Fredrik’s Fika has found its home in Falbygden

It was when Fredrik’s boyfriend Emil took him to Konstnatten, an annual weekend filled with art and artisanal food in all its forms, that Fredrik discovered Falbygden.

“I completely fell in love right away! People opened up their homes, and you could travel around experiencing all kinds of crafts, food, and art. Absolutely amazing! When we first went there, we’d only been together for a year, and since then I think we may have missed just one year. It’s a magical weekend!”

At the time, the couple lived in Hofors, but gradually the idea of moving to Falbygden, Emil’s home region, grew stronger.

“When we decided to move to Falköping, I posted on Instagram that we were looking for a house. Then Kerstin, an older lady we had been in contact with during previous visits, reached out. She was considering selling her house but wanted to find the right buyer. We were a bit hesitant at first, since the house looked quite small from the front, like a cottage. But when we stepped inside, it felt like coming home - we couldn’t have built a more perfect house for ourselves!”

The house is a classic cottage that has been well maintained over the years. At the back, there is also a large extension - a beautiful, bright kitchen. And a spacious kitchen is a must for Fredrik, who works from home as a cookbook author, blogger, and influencer.

In the kitchen, Fredrik develops new recipes for cakes and pastries. He has written nine books and is currently working on his next one—the theme is still a secret.

“I’m careful not to make my recipes too complicated - if I can’t find an ingredient in a shop in Falköping, then it’s out. I want everyone to be able to bake my recipes without the hassle of tracking down hard-to-find ingredients.”

Torp1 shop open every Saturday

Already when they moved into the house, Fredrik and Emil had big plans. During the more than ten years they’ve been together, they’ve dreamed of opening a small shop of their own. This summer, that dream became reality, and in August they opened Torp1 - a small store with home décor and much more.

“Our original dream was to have a shop selling Christmas items all year round, but we’ve let go of that now,” Fredrik laughs.

Instead, what you’ll find in the shop is a mix of things that he and Emil personally like. But Fredrik finds it hard to describe the overall style.

“We fill the shop with things we’re drawn to and love. I’m responsible for most of the kitchen items and edible products, like chocolate and tea, while Emil is the one who finds interior décor items such as candlesticks and quite a few things for dogs. Our goal is to offer unique products that we haven’t seen anywhere else. Emil is really good at finding that kind of thing!”

Torp1 is now open every Saturday from 11 am to 3 pm. The shop is located in a converted garage right next to the couple’s cottage. Construction began in June, and over the summer the floors, ceiling, and walls were renovated, a parking area was created, and the shop interior was built.

“But it’s just a shop - there’s no café or bakery,” Fredrik clarifies.

“Warm and welcoming”

During his visits to Skaraborg before deciding to move, Fredrik experienced it as a place where he was warmly welcomed by the people he met. That feeling has only grown stronger since the move.

“I’ve felt at home from day one! It’s never been this quick for me to settle in anywhere. We’ve gotten to know all our neighbours here, and when we were building the shop, it was those neighbours and others from the local area who came to help us. We’ve built a large network and made many new friends very quickly.”

Along the same road where Fredrik and Emil have their new shop, there are two other businesses - Knäck & Bräck (in Swedish) and K Design (in Swedish). Fredrik says they were a bit nervous about telling their neighbours about their plans to open yet another shop along the winding country road.

“But we really didn’t need to be—they were thrilled! We haven’t come across anyone who hasn’t been supportive of us in this. It feels amazing!”

So what are the plans ahead for Falköping’s newest residents?

“It’s so exciting to look ahead! Soon we’ll be hosting a small Christmas market where the shop will be open and two other vendors will be set up in our greenhouse. We have lots of ideas—the place we’re in has so many possibilities. We’ll see what happens next!”

This text has been translated with the help of AI.