360° Eat Guide Experience – the 2020 nominees

An idyll immersed in the Åkulla beech forest nature reserve of Halland, Ästad Vingård is one of Sweden’s biggest vineyards – replete with culinary experiences. Restaurant Äng serves a sought-after tasting menu cooked with seasonal, organic produce harvested onsite and via small-scale farmers and fishermen local to the area and complemented by organic Ästad wine. To inspire and educate diners, storytelling is an important part of the dining experience, and this also applies to the sommelier-guided vineyard tours.

Food Journey Through the Wilderness is an educational one-day adventure, highlighting the sustainable synergy between nature and food. Playing out on the south-east coast, in the province of Sörmland’s expansive forest, you’ll paddle in an old Viking waterway and hike along the famous Sörmlandsleden trail. Brunch and dinner are cooked over an open fire using locally sourced and seasonal ingredients.

Designed to offer a unique, relaxing experience in nature, the Happy Celery Glass Cabins are based in the idyllic forests of Dalsland, in the western parts of southern Sweden. You’ll stay for three days immersed in nature in a “72 hour glass cabin” – an innovative accommodation concept with cabins studded in natural beauty spots across the region. The nutrition-packed food served for breakfast, lunch and dinner is entirely plant-based and made from organic ingredients sourced locally.

With focus on the world-class shellfish, for which Grebbestad is famed, Everts Sjöbod serves up a number of experiences. Pick your favourite shellfish and set off on an adventure in the beautiful coastal nature of Bohuslän in Sweden’s southwest. Whether you opt for a lobster safari, an oyster-tasting session or a traditional fishing trip, each experience is quality-approved by the Nature’s Best organisation – and offers a glimpse into the nature of this coastal area.

For this mussel and oyster experience you’ll board the mid-20th century boat Signe and set off onto the waters of Lysekil, Bohuslän, on the west coast – a spot celebrated for its world-class seafood. A local guide will introduce you to the crustaceans you’ll harvest, including the delicious Swedish Ostrea Edulis oyster variety. You get to open and devour your catch by the rocks and later tuck into a healthy steamed mussel lunch. Come evening, a two-course dinner awaits at restaurant Fröken Fridhems Salong & Bistro, housed in the seaside hotel, Havshotellet.

The Nature Nights experience by Urnatur invites you to stay in hand-crafted timber cabins in the forest of Östergötland, in middle-south Sweden. For breakfast – served by the nearby lake – expect homemade sourdough bread and eggs from Urnatur’s free-range chickens along with tea made from herbs picked in the garden. To engage and inspire guests, you get to cook lunch and dinner over an open fire using ingredients harvested from Urnatur’s eco-farm or foraged in the wild. Aside from the vegetables and beans provided, cuts of lamb can be bought from the farm.

An adventure for the whole family courtesy of Norrqvarn Hotel & Conference, this experience invites you to catch ‘kräftor’ (crayfish) in the famous Swedish landmark, Göta Canal. Your expert guide will share their knowledge about the delicious crustaceans. On request, Norrqvarn can arrange a traditional Swedish crayfish party – with all the locally sourced trimmings, including beer and cheese– setting this up as part of the nearby Edible Country DIY concept.

“Let the Forest Feed You” is a nutrition-packed trekking experience in which the bountiful forest of Skåne, in southern Sweden, provides sustenance, with additional delicacies from small-scale food producers in the area. Guided by Monica Frangeur, the 9 kilometre-tour takes in eight of these local places, inviting you to sample seasonal produce and dishes made onsite. This educational food walk focuses on the culinary culture of Skåne but also touches on the art of avoiding waste and what to do with leftovers.

Stelor, an idyllic farm just outside Visby on Gotland, provides accommodation and a range of dining experiences developed to offer guests an inspiring and educational stay. The Pasta Club (feat. Gutekorn) is a new collaborative lunch concept between the farm and the KRAV-certified organisation centering on preserving the ancient grains of Gotland. Making use of these grains – primarily spelt and emmer – the pasta is complemented with local ingredients harvested onsite and via nearby food producers.

Restaurant Lilla Bjers’ Green Table is set in the greenhouse where some of the produce served is grown. Dishes are infused with the unique flavours of Gotland – wild garlic, saffron and asparagus included. Educational in style, the experience kicks off with a guided tour of the farm and its produce, which you get to harvest and sample as you make your way through fields and gardens.

Anything that isn’t cultivated onsite – such as meat and dairy – is sourced from nearby KRAV-certified farms. As with all the 360° Experience nominees, collaboration is key.