Bjaaland Bygderestaurant

At Bjaaland Bygderestaurant, everyone is welcome. Here the atmosphere is relaxed, and the food is rustic with the use of fresh ingredients. You can drop by in your old work trousers or as fancy as you like.

The history

Couple Hellene and Thomas bought the old Olav Bjaalandsmuseum in Morgedal, Telemark, and that is how the restaurant came to be. The museum focuses on Olav Olavsen Bjaaland, who was an adventurous and versatile man. You can see the museum collection at Norsk Skieventyr in the same village.

Hellene and Thomas wanted the restaurant to stay in touch with Olav and his adventurous spirit. Therefore, it was easy to choose a name. Hellene is from Tasmania in Australia and Thomas from Morgedal. Together, they have lived, worked, eaten, and drank through most parts of the world for almost twenty years.

In 2016, the couple moved to Morgendal with two kids in tow and now have a home in the mountains 5 km from the village. Hellene is a chef, and Thomas is great at everything concerning wine. Over the years, both of them have gained extensive experience regarding accommodation, restaurants, and destination development.

The food concept

The food concept at Bjaaland Bygderestaurant (BB) can be summarized as food and drink with a history of being connected to villages, mountains, and steelworks. The food is rough, simple, real, clear, wild, beautiful and with care and depth in taste and texture.

Family meal - about sharing and eating together

BB has chosen to focus on informality when it comes to how the food is served so that it is reminiscent of the hospitality you show when you invite someone to dinner at home. Sharing food and good conversations over a table is a unique and social way to get closer to one another. Merely passing over the salad or potatoes becomes an inclusive gesture.

Local food

In their neighbourhood, the identity of the local food is especially strongly associated with steel farming, outfield grazing and the craftsmanship around baking and production of cheese and dairy products and fish. Good integrity around such crafts lay the foundation to utilize the raw materials from snow-free months and all through winter.

Come by for a coffee, a glass of wine, or come and eat. Bjaaland Bygderestaurant is an inclusive experience of the countryside, mountain scenery, food, and drink.