Mia Klitte has found the best way for tourists to experience south of Sweden. Her new business, A slice of Swedish Hospitality, lets visitors enjoy meals in the company of Swedish families. The ingredients are locally sourced – some even arrive directly from the host’s garden.
It all started with a guesthouse in Mia Klitte’s garden as a young girl. Her dad was a talented gardener and had lots of overseas visitors that stayed in the house.
“We had a very open home. My mum cooked food from scratch and has always pickled and preserved fruit and vegetables. My dad had lots of visitors and decided to build a house in the garden, which they also started to rent out to tourists. One family had children in the same age as me and my parents invited them over for some barbeque and typical Swedish garden games,” she recalls with a smile. “We’re still in touch with them, and they keep saying it was their best night in Sweden”.
The experience triggered an idea: What if Klitte could combine her passion for sustainable food and people and run it as a business? In 2011, she initially asked friends to invite guests for dinner, and it turned out to be a success: this year she launched A Slice of Swedish Hospitality across the South of Sweden, and it is growing to other areas.
Visitors simply get in touch with a family registered on asliceofswedishhospitality.com and book a meal. Some families offer guests a traditional fika, with coffee and cake, and others lunch or dinner, based on locally produced ingredients.
“I know the families taking part and they are incredible – we have inspiration nights together where we go through all the proper food routines and we visit local producers in the area. Since I’m a doctor in gardening it’s very important that hosts serve seasonal food and keep food waste to a minimum,” she says, and adds that it is a very intimate experience.
“You sit together at the dinner table and exchange cultural experiences. Visitors might ask about the food and you’re able to tell them that the vegetables are from a farm two kilometres away, or sometimes even from the host’s own garden.”
For instance, last year London husband and wife Philip and Charlotte Horwell visited the Thorfinn family in Malmö, who cooked up a starter of mushroom soup with mushrooms picked from their garden, topped with walnuts and apple – and an “unforgettable” chocolate cake, according to Charlotte.
“To be honest, having never done this before we were slightly nervous on arriving but were made to feel welcome instantly, as if we were friends already. Throughout the evening it was clear that even though we were from different countries, we had very similar views on life,” she says.
Just as Klitte points out, the visit is all about sharing food and exchanging ideas, not taking part in a professional culinary experience. Julia Thorfinn remembers one of her first nights as a host: “We woke up in the morning only to realise that the basement was full of water due to flooding in the Malmö area. Instead of preparing the meal we were busy trying to save our belongings.”
“When the guest rang the bell the house was in total chaos, and no dinner was prepared. Luckily it was crayfish season, and I had bought some for the starter, which I served along with the traditional schnapps and songs.
For mains we had takeaway pizza – not at all what we had in mind but we had a great evening that we will never forget.”
Discover Swedish hospitality for yourself
Get a taste of Mia Klitte’s gourmet Skåne with Taber Holidays
