Forage seaweed, organic winery, and the island Funen.

After breakfast, we’ll get ready to check-out of our hotel as the tour continues towards the island Funen. On our way, we’ll visit a seaweed company along the coast.  Seaweed is probably the most sustainable food which exists and learn how the company contributes to the UN´s Global Goals.  Together we’ll have a unique seaweed safari, learn how to identify and forage delicious seaweed by hand like the long line of Danish ancestors would have done. Yes, this means we’ll be getting in the sea but don’t worry; they have all the tools we’ll need to stay safe and mostly dry.  After we enjoy a nice lunch, which of course contains seaweed, you get the chance to taste some of their locally brewed beer that includes...you guessed it, seaweed!

From there, we’ll get acquainted with our first lesson in Danish wine. Despite its northerly location, Denmark has been fostering a developing wine industry since the late 20th century. Driving through Odsherred - UNESCO Global Geopark - we arrive at an organic winery beautifully situated in the Danish moraine landscape. This organic winery primarily makes white wines, but also sparkling wines and individual rosé wine.  You will walk through the vineyard with the owner and, of course, taste their wine.

From our wine adventure, we’ll make our way to Funen, the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen, but also known as the Danish pantry! After check-in at your 4-star Green Key eco-labeled hotel in downtown Odense, we’ll enjoy dinner at a local restaurant focusing on flavor and wonderful Funen produce. The kitchen is somewhere between modern and classic and you can hear the culinary heart of Funen beat.

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Hands-on flødebolle class & traditional Danish lunch.

Do you have a sweet tooth?  Today is your day!  Danes have a sweet-tooth beyond their world-famous Danish pastry.  

With help from the local chocolatier and owner of a local chocolate shop in Odense, you’re going to learn the art of making flødeboller.  He has invited us to his store, where he will guide us through the process.

We’ll have our fist smørrebrød, a staple and an essential part of the Danish food culture and distinctly Danish eating experience for lunch. You will learn of the many fascinating flavor compositions and get to understand why the Danish people love smørrebrød so much. 

After lunch, you’ll enjoy a short break before meeting up for dinner in a garage in the real sense of the word, as the restaurant is in an industrial area of Odense in a previous car repair shop.

Animal welfare, Vikings, and wine!

Did you know Denmark has the most pigs per inhabitant and among the world’s largest pig meat exporters?  I didn’t either!  The pig has been in Denmark since the Stone Age, it is part of the DNA in Danish food culture and the national dish of Denmark is, in fact, crispy pork with potatoes and parsley sauce. Today we’ll visit and meet the owners of an organic pig farm on the peninsula Hindsholm.  You’ll enjoy an authentic homemade lunch by the owner, where you’ll get to taste the produce accompanied by a variety of selected local beer.

After a tasty lunch in good company, the tour continues through the beautiful peninsula towards a ship burial site from the Viking Age. We can’t go to Denmark without having some lessons on the Vikings!   Today, Denmark is one of the most peaceful societies globally, but Vikings once were brutal. The Viking age lasted about 250 years and it is one of the most notorious periods in Danish history.

Now that you’ll be a Viking expert, we will dive back into wine. A few kilometers further south, we’ll meet Jacob and Helle at their small family vineyard where they make white and sparkling wines following modern, organic principles. Alongside this, they have a great passion for caviar which Jacob started selling caviar 25 years ago.

This evening you’ll have time to rest, relax and enjoy a casual dinner on your own.  We will provide you with suggestions, or you can explore on your own.

Smoked cheese & haute cuisine on the island Ærø.

Refreshed and ready to go, we’ll meet up after breakfast to check out of the hotel and continue south to visit Jørgen.   We’ll stop at a small dairy specialized in making genuine handmade smoked cheese - a local tradition on Funen and the only cheese of truly Danish origin. In particular cheese, preserved milk products, and butter, the Danish export of dairy products accounts for more than 20 percent of all Danish agricultural exports. 

Today’s lunch will be at a local cafe in the charming city port Svendborg. A social-economic corporation selling only local produce picked up directly from the producers in an electric van. The mission is to create jobs for people with special needs, make the road to local food and drink shorter, and increase local food awareness and the different Danish food seasons. 

You'll have the early afternoon to relax and walk around Svendborg’s charming village,  with its hilly cobblestone streets, small alleys, and quaint old townhouses. From here, we’ll hop on a pleasant one-hour ferry ride to the island Ærø in the South Funen Archipelago.  

Arriving in the town Ærøskøbing – Denmark’s most well-preserved village of the 18th century - Morten and Katrin we’ll welcome us, the owners of a cozy boutique hotel, restaurant, and your home for the next two days.  There are only six rooms in this Inn; depending on the size of the group’s size, we may need to stay in a few locations but are only one block away from each other and promise to take great care of you.  Morten,  the chef at the hotel, has a background in Michelin-starred restaurants in London and has run the gourmet restaurant DeGaulle in Copenhagen.  Dinner will be at the hotel this evening with the owners.  

Local beer and a unique outdoor Wild Food experience

A truly inspired breakfast at the hotel will be followed by some free hours for lunch and leisure time in charming and relaxed Ærøskøbing.

In the afternoon we will head to visit the local brewery located in the middle of Ærø in historical buildings from 1880. Here you’ll meet with Nils, former CEO of the brewery, who’ll take you on a guided tour and introduce you to the local craft beers. After the brewery visit, Nils has invited you to his blue-washed farmhouse situated right at the water. Nils is working as an authorized ranger; he is passionate about biodiversity, and specialized in “Wild Food” under the expert guidance of Noma. At his beautiful spot by the sea with clear sky and wildly growing nature you will forage food in the water and on land along the coast under the expert guidance of Nils himself. He will challenge your taste buds, and you’ll quick get an understanding of why the Nordic cuisine has gained international recognition. Their focus on local resources really sets them apart from many other parts of the world. Once we’ve gathered our goods we’ll prepare dinner together, set the table in a simple and rustic setting, and get ready to enjoy a truly sustainable food experience and literally savor the taste of the island Ærø in a beautiful cliff scenery by the sea.

Rye bread baking class & organic gin & whiskey distillery.

This morning will be an early one as we ferry back to Funen after breakfast.  

We’ll arrive at Svendborg’s port; from here, you’ll walk to the town square to meet Line and Martin, owners of the local bakery and kitchen shop.  Today you will learn how to make rye bread and make smørrebrød for lunch. By now, you can almost call yourself a Dane.

After lunch, we’ll start our journey back to Copenhagen, but not before visiting an organic gin & whiskey distillery.  Here you’ll hear the fascinating story behind the distillery from the owners and taste their products. Dinner and evening at leisure in Copenhagen, which will also be hosting one of the cities biggest culinary festivals of the summer - it will be a fun evening on the town if you choose to explore.

Culinary cycling experience & social-gastronomy farewell dinner.

Today you’ll want to eat a good breakfast as we’ll take on Copenhagen the authentic local way, by bicycle! This is the moment we’ll all been waiting for, a culinary cycling experience through the city.  Because we’ll be on bikes, you’ll discover hidden places with a local chef while enjoying the adventure of tasting good food based on sustainable and organic ingredients in different surroundings.  This is the perfect way to get a deeper understanding and insight into Copenhagen and with the opportunity to discuss various topics during the different stops on the route. A truly unique outdoor experience topped with stories, exciting discussions, urban adventures, and excellent natural food and wine.  This will be one of those days you’ll not soon forget and take with you long after our tour is over.

Departing August 30th.