I stayed at this Norwegian island village with its own distillery
On the island of Fedje, north of Bergen you can stay in a former sardine factory and enjoy the local spirits
A Norwegian island village with a distillery was the proposition. The island is Fedje, the distillery Feddie Ocean and it makes a magical combination.
Home to 500 humans and plenty of sheep, the island was once fuelled by fish and had double the population. But the canning, herring and tuna have long gone.
Today a new distillery is creating an economic base, bringing employment, visitors and a vision for the future. With a 90-minute direct flight from Edinburgh to Bergen it had to be seen.
.jpeg?crop=3:2,smart&trim=&width=640&quality=65)
After a 90-minute drive north from Bergen we reach Sævrøy where an electric car ferry provides a free voyage to Fedje. The 30-minute crossing is just enough time to try a svele med brunost (a piece of slightly sweet brown cheese wrapped in what is essentially a Scotch pancake). This is traditional Norwegian ferry fare – and it prepares us nicely for our island adventure.
We leave the deep swell of the open water and slide between the sheltering arms of land. We seem at times to be in touching distance of the wooden houses that cling to the rocky shore in what appears to be typical Norwegian fashion. Nothing seems beyond a builder’s ingenuity here.
Beside the quay is the distillery building – an old fish processing plant. Close by on the harbour side is Fab 8, another former industrial site – a sardine factory. It is our home for the night.
Budget or boutique
Our apartment in Fab 8 has no sign of sardines, in fact it is spacious and furnished in Scandi style – all beech and sandy colours.
Room service
There are eight three-bedroom apartments and a larger one for groups. The smaller set are named after women who worked at Bjelland’s sardine factory which operated until 1995. In Klara, we have a large, light-drenched open-plan kitchen-living room. The kitchen is well kitted out, there’s free wifi and a generous shower room serves all three bedrooms.
But what makes this apartment is the wide deck overlooking the harbour. There’s also a terrace at the other side of the apartment so you can chase the sun.
Wining and dining
As Fab8 is self catering, we have brought cod from Bergen’s fish market and my host cooks it simply in Norwegian style – served with eggs, mashed potatoes, broccoli and cherry tomatoes. She serves a cider from the orchards of Hardanger, east of Bergen, where the slow growth gives the apples an intense flavour. In the morning we have smoked trout and scrambled eggs with rolls from the village supermarket located underneath the distillery.
To eat out, close at hand are Pernille Mat & Bar and Losen Pizza & Søte Saker and a short drive away is Sankerens Løe which specialises in local food.
Worth getting out of bed for?
The distillery is the main draw but don’t miss exploring the rest of the 7.4 sq km island. We walked to a granite headland where there are plans for a dramatic hotel which will have uninterrupted views of the ocean. On the way are the remains of a Second World War German camp, including the reservoir they built for the 500 soldiers based at the radar station.
Today the island is the site of an important vessel traffic station, responsible for shipping in this busy part of the North Sea.
At another headland is a signpost to Shetland – 200km away – as Fedje is closer to Lerwick than Oslo. Here, as the sun sets, this wild rocky island feels as remote as you can get.
At the picturesque Hellisøy Lighthouse, a section of the North Sea Trail passes by. The trail has been conceived as a hiking route along the coast of the North Sea passing through seven countries. It could total nearly 5,000km, but only 3,700km have been developed. On Fedje, the Trail makes a popular hike with a municipal day-trip cabin, Aurihophytta, a perfect lunch stop.
After exploring, a sit down seems a good idea and with a sauna on a jetty close to Fab 8, muscles recover as we gaze out to the the harbour scene.
However, it is the Feddie Ocean Distillery that brings folk to Fedje. On paper, what sets this distillery apart is the fact it has been funded by women. But it is more than that – its spirits capture not just its island location but idiosyncrasies too.
A tour reveals how it crafts organic whisky, gin, vodka and aquavit and what drives it – from inherited stills to a focus on sustainability. Its Nine Sisters London Dry gin is inspired by Norse mythology and the spirits of the waves, the daughters of sea gods Ægir and Ran. Feddie’s vodka is distilled with oyster shells and lemon peel, making a delicious spirit and utilising an often discarded resource. We meet Kevin Jo Hansen, the distillery’s production manager, draining the macerated dates over a bucket as he creates a Christmas aquavit.
It is the whisky that’s putting Feddie on the map. Its first release in 2024 is distinctly its own animal not copying anyone else’s style. For those with industry knowledge the fact that Martin Tønder Smith is at the helm tells you the blending is in safe hands. The whisky captures its ocean location: the water is from streams soaked by seawater in the storms; the barrels are matured in a shed on the sea’s edge. This briny note sits with fruits and toffee in a whisky that is uniquely of the island.
The draconian Norwegian alcohol laws mean distillery purchases are limited to souvenirs because you have to buy bottles either from a state liquor shop or duty-free at the airport.
Little extras
You can dock your own boat at the door.
Guest book comment
Fedje is a magical island that will find a place in your heart.
Accommodation: Fab 8, Sardinfabrikken, Kremmarholmen 43, 5947 Fedje, Norway (+47 55 99 00 61, https://www.fedjeisland.no)
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.