Breakfast at Yggdrasil

The breakfast room in the former pigsty is now a light-filled room with large windows on two sides. It gives the impression of tumbling into the fields rolling towards the woods on the horizon. It is a great place to observe the wildlife: hares nibbling at the shrubs before engaging in energetic mating dances; kites hovering over the fields preying on the skylarks nesting among the crops; deer gracefully ambling across the fields on their way to their favourite grazing grounds; cranes and crows piercing the silence with their raucous cries; the flying schools of geese preparing the fledglings for the big migration; the prowling cat hunting the mice; the blackbirds plucking worms from the lawn and the bobtails delicately picking at the insects caught in the spider webs. Morning is a busy time for nature and provides a lively scene whilst enjoying a hearty breakfast.

It is said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and all the more so for the athletic guests hiking their way around the island or the cycling enthusiasts about to discover the hilly parts of Bornholm. As part of the art of hospitality, I want my guests to have the best possible start to the day. Breakfast is served at the table, the old-fashioned way, at the guests’ preferred time. This can be as early as 6am when needing to catch the first ferry, but it can also be a more leisurely affair, later in the morning, to cap a good night of rest before moving into the busyness of the new day.

I like wholesome and simple foods and I don’t serve anything that I would not eat myself. I mainly use locally sourced organic products and have banned all ultra processed food. Fortunately, in the village we now have a community managed shop which favours local produces and organic food. I regularly join the breakfast table to enjoy this special time of the day, when we can meet each other, afresh, delighting in the sheer presence of who we are in the moment, gifts and talents, foibles and eccentricities all welcome.

• For drinks, there is coffee, black or green tea, herbal teas, local apple juice and milk.
• Guests enjoy my special homemade breakfast bowl with stewed seasonal fruit and yogurt à la grecque, topped with granola.
• I serve white and brown rolls freshly baked and thick slices of traditional Danish rye bread. To garnish the bread there is a selection of jams and honey, a plate of cheese with seasonal trimmings (cucumber, tomatoes or fruit from the garden).
• For those who want it, they will find a boiled egg waiting for them on the table. By order and for people staying more than one night, I can rustle up a traditional English breakfast with Danish organic bacon.

I cater for special dietary requests (vegan, gluten free, lactose free). Since everything is served fresh, it is good to know in advance if people have special needs.