H  I  S  T  O  R  Y    L I L L A  S K Ä R E T (for the kids)   C O N T A C T  U S

H O W T O  F I N D  U S     C H R I S T M A S      O U R H O U R S      

The Summer Cottage That Grew

 “Flickorna Lundgren” - “The Girls at Skäret”, “The Sisters of Skäret”, “The Lundgren’s Coffee Cottage”: the list of names given to this nationally known coffee cottage is long indeed. The cottage itself is located in the tiny fishing village of Skäret, between the towns of Arild and Jonstorp, on the beautiful Kulla peninsula. It was built in 1732 as a fishing and agricultural crofter’s holding. Mat’s grandfather, Alexander, purchased the cottage in 1927 for 150 Swedish crowns. It was to be used as a summer recreational home for his very large family. The cottage was rundown and in need of repair. The rocky fields required plowing and were eventually made into gardens. At the time, Alexander, a native of Skäret, was farming in the nearby town of Allerum. He worked hard to better his holdings at Skäret. Among his many contributions were two stately chestnut trees planted at the entrance of the gardens, welcoming friends and family. The family’s little nest at Skäret quickly became a popular attraction. People flocked to see Grandfather Alexander and Grandmother Anna and their seven daughters. Visitors became accustomed to being treated to freshly brewed coffee and homemade baked goods.

By the end of the 1930’s times were hard and Alexander considered selling his beloved cottage at Skäret. It is said that great ideas are often born in times of crisis. True to the saying, Alexander’s daughters wondered, “Why not start a coffee cottage and charge a fee for the coffee?”
     And so it was... On 1 May, 1938, Greta, Ebba, Marta, and Rut opened “The Lundgren Girls”. There were so many guests that even the younger sisters, Anna, Britt-Marie and Ella, had to lend a hand.
     The years went by and there seemed to be more and more to do. At first all of the baking was done in the cottage but as the demand for their goods grew, so did the need for a better bakery. A separate bakery was thus built in 1939. Local fishermen’s wives were employed to wash dishes and polish the copper kettles, which had already become standard for “The Lundgren Girls”.

Photo from the beginning of the 1940’s

Cordial Greetings to the King

The family business survived World War II. On 9 July, 1945, Gustav Adolf, the crown prince of Sweden, (later to become his majesty, King Gustav Adolf VI), and a party of followers traveled to the Kulla peninsula. They had come to witness the eclipse of the sun and on the recommendation of the King’s assistant, visited “The Lundgren Girls” for the very first time. From that day forward the future king became a loyal guest, right up until his death in 1972. He was faithful in coming several times per year. He would often make daytrips bringing guests from his summer home, Sofiero. The king, who was quite interested in flowers and gardening, would sometimes bring small plants and saplings, happily exchanging them for a box of his favorite cookies, vanilla hearts.

King Gustav Adolf VI arrives

More Guests, Fewer Sisters

In the beginning of the 1960’s only Rut, Marta, Britt-Marie, and Ella remained in the family business. Rut, who had tired of serving coffee, wanted to venture out on her own and start a ceramic business. The sisters decided to allow Rut her freedom and she started her potter’s cottage. It might be mentioned that Rut did indeed start ”serving” again, only this time she served more than just coffee. Rut opened a restaurant,Rut på Skäret, and ran the establishment until her death in 1980.

Sisters Britt-Marie, Ella, and Marta. This photo, from the early 1970’s, remains our bestselling postcard.

The Business Grows

During the 1960’s the number of visitors to the coffee cottage increased considerably. Tour buses found their way to little Skäret and the press began writing about “The Lundgren Girls”. The automobile became more commonly used for excursions and vacations and people started traveling farther from home. The entries in the guestbooks can testify to the many miles covered in order to find peace and quiet under the chestnut trees at Skäret: a cup of freshly brewed coffee in one hand, a vanilla heart in the other

Postcard from the 1960’s

The Sisters’ Lad and His Lass

The Lundgren girls, Marta, Britt-Marie, and Ella, had now run the business for fifty years. In 1988 a second generation was ready to take over. After spending a few years in the capital city of Stockholm, Ella’s son, Mats, returned to Skäret ready to shoulder the responsibility. His wife, Anki, recently deceased, joined him shortly thereafter. A third generation can be seen today, serving coffee and cookies to the guests. Their recipe for success is respect: a respect for the ambience and  traditions passed down by the generations before them while carefully striving to modernize the operation.

The Fejne Family

Spend Christmas With Us

One of the first ”innovative” moves made by Mats and Anki was to open the café during the weeks of Advent in December. Christmas baskets, laden with cookies and goodies, have become popular for companies looking to give gifts to their customers and personnel. Many people make it their tradition to visit Skäret during the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season. It is here that they can experience the beauty of winter at Skäret and enjoy an old-fashioned Christmas atmosphere.

Skäret at Advent

 In Case of Rain...

A Swedish summer is wonderful but the weather can be quite changeable. Taking this into consideration, the family began building a greenhouse in the garden. Well aware that they were “breaking tradition”, they proceeded with great care. The greenhouse, with its rippling fountains and dazzling greenery, would ensure that the guests stayed comfortable and dry. Many loyal guests asked, “How could they?” Truth be told, it was a very difficult decision and one made only after mindful consideration.
     The condition of the cottage from 1732 was also a factor in the decision to build the greenhouse. Accommodating no more than fifty guests at a time, the cottage was too small and was beginning to show wear and tear.
     Today the greenhouse, overlooking flowers, fruit trees, and the garden pond, is just as much a part of “The Lundgren Girls” as the cottage from the 1700’s.

The greenhouse and the pond

The New Skanian Kitchen

The latest change took place in 2004, when it was decided to move the kitchen. The old kitchen was much too small and the dishwasher shook the whole house. The roof (195 cm.) was too low for the coffee machine and the personnel kept bumping into the guests. The new greenhouse became home to a new kitchen, finely camouflaged with a thatched roof. The old kitchen is now a souvenir shop and sandwich pantry.

The new kitchen

Just Like It Used To Be, Only Better
 

As part of their cultural inheritance, ”The Lundgren Girls” strive to fit in with their pastoral surroundings. Anki and Mats planted two chestnut trees just as Alexander Lundgren did so many years ago. This was to celebrate that a new generation had come of age, a generation that has been busy taking care of business for over ten years. Every summer over 65,000 guests are served and approximately 37,000 homemade vanilla hearts are made in our very own bakery. In 2008, “The Lundgren Girls” celebrated its 70th anniversary. Changes are inevitable, but no matter what happens, Mats and his “girls” promise to carry on “The Lundgren Girls’” tradition. There will always be freshly brewed coffee and vanilla hearts at Skäret but there will also be room for new and exciting surprises in the future.   
 

The cottage as seen from the backside; the new greenhouse is to the right

H  I  S  T  O  R  Y    L I L L A  S K Ä R E T (for the kids)   C O N T A C T  U S

H O W T O  F I N D  U S     C H R I S T M A S      O U R H O U R S