Help yourself to Ørje's culinary delights

Help Yourself to Ørje's Culinary Delights

Paid collaboration with Guldkorn – Taste Østfold!

By: Renate Schjolden, food writer

Beautifully situated along the Halden Canal, Ørje is a charming and cosy town with cafés and shops. At the heart of the town lies the local food shop “Matfatet Ørje”, run by the local food producers themselves. Proud farmers, firmly rooted in the land, along with four passionate coffee enthusiasts, have created a marketplace offering visitors and locals the very best produce the region has to offer. And there’s no shortage of delights!

The areas surrounding the Halden Canal boast a varied and rich landscape, fostering a diversity of produce while preserving traditional culinary practices. The farmers here have adapted their operations to maintain a vibrant cultural landscape amidst wild nature. In the welcoming premises, you can purchase regional specialities from over 40 different producers.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more impressive selection. The chilled display at Matfatet Ørje is brimming with meat, fish, and dairy products, all rooted in sustainable farming, animal welfare, and exceptional quality. Among the offerings, you’ll find barbecue meats and cured delicacies such as Norsk Ullgris pork, Dexter beef, and cured mutton from Mellomfange Gård, goat meat from Berger Gård, and fresh eggs from Krog Søndre.

Camilla Nordmo is the driving force behind Matfatet Ørje. In addition to raising Smaalensgås geese and brewing craft beer at Taraldrud Gård with her husband Kjartan, she also takes her regular shifts in the shop. Camilla is passionately committed to creating a vibrant and evolving local community.

Every year, small batches of craft beer are brewed using barley grown in the fields just outside the brewery door. Beers such as Fløtærølen, Slåttekær, Grepa Kær, Kårkæll, the Christmas beer, and the special Soot-spel beer for summer are all available at the counter in Matfatet and at the sales stall by the locks during Ørje's summer market.

Hilde Jaavall from Joval Gård is also one of the key contributors. She and her husband, Morten, run a deer farm and offer accommodation as well as guided hunting and fishing tours. Hilde takes great pride in following her produce from farm to table and shares that their venison sausages and patties are incredibly popular, selling like hotcakes at the shop.

One of the producers that fills the entire space with their presence is Ørje Kaffebrenneri. The roaster itself doesn’t take up much room, but the delightful aroma of freshly roasted coffee permeates the whole shop. If anything draws people in from the street, it’s the four passionate local coffee enthusiasts: Lars, Anette, Christian, and Roar. With a heart for the community and a love for great coffee, they import carefully selected coffee beans, which are roasted right here in the shop.

The local community takes great pride in the fact that a small town like Ørje has its own coffee roastery. When "Barista-Lars" opens the doors at 6 a.m. on Friday mornings, the shop quickly fills with the "morning club." At its peak, up to 70 loyal coffee drinkers have gathered to enjoy a cup of freshly brewed coffee and a friendly chat before breakfast.

The municipality's police liaison, Ida, enjoys starting her day with the morning club when she has office hours in Ørje.

That the farmers' passion for their community is contagious is beyond doubt. Ina and Irene, newcomers from Oslo, have both fallen in love with this small town. Ina has gotten involved in the local theatre group and contributes to the cosy atmosphere at Matfatet Ørje by creating a Spotify playlist called "Kaffekos," which sets the perfect mood for the shop.

If you visit Matfatet Ørje or take a flavourful detour to the farmers’ own farm shops, you can enjoy relaxed shopping and culinary experiences in beautiful natural surroundings along the Halden Canal.

Life in the countryside is good—also for day-trippers!