HOMESTEAD & SEASONAL RESTAURANT - CELEBRATING 10 YEARS IN 2025!
Solgårdskrogen is owned and run by Genevieve & Jonathan Bjurenstedt. Jonathan is a chef with experience working in England, Australia and France as well as Sweden. Genevieve is an ex-lawyer from Australia who retrained as a sommelier after moving to Sweden.
After meeting in London in 2000 we moved to Australia in 2003 and then to Stockholm in 2007 where we ran a family-owned bistro for 8 years before moving to Nittsjö in 2015. We had no previous ties to Dalarna, our move was motivated by the desire to become closer to nature and to the production of the ingredients in the food that we serve.
We began by converting a barn into a prep kitchen and building an outdoor kitchen with a large woodfired grill. Dining was mainly outside in the garden. In 2018 we built the greenhouse which now serves as our dining room. We have since installed a woodfired oven and hibachi grill in the greenhouse.
During the summer we run a seasonal restaurant from the property serving food based on locally sourced ingredients cooked over open fire and spiced with flavours inspired by our travels. Ingredients are sourced from our own property as well as local farmers and neighbours with a passion for foraging berries and mushrooms in the surrounding forests as well as fishing in the local lakes. This year we have started an exciting partnership with Alfred from Sunnanheds Fjällko (mountain cattle); we buy whole animals and dry age the premium cuts and use the meat for both our set menus and our hamburger.
The drink list is based on wines we have imported ourselves from France as well as wines from Australia (made in a way that we like i.e. without additives) and local beer. Our food is served on ceramics from Nittsjö Ceramics, which is Sweden’s oldest ceramic factory and located in our village.
OUR PRODUCERS
Alfred from Sunnanhed’s Fjällkor
Alfred raises organic, grass fed mountain cattle in Sunnanhed. We buy whole animals, using the meat for charcuterie production, our set menus and of course our burgers.
Forsa Gård
Forsa Gård raises organic, free range pigs. We buy whole animals and use the meat for charcuterie production.
Our neighbours Mats & Håkan
Mats & Håkan love to fish in the local lakes and often come by with their catch of the day.
Our regular Leif from a neighbouring village
Leif loves to go out into the forest and pick berries and mushrooms. He picks much more than he could possibly eat and delivers the excess to us.
Emma the mushroom expert
Emma is a talented local artist who also has what can only be described as an obsession with mushrooms, she has found and identified over 100 different edible mushrooms in the local forests. She leads mushroom excursions for the public and we love to experiment with the edible mushrooms she finds.
Tinn from Karl-Tövåsens levande fäbod
A Fäbod can be described as a form of small-scale farm where the animals are sent to a pasture for summer grazing. This one has been active since the 1600s and we buy their amazing thick sour cream and butter.
Emma is Rättvik’s mushroom expert and has identified over a hundred edible mushrooms in the local forests. We can rely on her to deliver edible mushrooms that are not your usual.
Lina from Mor Lina’s goat farm
Lina runs a goat farm in a village called Born in Rättvik. The goats graze deep in the forests during the summer but come running to Lina when she gives the ancient Swedish herding call (it’s magic, you have to see it to believe it). We serve both goats cheese and meat from Lina’s farm.
Krister the butcher
Jonathan has good contact with Krister who runs a small slaughterhouse/butchery in Dalfors. Horses are of course not raised for meat in Sweden but when they reach the end of their life they must be slaughtered. The quality of the meat is sometimes exceptional and in these cases Krister puts it aside for Jonathan.
Hansjö Dairy
Hansjö Dairy is a small family business located in the village of Orsa making award winning cheeses from their own cow’s milk. We use a blend of these cheeses on our hamburgers.
Björgården
Super creative Yvonne makes all kinds of jams, syraps, vinegars, juices and concentrates from local and organic ingredients. She and her husband Jonas also raise a local breed of sheep, Dalapälsfår, of which there are only a few hundred left in Sweden.
LissEllas Senap
LissElla makes extremely flavoursome mustards from seeds grown in Dalarna.
Nittsjö Ceramics
Ceramics have been produced at the factory in Nittsjö since the 1800s and we have always served our food on their plates. The newly renovated showroom is a perfect destination to visit before or after your meal, located only a 10 minute picturesque walk through the forest away.
OUR TEAM
Lars & Elin
Old friends of ours, Lars is a well-known sommelier and now a master of wine candidate. His wife Elin works in the entertainment industry but is joining us this summer to help Lars serve our flagship Seasonal Menu and the Dalhalla menu.
Bat-Orshikh & Nara
We have worked together with this married couple from Mongolia since the early days of the bistro in Stockholm, now 17 years! They will be cooking in the outdoor woodfired grill this summer making classic pub dishes from scratch such as burgers, steaks and homemade sausages.
Erik & Molly
Lucky for us Erik, who is a great chef, is a resident of Nittsjö and has been part of the team since the start of Solgårdskrogen and Molly is his 15 year old daughter who will soon be working her third season.
Edwin & Lova
Step siblings who will be working their 4th season this year.
Elias & Lovis Laggar
Cousins from Nittsjö; this year will be Lovis’ third season and Elias’ first.
