Who are we and what do we do?
the people
Mette
Mette is the proud mom of our medicinal garden. She is a bit witchy, talks to the plants, channels the spirit of the forest and stuff like that, when she is in the mood for it. But spreadsheets, budgets, communication and interior decoration are also big interest of hers. She sees all of these areas as opportunities to follow her big life’s calling: To create more peace and beauty in the World.
When Mette has som time to spare she writes books about food and sustainable living, but right now it’s mainly developing all the most fabulous, tasty products for our farm stand that has her attention.
Flemming
Flemming is our visionary strategist in charge of R&D as well as our head chef. As our gardens are the beating heart of the food that ends up being sold and served to our guests, these are also Flemming’s area of responsibility. The principles the gardens are based on is a mix between permaculture, regenerative farming ideas - and our own sense of how respect for nature best meets the demands of a busy everyday life.
Flemming describes himself as a friendly revolutionary, and his spirit animal is the Eagle. As a sidenote Flemming is the creative mind behind things like our ‘sexy’ compost toilets, our fire heated outdoor showers, the off-the-grid kitchen, the shape of our cabins and our deep-mulching chicken coop/compost shag. He is also working on the home of the future - but that’s still a bit of a secret.
The team
Helping us build the dream we are surrounded by a great team of likeminded souls: People who know that creating something new has to be fun and inspiring but can also be a bit hard at times. They come from different backgrounds in hospitality, business and farming and share our vision to always improve the way we work towards more sustainable ways.
the place
Eastern Halland is one of Europe’s most remote places - still close to big cities like Copenhagen and Gothenburg. We are surrounded by rivers, 1000s of big, clean lakes and a lot of forest. We are 50 km from the ocean. There are a lot of very interesting farmers and 3 organic micro dairies in the region. Food-wise this area really is something special.
the idea
We believe that the solution to almost any big problem is beautiful, well tasting and happy. A solution that empowers us all.
Our aim is to create and inspire to more beautiful, respectful ways of working with nature for food-production and other means of sustaining everyday life for people on this planet. This is not just about the two of us, it’s about all of us!
Our building and farming methods are based on the regenerative/permaculture principles i.e. a system inspired by nature for a truly sustainable living including plants, animals and architecture. Principles that are good for topsoil, water, biodiversity, meaningfulness, health and resilience.
the food
Our food is based on a mix of knowledge about ancestral diets - what are we as people created to eat/what did we thrive on in the past - and a respect for nature as well as modern people’s eating preferences.
What is for sale at our farm stand and served for our dinners follow the seasons in the forest and gardens, and what sustainably produced items we have at hand locally.
We see ourselves as stewards of the land we own, and in return for our love and care we get high-vibrational raw material for ourselves and our guests. It really is a win-win situation.
Read more about our dinners here.
the results
Our food is poison-free, high in vitality and has a very low/no climate footprint. With very few, logical exceptions (like lemons, coffee, olive oil and the chocolate and black pepper we import from likeminded friends in Guatemala) no ingredients have travelled more than an hour to reach Stedsans. Almost all plants used in the kitchen were harvested/foraged from our own gardens or forest same day as it is served.
The restaurant, showers and cabins are water-neutral. We use filtered lake water or water from our own well in the restaurant, toilets and showers. Since we only use 100% biodegradable skincare products, our guests can feel good taking a long, hot shower since it is all released back into the lake. Besides being truly sustainable it is the cost-effective solution compared to building sewers etc.
Our compost toilets build up topsoil. This is in contrast to modern toilets that yearly flush out 10.000 liters of clean drinking water per person. Water that needs to be cleaned afterwards.
… Stedsans is a work in progress, and these are just some main categories. Here you can read more about our approach to sustainability.
learn more
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in the press
Årets Resmål 2019, Dagens Industri
It Was Magical’, The New York Times
’The off-grid Trip of your Dreams’, AFAR Magazine
’The Beautiful Solution’ ‘A New Way of Living That’s as Sustainable as it is Delicious’
Honoured ‘Best Wild Escape’ by EasyJet Traveller Magazine
Best outdoor supper clubs in the world-list - Conde Nast Traveller
‘Seasonal, sustainable, organic, artisanal, waste-free, foraged. ..A trend we hope lasts. Especially if it looks and tastes as good as Stedsans in the Woods’ - Dish
‘This was a moment of hygge if ever we have experienced one’ - Olive
‘..Restaurant that’s shaping Copenhagen’s Post-Noma Food Scene’ - Vogue
‘A Fairy-tale’ .. ‘As off-the-grid as it gets’ - Monocle
’An Ode to Nature and Wild Life’ - Milk Decoration
Featured in 6 Gestalten Books: ‘Farmlife’ ‘Northern Comfort’, ‘Farmland’ and ‘Delicious Places’.