Hussborg Manor

The sun shines over the courtyard in front of Hussborg Manor. It’s early morning and hotel manager Katarina Dahl is having a quiet moment in the restaurant’s combined foyer and reception area. On the grass outside, a couple of golfers practice for their next round.

– Please take a look around the park before we open, it’s very nice now in early summer, she says before heading into the kitchen to put the final touches on lunch.

– Hussborg Manor has a rich history, built in the mid-19th century by the sons of the village’s prophet Johan Huss and the surroundings exude a dignified tranquillity. It attracts both people from the local area and more long-distance business travellers, says Katarina. Among the visitors there are also a lot of hikers from the St. Olav’s Trail, who often choose to stay overnight here as well.

Today, however, there are no backpacks to be seen in the hotel dining room, nor on the sunny veranda outside, but there are a few local craftsmen and a golf club. One man says he often eats here because “the food is really good”. When Katarina hears this, she lights up.

– We put a lot of effort into our kitchen and try to source our ingredients locally wherever possible. In addition, we make sure that there is always fish on the menu, many people appreciate it for lunch, she says.

This particular summer fish dish is a cod under an herby blanket. It is accompanied by fresh potatoes and melted butter, and with fresh vegetables from the salad buffet. From the verandah table, there are unobstructed views of forests, fields and the 18th hole of the golf course – a mostly undramatic entertainment for those who want something to rest their eyes on.

The taste buds dig in and the fish is flavoursome and flaky, gently cooked so that it retains its tenderness and juiciness. Thin-skinned potatoes, oven-baked cherry tomatoes and butter with herbal notes balance the composition. A coffee and a slightly extended break in the sun on top of that, then the body is ready for the afternoon’s hike.