Berge Gård: where tradition and innovation meet

At the historic Berge Gård, sustainable farming practices and a deep respect and appreciation for the natural world are key. Their culinary innovation hasn’t gone unnoticed, with the family farm being nominated for a European Region of Gastronomy award in 2022.

The idyllic Berge Gård is located in the tiny, scenic village of Selbu, in the Trøndelag region in the heart of Norway. The charming family farm is run by husband-and-wife team Sissel and Steinar Berge. “My sons will be the 13th documented generation of the Berge family to run the farm,” Sissel says. “It has been passed down in an unbroken chain from father to son since at least the mid-1500s.”

Cheeseplate with barkekjeks. Photo: @lysholmfoto

With a keen interest in food culture, Sissel and Steinar produce unique and creative food from their corner of the world, often making use of wild edible plants from the area. “I think we all need to use more of what we have around us,” Sissel says.

Among her specialties you’ll find ‘konglegelé’, a pinecone marmalade which is a fantastic accompaniment to blue cheese, as well as her signature ‘barkekjeks’. Based on a handwritten recipe from Sissel’s great-grandmother in the mid-1800s, these salty forest crackers are made with pine-tree bark. “I’m interested in the meeting point between traditional food and new innovative flavours,” Sissel explains.

Alongside the cafe serving hungry customers delicious Norwegian fare, Berge Gård has a farm shop selling a range of products for visitors to take home – including their line of natural skincare based on skin-nourishing plants and essential oils.

Web: www.bergegård.no
Instagram: @landligvelvaere
Facebook: bergegardselbu