9 minute read
Presence and Passion
We catch up with Erik Berglihn from Brokkestøylen in Norway to find out more about how he and his wife have created their award-winning glamping offer and what they have learned along the way.
Tell us about Brokkestoylen – how was the idea born? Who are the team behind it?
For many years we have been in the ‘how to make ideas come to life?’ business. We make a great team – my wife Gro Furset, who is a very creative person and the very best Chef. She is trained as a tailor, registered nurse and a nutritionist. She has also her own small business making the very best probiotics for gut and brain health that helps a lot of clients. She has developed her own design businesses, started cafes, and together we did the island project.
As for me (Erik Berglihn) I was born in the woods and spent most of my childhood outdoors. I later developed a company to help less fortunate kids, and I have worked in adventure travel and for the last 15 years, as well as working on how to inspire and help people to make consistent changes and how to develop and run profitable businesses. Together we have a strong focus on natural health, nature and sustainability and we have been married since 1993.
One of our earlier projects was on a deserted island near the town of Kristiansand, where we restored five very old buildings (ruins almost) and made a small boutique hotel with ecological gourmet food. In the beginning we did not have running water or electricity, so planning, use and reuse was key.
It was a great success and we got high-end customers from all over the world. However, the island was owned by the Kristiansand City and after 10 years and a lot of work, the city terminated our lease and gave it to the Norwegian Royal family as their new summer vacation resort. (The Royal family asked us to rent it, but we had turned them down earlier). So we decided that if we should do a new project, we would look for a place that we could own and develop in peace ourselves again – where there would be fish in the river, clean water, where we could grow our veggies, have our own eggs, and hunt when needed.
Then we found Brokkestoylen! For a few years I worked as a lecturer on how to develop sustainable tourism (for the local university) and every year, I got groups of students and travel the nearby the valley of Setesdal. The farm was up there and abandoned for many years. I started out to borrow it from the previous owner, and just used it as a venue where students could discuss ideas. Here, we would teach them how to get involved, and how to develop projects from scratch to running businesses.
In the beginning, we decided that we would spend the summer in the mountains of Brokkestoylen. For many years, Gro and I have worked part time to develop better solutions for troubled kids and youth, so we thought it might be a solution to offer a few of them jobs at a small mountain café. Possibly to change their perspectives and inspire them.
We then just started the mountain cafe and got happy customers by serving coffee and Waffles. Soon we dreamed about better food, sustainable living, wild game and more. We could see the opportunity to go skiing in the mountains and snowshoeing in the forest. A better and more healthy lifestyle both for us and our guests. Our project moved very quickly in this direction.
How important is sustainability to Brokkestoylen?
Very! As we know quite a bit about nutrition, environment and how it all comes together both in your body and in nature, we work to inspire our guests to become healthy, happy and strong. We aim to use and reuse everything.
We grow what we need and have made the decision to only buy local food. We have invested quite a bit in our garden and use/ reuse whatever we can also here.
We put organic eggshells, coffee grounds and living probiotics in our soil as fertilization. A new greenhouse (for 2024) is made from local logs and mostly reused glass.
When we restored all the buildings, we wanted to use local materials (wood) so all our buildings are made of about 90% reused materials, wood, insulation and more. Our dome tents are placed above ground, they are made from reused plastics and have more than 15 years lifespan. They are placed on top of rocks or steel anchors that can be taken away if changes need to be done. We try to leave the earth almost untouched.
What, if any, regulations are there in Norway for eco hotels or glamping sites like yours?
Firstly, the property has to regulated for the right use. Private or business. This takes about one year and is done locally, where also politicians have a say, so it can be a long process. It took us nearly a year and ahalf to get all the permissions before starting out.
Next you have to apply for permits for infrastructure like water, and electricity in the ground, and what you want to build. That’s also about a year’s process.
New regulations this year would prohibit development in wetlands, swamp and areas that hold a lot of CO2, so using steel ground screws/earth spikes would be a good solution.
Why did you decide to offer geodesic domes, rather than tents or cabins, for example?
We thought that the domes had a nice feel to them, because of the height inside the room and you get so close to nature because of the big window in the front. They are easy to build and affordable (until you put in doors, windows, running water, toilets, expensive beds and the rest!) We have reinforced them for extra strength (as we could get 2 metres of snow) Our domes are now insulated, and the flooring as well. The domes are placed on steel ground screws/earth spikes, a frame is built on top. This leaves almost no mark on the ground. We do not destroy anything, do not pollute, and if we take it all away, within a year you would see no trace in nature.
What came first: the accommodation, the guest experiences or your restaurant? Was the plan always to combine these offerings, or did you add more as you went on?
We thought that if the project should be sustainable and economical. We needed to have both accommodation and provide excellent food in the farm restaurant and glasshouse.
We always planned a combo as the domes are like a luxurious hotel room, and do not have kitchen and cooking facilities.
We grow what we need and have made the decision to only buy local food. We have invested quite a bit in our garden and use/reuse whatever we can also here.
Our customers soon wanted more. Like storytelling, walks in nature, a bit of bushcraft and over the last year we did several Wim Hof Norway adventures. For the year to come, we will do more Wim Hof adventures in Norway together with British instructors. Also we will provide several natural and healthy beauty and wellness weeks (biohacking weekends) and personal development courses.
You won the LuxLife Hotel & Restaurant award in 2023 – how did it feel to have your hard work recognised?
It's great. We are very thankful for this award and it has helped us to be recognised both locally and abroad.
Our guests have also given us the very best feedback on booking.com and TripAdvisor. We are very proud and thankful for all the nice reviews, and it gives us a kick to continue to do our best and welcome guests in the future!
Who is your typical guest; are they largely locals or tourists, or a healthy mixture of both?
It’s a healthy mix, but we do get more and more guests from abroad, both on our retreats and for an ordinary stay. This year, groups from abroad have already been booking Wim Hof retreats and our natural health, beauty and wellness weeks.
Since you first opened, to how you operate now, what are the main differences and/or learnings you discovered along the way?
We have learned more about the importance of being prepared, to get good systems in place and good planning in general.
We changed from being a campsite for everyone, to become an eco-luxury glamping site for adults only.
We do not have a large menu anymore. With the very best raw ingredients, we focus on clean, pure quality food and drinks. We serve a 3-5 course meal and you can choose vegan, fish or meat with wine or a non-alcoholic pairing. We forage a lot of foods from the woods too. It tastes divine and it's easy to make something lovely from it.
We want our guests' stay to be magical, silent and fulfilling with the natural sounds from the woods and streams. We aim to be comfortable, close to nature and focused on slow, healthy adventures which reduces stress levels.
What are your plans and goals for the future?
The plan is to have a consistent number of guests from May to November. We plan to provide inspirational events and run our glamping site close to 100% sustainable. We would like to grow more in our garden and develop our health, beauty and probiotic products.
And finally, if you could give one piece of advice to other glampsite operators, what would it be?
Find your own concept. Don’t copy what all the others are doing. Look for what you have next door and what solutions you can provide for your customers.
‘Read’ the nature and the site, and be passionate about what different things that you offer. If not, just drop it and change to something else.
Remember: People can always feel your presence and passion.
