materials, but they also sell a small selection of handmade products by local artists. This shop can be found in Stavanger, but they also have an online presence.

Glassatelier Hebing Efteland mostly work with large mosaic and glass fusion projects, but they have recently started making smaller products for sale on their web shop.

However, their biggest contribution to crafts in Stavanger lies in their courses.

You can take a weekend or day course and learn all about glass fusion and making glass jewelry.

Modern Vintage If you are on the look-out for vintage furniture, art, lighting and other products that adds that special touch to your home, this is a great place to start. The owner and designer, Svein Brunstad, is passionate about breathing new life into forgotten furniture and other interior design elements.

All the products are handpicked by the owner and restored to their former glory. In some cases, a broken piece is transformed into something new, without losing the interesting features that defined it. Many of the items are

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large, but the owner can help you find the right shipping options and make sure that you get your favourite chair or table delivered to your home.

Charm of Norway Tone Tandervold is the owner of Charm of Norway and also the designer of the jewellery. She is a native of Stavanger and decided to start up her own workshop and store here in 2016.

She has a master goldsmith certificate and enjoys adding small details from Norwegian folklore and nature to her design.

Many of her designs includes the landmark: Preikestolen, and also the northern lights. You can visit her workshop and see her work in progress.

Brink & in’t Veld Keramikk Another store that invites visitors to see the whole process is the workshop at Brink & in’t Veld Keramikk. They mostly make cups, plates and other practical, but beautiful, products in ceramics. Their style includes hearts, exciting colour combinations and interesting detailing.

If you are interested in trying your hand at making something in ceramic; you can give them a call. They arrange

courses and at times they offer short, introductory lessons that anybody can join. This store has an informal and homely atmosphere that will make you feel right at home.

Husfliden Just about all major Norwegian cities will have a store named Husfliden. Here you find products that are considered to be traditional Norwegian, from that specific region or town. The larger items they stock are the Norwegian National Costume, the Bunad, and since each region has their own patterns and design, the national costume will be different in each store. They also sell and showcase traditional patterns, crafts and local products. Best of all, the people working in the store will have a lot of information about handmade products from the region.

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Skjult This store can be a bit harder to find than most. Hence the catchy name: Skjult; which is Norwegian for hidden. The store is located at the end of the main shopping street in Sandnes, which is a 20-min drive from Stavanger. Although it's not easy to find, they more than make up for this with a great selection of clothing, shoes and specialized interior items. When you enter the store you will be offered a warm or cold drink, and the enclosed play area for kids makes it easy for parents to browse the wide selection offered here.

Berheim Antik In Sandnes you can also find this gem of an antique store filled with everything from silverware and collectors items to unique art pieces. It is a family run store, and they take pride in restoring items from place all over Norway.

This shop is a delight for those of us who love unique products with a long history. We recommend that you plan to spend some time in this shop and reach out to the people working there.

They will be able to give you the history of the items they stock.

An extra plus is the 15-car free parking space for customers, which is a gem in a city where parking can be a bit difficult at times. The owners explain that their goal is for you to relax and get in touch with your inner, perhaps hidden style.

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ENTREPRENEUR PROFILE

Innovation Dock

Images / Innovation Dock & Line Owren Words / Kai Isaksen

Stavanger is known as one of the most innovative cities in Norway, and different co-working concepts have sprung up across the city in the past few years. None have been more successful than Innovation Dock, and we were keen to explore the secret behind this success in Stavanger East.

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“The Innovation Dock developed a concept of true coworking, with a culture that would nurture innovation and support start-ups through the entire process. ”

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The man to tell us about that is Nils-Henrik Stokke, one of the founders of Innovation Dock and a well-known man in the entrepreneurial circles of Stavanger.

“I am actually originally from Hof in Vestfold, and only arrived in Stavanger in 2005 to study business and economics,” he tells Localfolk. “But I feel I have finally been accepted as a native now,” he laughs.

While studying and also for a short while after his studies, Nils-Henrik worked as a start-up advisor and managed the Center for Entrepreneurship at the university, but quickly found out that it was more tempting to set up and develop his own companies.

The co-working concept really hit Norway in the 2000’s, but Nils-Henrik points out that there was a limitation in how the concept was mostly implemented in Norway; “Usually, the so called co-working concepts in Norway are, in reality, nothing more than realestate projects and office sharing. Basically, someone has real estate they need to fill with tenants.”

The Innovation Dock approach was very different, in that they developed a concept of true co-working, with a culture that would nurture innovation and support start-ups through the entire process. This manifests itself in small details, like tenants not being called tenants, but

members – with access to several benefits in addition to the office/working space, like business development training programmes, lunch talks etc. Currently there are more than 70 start-up companies in the Innovation Dock system. “Although we rarely reject any potential members, we are adamant that members must be both willing and actively interested in sharing their experiences and networks with other members when they are here.

Sitting in your own office with a closed door, is not the way we do things here,” says Nils-Henrik enthusiastically.

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access to their network and experience. For many startups, this is the area that most often fails, they may have a good business idea but run out of capital before they can develop it and gain market access. “For us, the key is to match the start-up with the right investor, and we need to maintain a neutral position to be able to perform that role adequately,” states NilsHenrik.

“We were lucky to secure spectacular premises along the waterfront, that have become an attraction in itself, and we have continued to develop these to fit with the requests and needs of our members. Modern start-ups expect more than coffee and a water cooler, so our space is well thought out both technically and creatively.”

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Stavanger East has developed into a creative and innovative part of the city, and Innovation Dock now has two central locations where new start-ups can develop, grow, and succeed.

They are just about to open a third one in nearby Sandnes.

“Even when companies have grown to a size where they need to move out from our premises, we see that they almost always end up in the close neighbourhood, and we remain in close contact with most of them,” tells Nils-Henrik.

“Starting a business is hard work, and can be allconsuming,” he tells, ‘never forget that to be successful as an entrepreneur, you need the full support of your family and social network.

Facing image / Nils-Henrik Stokke

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Your key support team are the ones at home. They are the ones that will keep your physical and mental health balanced during the start-up period,” he stresses, basing his statement on personal experience.

A few years ago, at the same time as the first phase of Innovation Dock was being completed, he started Mathallen in Stavanger, an innovative and widely lauded concept. The timing proved unfortunate with the financial crisis, and for Nils-Henrik it became a lesson in how to burn yourself out quickly. ‘Having worked 90-hour weeks for a year to make it work, began to express both physically and mentally” he says, underlining that he learnt a lot from that experience. “Like most of my projects, it really just kind of snowballed from an initial hobby/idea and grew too fast.” Suddenly he felt stuck by obligations towards employees, customers, and even Stavanger as a city. “We really should have ended it before. The irony is that we had actually turned things

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around when I took the hit,” says Nils-Henrik thoughtfully.

In between work and family life, he also finds time to contribute to a charitable project he initiated in Tanzania.

In memory of a friend, who died on the operating table in Tanzania a few years back, Nils-Henrik has led the process to build a day care centre for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“Unfortunately, these children have not always been accepted in Tanzania,” he says, “so someone had to do something to help them obtain a dignified life.” Partnering with an organisation called MOSAIC, he has since also built a farm in connection with the day centre, which now provides work training for young adults.

“Instead of being embarrassed and ostracised, parents are now proud of their children – as any parent should be,” says NilsHenrik.

snowballed into something bigger, he took on the Mongol Rally last year in order to raise the money through sponsors.

Driving a stunning 25.000km from Norway to Mongolia in a small Opel Agila with two of his friends, through 25 countries including Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, to mention some, was quite an adventure.

Back to Innovation Dock, Nils-Henrik tells that lessons learned have been incorporated into the start-up concept, and that sustainable business development is key to the message they convey to startups. “We see ourselves as an eco-system for start-ups,” he says, “and that means we have to continuously evolve to stay relevant.”

www.innovationdock.no Instagram / @innovationdock Last year he raised money for Facebook / @innovationdock building a second centre, but due to Covid-19 the build is postponed until 2021. And as many other projects he has been involved with, which have

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Reinrosa & Åsne Valland Nordli Maker of the month

Images / Åsne Valland Nordli Words / Julia Elizabeth Yager

Åsne Valland Nordli is the ceramicist behind Reinrosa, a small online store that sells handmade ceramics inspired by Norwegian nature and culture. Before getting into ceramics, Åsne worked as a jazz singer, became a wife and a mother, and spent five years in Romania with her family. Åsne was greatly shaped by the pain and poverty she saw in Romania and later wrote a book titled ‘Mine Minste’ about her attempt to help the local community. In 2003, Åsne moved home to Norway and continued working with music, while also raising five children together with her husband. Here, Åsne tells us about her creative journey from singer to ceramicist.

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Facing image by / Ingvil Skeie Ljones

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Hi Åsne! Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your work?

I produce ceramics, but I wouldn’t exactly call myself an artisan. I only began experimenting with clay about two years ago, so I’m still relatively new to all of this and I definitely have a lot to learn.

Before starting Reinrosa, I worked as a jazz singer for many years and mothered my five children, but I reached somewhat of a standstill in 2014. This led me to rethink my career as well as the choices that I’d made.

I’ve always been interested in the creative fields, especially arts and crafts, so I decided to try pottery. In 2018, I bought all of the equipment and taught myself how to make ceramics. I started with the turntable, which was very difficult at first, but has now become my most-used process. I compare it to learning how to ski - first the turntable has control over you, but eventually you learn to use it to your advantage.

What does your typical day look like?

My day typically starts at 6:45am and ends at 9:30pm, I’m an early riser! We always have a big family breakfast in the morning, during which time we talk about the day ahead and listen to music on vinyl. After breakfast, the children get ready for school and my husband leaves for work. I have five children between the ages of 8 and 22, four of whom still live at home. Once everyone is out of the house, I clear the breakfast table and begin my workday in the basement.

Each day of producing ceramics is a little bit different, and I may work more or less depending on my energy that day. I like to listen to podcasts and audiobooks while I work, which gets me into a productive working mode. I eat lunch around 12pm, some days I can’t wait for a break and other days I simply forget to eat. I never make a hot lunch, usually just coffee and crisp bread, or whatever else I find in the fridge.

The children come home from school at 3pm, so I shower to wash off the clay and make dinner. Working with ceramics is dirty! We eat around 4:30pm and then we have family time. Given the current corona situation, we play a lot of board games, sometimes watch movies, and often listen to music - mainly Nordic jazz and Afro-American music like Duke Ellington and Aretha Franklin.

When I’m alone, I listen to a lot of improvisation music.

Who is your greatest love and what inspires you?

My husband, clearly, is my greatest love.

We’ve been married for 24 years and he’s my best friend. I feel lucky to have met someone with whom I have such good chemistry, that’s not something you can take for granted. As for what inspires me, I’d have to say a sense of community as well as nature and music - that’s why I especially love making cups and dishware!

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What is your relationship with design?

I love minimalist and Nordic designs.

Many of the potters I admire label their products as ‘Scandinavian design’, even if they themselves are not from Scandinavia. These products often have a lot of gray and very little colour, which is the impression that most people have of minimalism and Nordic designs, but I do love a bit of colour too.

Although beautiful things can be found in grays and whites, I personally don’t want to create colourless products. Norwegian nature and culture are both incredibly colourful, which is where I find much of my inspiration. Just picture the beautiful mountains on a summer day in Norway!

Can you walk us through your design process?

Designing a product takes time! When I first started with pottery, I didn’t quite know what to make, so the turntable often decided what it would be. Now I always work with a plan, either a simple sketch or an idea in my head, then I make adjustments as I go. It often takes me six weeks to make a product from start to finish, since I have to fill the oven before the raw glazing step.

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When I make a cup, for example, I must feel how heavy it is and how thin the walls are. Then I have to make sure that the bottom is strong enough and also decide what kind of handle the cup should have. More often than not, the finished product is not what I intended it to be, but that’s what makes the process so exciting.

Once I’m happy with the design of the product, I leave it to dry for about a week, though the drying time varies depending on the season. I then place the dry ceramics in the oven, which I set to 1,040 degrees. The temperature must return to 100 degrees before removing the product from the oven, otherwise it may break! This is called firing, a process in which the temperature rises slowly and then comes down over the course of a couple days.

After firing the ceramic cup, I glaze it and fire it one more time… sometimes more.

If I want a product with a gold edge, for example, I have to fire it a third time. I currently use ready-made glazes since I focus mainly on shaping the objects, but I may make this myself someday.

Is there a tool that you can’t live without, or any part of the design process that you don’t particularly enjoy?

My hand is definitely the most important tool, so I can’t live without that! Water is also essential. Other than that, I probably use the turntable the most. My least favorite part of the design process is glazing because there’s just so much that can go wrong. You have to be incredibly accurate and make sure that the glaze is not too thick or thin on any part of the product. If you’re not careful while glazing, the products may crack in the oven. Even so, I use this process often since I truly love the result.

What are you currently working on?

I’m fairly impatient so I’m making new things all the time, but right now I’m working on a series of breakfast bowls.

In addition, I’ve started designing something called a dripper or pour-over.

It’s a method used to brew coffee at home that’s become very popular in Norway lately. Coffee mugs will also be part of the breakfast series, so I’ll be coming out with those soon too.

If you weren’t working with ceramics, what would you have chosen?

I probably would have chosen to work with literature, maybe children’s literature. I wrote a book a few years ago which gave me a small taste of the process, so it’s possible that I would have been an author.

What does buying handmade mean to you?

I really don’t buy that much because I’m so busy, and if there’s something that I want, I often think I can just make it myself! That said, it’s clear that drinking from a handmade cup gives you a special feeling, more so than drinking from a mass-produced cup. You may see the fingerprint of the creator, for example, which makes the whole experience that much more personal. I compare it to hearing a song on Spotify versus vinyl the latter is not quite perfect, but it has far more authenticity and personality.

Can you tell me about the first product you ever made, the product that you’re most proud of, and your favourite product to date?

The first product I ever made was a cup back in May of 2018. I had finally managed to put everything that I’d learned into practice, and it was very

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rewarding to open the oven and see my finished product. I remember being so excited to share the photo on Instagram and thinking ‘Yes, now I got it!’. Even so, I wasn’t completely happy with how it turned out… I’m a perfectionist!

The product that I’m most proud of would probably be a bust I recently made of my daughter. I’m very fond of making sculptures, and because it’s my daughter, the product has more meaning.

There’s also something incredible about being able to recognize a person from a sculpture! The bust took approximately two weeks and it turned out exactly as I had intended, which is always exciting.

My favourite product to date would have to be cups, but I also love making dishware. There’s something so special to me about coming together at a table, which is the reason that dishware brings me so much joy. In addition, I find sculpting to be incredibly rewarding.

How does it feel when someone buys your product?

I feel incredibly happy, both because someone finds value in the products that I’ve created, and because I’ve made them with my own two hands. It truly warms my heart.

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Have you considered having a workshop and offer classes?

Yes, a workshop has definitely been on my mind, but not right now. Since I currently work from my basement at home, I don’t have room to host a workshop.

Perhaps I’d consider it if I worked together with someone, as I do think it could be very exciting! Maybe it would be popular just before Christmas, or during other special events, we’ll just have to wait and see.

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What is your biggest goal or dream?

My main goal right now is to be able to make a living from my ceramics. I’m very fortunate that people have noticed my work, but there’s still that uncertainty around working with ceramics and working for myself - I’m always thinking about designing products and acquiring customers. For now, I just want to keep producing and keep learning.

I’ve only been working with clay for two years, so imagine how much I’ll have learned in five years! reinrosa.no vallandnordli.no Instagram / @pottery.reinrosa Facebook / @vallandnordli

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