Åsas Tomtebod: Folklore, fairytales and charming little figures

A family-run business, Åsas Tomtebod makes and distributes a little creature best described as a Scandinavian version of Santa, Father Christmas, or a gnome. The opposite of your American-style, colourful, larger-than-life variety; the tomte is something completely different, and full of tradition, too.

Småland is a magical, mystical province in the southern part of Sweden. This region is closely associated with traditional folklore, old fairytales and modern, world-famous stories (a certain Astrid Lindgren hailed from this part of the country). No wonder, then, that Åsas Tomtebod was born right here. And although production has now moved further south to Lund in Skåne, customers can be rest assured that the spirit of the little creatures remain the same. Plus, now that there is a new web shop open, fans can shop from wherever, whenever.

“The idea of the design came from the fact that a tomte is a shy and timid creature, who lives in the forest and doesn’t like to spend time around people. This is why his hat is pulled down over his eyes and only the nose sticks out,” explains Martin Götander, CEO and second-generation tomte creator. It was his mother, Åsa Götander, who started the business in the 1990s, after the family had moved to the countryside in Småland. In those early days, the founder did not realise what a formidable success this initially modest one-woman business would grow into. Nowadays, the charming tomte from Småland is found in every corner of the globe, given that most of them are sold outside Sweden.

A lot of love and care goes into the creation and production of these little rascals. “The most important thing for us is the quality,” Götander emphasises. “We use exclusively natural materials, which have a nicer feel and better look and are superior from an environmental point of view compared to, for example, synthetic materials. When developing a new product, we spend a lot of time trying to get the overall impression and feel just right.”

When it comes to new products and highlights, Götander points out that recent seasons have seen the introduction of more figures, making room for new favourites. “Some years ago, we also did a limited edition series that sold out instantly and people still ask us about it. There’s definitely a lot of demand and opportunity for us which is really exciting,” he concludes.

Web: www.tomtebod.se
Instagram: @asastomtebod