Fagn

Fagn restaurant opened its doors in the summer of 2017, and a short 18 months later, it was awarded its first Michelin star. After defending its star in 2020, Jonas Nåvik handed over the reins of the kitchen to Aleksander Aurstad Olsen, who brought his own experience and another dimension to the team. Together with the new restaurant manager Ida von Stoltz and his sous chef Erlend Sitter, Aleksander has already made his mark on the menu. That said, Jonas Nåvik remains the majority owner and is still heavily involved in the development of the restaurant.

Before becoming the head chef at Fagn, Aleksander worked at To Rom og Kjøkken in Trondheim, Hoja Santa with Albert and Ferran Adria in Barcelona, À L’aise in Oslo, and The Fat Duck just outside London. He shared with Localfolk that the two years he spent working with British chef Heston Blumenthal was the highlight of his career. “It was an incredible experience, and I am especially proud that I managed to get one of my dishes onto the menu at The Fat Duck.” While topping that experience is difficult, he says that retaining the Michelin star in 2021 would do it.

The secret to Fagn’s success lies in its philosophy of combining traditional recipes and local ingredients, with modern techniques and sustainable gastronomy. “We have some of the best produce in Norway here in Trøndelag, and the area is often referred to as the home of Nordic flavours,” Aleksander explains.

When they do have to import ingredients, such as cocoa beans, they only use suppliers that they’ve built relationships with, to ensure their practices are both ethical and sustainable.

“We have very close relationships with our suppliers. For instance, our farmer Nina delivers most of our vegetables. However, we also pick a lot of our own vegetables and we are very careful to select the produce with the most intense flavour,” Aleksander says. The team at Fagn also works closely with a gatherer, who supplies them with various herbs, mushrooms, and other ingredients. Their milk and dairy products come from Rørosmeieriet, an organic dairy producer committed to good farming practices that’s located just a two-hour drive from Trondheim.

In terms of the overall experience at Fagn, the team not only strives to deliver high-quality dishes, but also to create an inviting atmosphere. In fact, Fagn is an Old Norse word which means "to embrase, and to embrase with joy". That refers to the custom of welcoming travellers with food and lodging at rural farmhouses in the olden days. With an open-plan kitchen and chefs who interact directly with the guests, dining at Fagn is far from a formal affair. “A visit to Fagn should be an experience you remember long after you have returned home.”

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