Kalsa Gaardsbakeri

Kalsa Gårdsbakeri is famous for the world's best lemse — a soft, sweet traditional Norwegian flatbread — known here as the legendary Ingerlemsa. But that's only the beginning. Tucked away just a stone's throw from the shimmering waters of Lake Aursunden, you'll also find the world's coziest summer café in Såmmårstuggu and a truly one-of-a-kind event space in Såmmårfjøset. With their old timber walls, warm soul, and the promise of seriously good food, these heritage buildings make Kalsa one of those rare places that simply must be on your summer itinerary.

Summer opening hours, Sundays from 23 June to 22 September:
11:00 – 17:00: Såmmårstuggu is open, serving rømmegrøt (traditional sour cream porridge) and spekemat (Norwegian cured meats), along with coffee, lemse and cakes. Såmmårfjøset is also available to rent as a private event venue.

The Lemse Entrepreneurs

Behind Kalsa Gårdsbakeri are Tove Iren Gløtheim Ryttervoll and her husband Geir Magne Ryttervoll. Anyone who knows Tove will tell you she is not one to give up. Whether you've spotted her on the football pitch, in the ski tracks, at work, or pitching in on a community project, you've met a woman with a generous helping of grit, more than her fair share of determination, plenty of drive — and a surprising amount of creativity. All of it came in handy when Kalsa Gårdsbakeri was born. And it all started with the lemse, and the recipe Tove inherited from her mother, Inger.

When Tove met Geir Magne — heir to the family farm at Brynhildsvollen on the shores of Aursunden — she found herself a farm wife practically overnight. On top of farm life, she worked at Flokk and picked up shifts at the Røros nursing home.

"After a few years of working two and three jobs, I'd had enough," Tove says. "Surely it must be possible to create a workplace that fits with the farm, and lets me be at home," she thought.

In 2008, she made up her mind: she would start a farm bakery. Full of optimism, she applied to Innovation Norway — and was turned down. "Nobody in Norway has ever made a living baking lemse by hand," they told her. "It felt like a punch to the gut," Tove recalls, "but inside, I thought, just you wait — I'll show them." That moment marked the beginning of an important partnership with Aud Kvalvik at Innovation Norway. Tove credits her with invaluable guidance, helping her grow the bakery step by step.

Creating Something of Value — A Powerful Drive

"What drives me is the wish to create something of value from what's around us, and to take care of it for the future. I was probably born a hundred years too late. It also helps to be married to a farmer who's good with his hands. Where I come up with the ideas and picture how it could turn out, Geir Magne figures out how to actually make it happen. That makes us an incredible team!" Tove says.

In the early days, Tove sent her lemser out to the nursing home and to anyone willing to taste-test her traditional baking. "They told me I should be using goat's milk instead," Tove laughs. "But it made me realise that having my mother Inger's recipe wasn't enough — I had to bake alongside her and learn all the little tricks. After that, I really got the hang of it, and started to believe in myself."

Såmmårstuggu and Såmmårfjøset

From there, as Tove tells it, things really took off. At first she rented a space where she baked lemse and pjalt (a traditional thin Norwegian cake). Then she and Geir Magne decided to restore Såmmårstuggu — the old summer parlour. "It was either that or set fire to it. The building was in such bad shape," Tove says, shaking her head. By 2012 the restoration was complete, and in the summer of 2013 they opened the doors to a Sunday summer café. People flocked in, and they loved what they saw and tasted. "It was just as important for me to hear that people had a wonderful experience as it was to earn a living from it. It helped me believe in the project. I've come to realise that making people happy gives me a real burst of energy."

True to her entrepreneurial spirit, Tove didn't stop there. She walked across the farm and looked at Såmmårfjøset — the old summer barn. "I just thought it was so beautiful. Of course, it was also a wreck — holes in the roof, a lot of damage. But when I get Geir Magne on board, it's amazing what we can pull off together." Tove smiles, clearly proud. Last summer, they opened Såmmårfjøset to the public as a venue for weddings, parties and gatherings of every kind.

Strong Women

If you visit Kalsa, you might just meet the character of Brynhild. Brynhild was the woman who cleared this very farm 450 years ago. She arrived alone with three young sons and built a roof over their heads. "When I tell her story, many people are moved to tears," Tove reveals. Brynhild has been a source of inspiration for Tove herself, alongside her grandmother, Inga Nordgård from Trysil.

"Every summer I stayed at grandmother Inga's mountain farm. She baked fresh stump (traditional flatbread) for us every morning, picked berries and made jam. She milked the cows and goats, and made cheese. Being there felt like being in heaven. She worked hard and made sure everyone was fed. Those childhood memories have shaped what I'm doing today," Tove believes. "I've been surrounded by these strong women: Inga, and my mother Inger, who took care of the four of us children when my father died and we were still small. And of course Brynhild. I recognise the toil, the strength and the endurance these women carried — so it feels meaningful to me to share Brynhild's story with the guests who come to experience Såmmårstuggu and Såmmårfjøset today."