Ellika Mogenfelt relaxes for a moment in the small library inside hotel Villa Sjötorp located in the picturesque seaside resort Lyckorna on the west coast of Sweden. She has just finished talking to a guest when she looks through the window to catch a glimpse of the 100-year-old beech tree that has witnessed generations of her family spend their summers here. The gothic building was once a holiday retreat for the workers of the local papermill, set up by her great grandfather Emil Haeger in the late 19th century, and later run by her grandfather Olle Haeger.
“I remember spending my childhood summers in the area. At 17 I remember saying: ‘When I grow up I will open a B&B at Villa Sjötorp’,” she reflects.
When Ellika’s grandfather sold the papermill in the 70s, the family kept Villa Sjötorp but sadly never paid enough attention to the building. Eventually, it was put up for auction.
Fearing her family was losing its roots, Ellika bought the property in 1995. It has taken her two decades to restore it, but today Villa Sjötorp has returned to its former glory, and Ellika has finally achieved her childhood dream. “All I can say is that it’s been a long process.”
Her determination to succeed was part of an even bigger vision: to share her passion for sustainable food. “One of my initial ideas was to serve organic food at Villa Sjötorp, despite the fact that it was still seen as alternative at the time,” she says. “Then, five years later, when people started talking about locally produced food, I was suddenly in the forefront.”
As a result, the cooking at Villa Sjötorp has remained organic and the menu consists of seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, spearheaded by head chefs Linnéa Wennberg and Jakob Dillner.
Chicken comes from the nearby Mowitz farm, and shellfish from neighbour Janne Bark, who runs a mussel and shellfish bar right next to Villa Sjötorp. “We are a group of people in the area who have the same philosophy when it comes to both service and consideration for the environment,” she says.
Ellika has also opened an interiors shop on the hotel premises selling selected garden furniture, pottery and linen – always from European craftsmen. “Properly produced goods are more expensive but the quality means they will last for a lifetime,” she says with a smile.
After spending a day at Villa Sjötorp, it is easy to understand why it attracts guests from all over the world: it is the perfect place to rewind and recoup. The key when visiting the area Lyckorna, according to Ellika, is trying to do nothing at all.
“Sometimes I head down to the ocean and sit on the jetty for a while watching the waves roll in. There I feel the big building in my back, giving protection and a sense of calm. What else could you ask for?”
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