The Kalf & Hansen food philosophy is simple. They serve up delicious, healthy, fast food crafted from local, seasonal, organic produce. When we think of fast food a greasy take away shop often springs to mind. The cute Kalf & Hansen corner shop in Stockholm could not be further from that image. It is clean and cosy with cabinets bursting with freshly made organic meals to eat in or pick up on the run.
Rune and Fabian Kalf-Hansen create delicious, healthy, fast food with heart at Kalf & Hansen, Stockholm. Image © Skye Gilkeson
Kalf & Hansen is the creation of father-son team, Rune and Fabian Kalf-Hansen. Proudly dominating a market wide open in Sweden’s capital. As we found, it’s difficult to find cafes meeting the market between supermarket meals and restaurant fine dining. Kalf & Hansen is hoping to fill that gap with nourishing food that is price accessible to everyone. They work hard to keep the quality high and the price low, which is not always an easy feat when your entire menu is 100 percent organic. The bigger meals (the Oslo or the Stockholm) will set you back about 100 kr (about $AUD16) which is very reasonable when compared to other Stockholm cafes, especially when you see, smell and taste the quality of the food.
The Kalf & Hansen menu changes depending on what is in season and locally available, but it is always organic. Image © Skye Gilkeson
We stepped out of the rain into the warm cafe just before the lunch rush began, greeted with warm smiles from Rune and Fabian, who showed us around the menu. Generally, the dishes remain the same however some ingredients change depending on the seasons and what is locally available to them. Having to work directly from nature means the team needs to show creativity and innovation; something that they relish. The result is a seasonal plate of food all the colours of the rainbow, exploding with flavour from first bite.
Fabian Kalf-Hansen puts the finishing touches on a dish at Kalf & Hansen, Stockholm. Image © Skye Gilkeson
A freshly constructed salad receives a splash of dressing at Kalf & Hansen, Stockholm. Image © Skye Gilkeson
Rune Kalf-Hansen has long been an advocate from farm to table eating. A few of his many books on sale at Kalf & Hansen. Image © Skye Gilkeson
Running an organic kitchen is nothing new for Rune, who has been doing so for more than 20 years, working as a chef in Paris and Copenhagen. Originally from Denmark, he has been living in Stockholm for 25 years. That’s where Fabian has developed a love of cooking. Kalf & Hansen is very much a partnership between the pair who share a passion for Nordic fare. The menu plays on that passion with each dish named after a city in Scandinavia.
Service with a smile: Fabian flips between plating dishes and serving customers. Image © Skye Gilkeson
The entire menu is lactose free and gluten free, with some vegan options available. We tried the Stockholm (meat, fish or vegan quenelles, roasted vegetables, a slice of homemade bread and sauce), the Oslo (meat, fish or vegan quenelles, seasonal salad, slice of homemade bread and sauces), the Reykjavik (light or dark coconut balls or almond cake). The flavours were incredible, partly owing to the freshness of the food, the fresh herbs incorporated into the dishes and their delicious home made sauces (the remoulade and pickled vegetables are a must try!). Also on offer are wraps, soups, smoothies and Drop coffee.
The Stockholm at Kalf & Hansen is all its delicious glory. Fresh, organic, gluten free, lactose free and bursting with flavour. Image © Skye Gilkeson
Kalf & Hansen quenelles: Served with salad or roasted vegetables. Choose from meat, fish or vegan options. All are gluten and lactose free. Image © Skye Gilkeson
Delicious home made sauces ready to take away. Image © Skye Gilkeson
Guilt free desserts at Kalf & Hansen. The Reykjavik – dark coconut balls or almond cake. Image © Skye Gilkeson
I love meeting business owners like Rune and Fabian in the wellness space. While Kalf & Hansen seems to have the recipe for a thriving whole foods business just right, with their second Stockholm location to open soon, it’s more than that. They live and love the lifestyle. They want the community as a whole to benefit from what they are doing and thrive too.
Kalf & Hansen
Maria Torget 2
118 48 Stockholm
+46 08-551531 51
Read the English menu here
Rune and Fabian Kalf-Hansen outside their Mariatorget store in Stockholm. Image © Skye Gilkeson
Skye is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Fit Traveller.
She is a journalist, writer, photographer, intrepid traveller and a former personal trainer with a passion for helping others reach optimal health.
As a TV journalist and producer, Skye has worked for household names such as 60 Minutes, Sunrise, TODAY and Nine News. She has also written for Women’s Health, Fodor’s Travel and Yahoo7 Travel, among many others.
Equally comfortable in a 5-star resort or hiking a far-off mountain, Skye loves the unexpected and enriching life experiences that each trip brings and can often be found in a backstreet chatting to locals with her camera in hand.
Skye is based in Sydney, working to master the balance between motherhood and her appetite for adventure.
Read more about Skye’s story here.