Former front figure of the Organic Land Association and Danish billionaire founder establish a joint restaurant company

Tourists and residents in North Zealand can look forward to a handful of new local dining establishments in the coming years. They will be located on small organic farms, where the tenants produce many of the raw materials themselves and work according to regenerative principles that prioritize nature and the desire to leave the land in better condition than they found it.

The eateries are planned to be established on several of the estate properties that billionaire Jacob Jelsing has already begun acquiring through the company Earthbrake ApS.

In an interview with Børsen, he explained recently that his initial goal is to purchase 1,000 hectares of land and convert most of it into nature. He has already acquired the first 750 hectares, and funding for the upcoming investments is secured, as Jacob Jelsing has amassed a billion-dollar fortune as a co-founder and co-owner of the biotech company Cubra.

Has taken over Rabarbergaarden

One of his acquisitions includes Rabarbergaarden, located on the outskirts of the village Holløse in North Zealand. Here, the couple Louise Køster and Thomas Køster have spent 20 years developing a holistic, organic, and regenerative farm-to-table universe, which includes agriculture, horticulture, a restaurant, bakery, farm shop, and school gardens, where production, communication, and gastronomy are closely interconnected.

It was also here that the couple met Jacob Jelsing and his wife Camilla Zacho.

»They often came to dine at Rabarbergaarden. In that way, we got to know each other, and we started talking about how to utilize the premises and buildings that no longer needed to be used for farming, so that there could be more life on the properties. It’s about getting younger tenants to move into the farms and work with agriculture and run a dining place where the menu is based on their own and local ingredients,« Louise Køster tells Økologisk Nu.

As more small productions are established, the idea is that the farms will exchange raw materials with each other.

»In this way, we create greater transparency regarding where the ingredients come from.«

Clear division of roles

The two couples agreed to create a joint restaurant business called Stedbundet. Using Rabarbergaarden as a model, it aims to establish the new sustainable eateries, with a clear division of roles: Jacob Jelsing and Camilla Zacho will provide the capital for future investments, while Louise and Thomas Køster will both be employed as directors of Stedbundet.

»For us, it’s a fantastic opportunity at this stage of life. In Stedbundet, we get to use all the knowledge we’ve gained at Rabarbergaarden and pass it on to younger passionate people, who will be our arms and legs,« Louise Køster says.

However, she emphasizes that this is not a purely philanthropic project.

»It’s important that the operations are sustainable, so we need to show that the properties can be transformed into viable businesses. We need to explore what opportunities exist on each property, and then talk to the municipalities to see what can be achieved,« says the director, who has never been afraid to lead the way and explore new paths.

Two years at the forefront of organic farming

Louise Køster was the chairperson of the Organic Association for nearly two years until she chose to step down in January 2022 due to criticism of the organization’s role as a co-author of the report 'From Feed to Food II'.

But that setback has not dampened her commitment to organic farming, and in 2024, she and Thomas Køster established Rabarbergaarden Slottet. It is an organic restaurant located in the former carriage house behind Slotherrens House at Frederiksborg Castle, but with the new collaboration around Stedbundet, they will take on a new role.

»It’s not intended for us to be directly involved in the operation of the properties and their restaurants, so we will look for tenants who want to work with the land and run a restaurant,« Louise Køster says.

As part of this process, the Køster family already handed over the operation of Rabarbergaarden to a younger tenant couple a year ago. This gave them time and energy to fully commit to the collaboration with Stedbundet, where Rabarbergaarden’s two restaurants are currently the only affiliated eateries, but more are on the way, according to Louise Køster, who expects the first new restaurant to be launched in early 2027.

After many years as an independent, it’s a completely new situation for Louise Køster to become an employee, but she looks forward to the role.

»You could say we’re getting a bit of the best of all worlds.«

Her assessment is that the timing is perfect, as Denmark has just elected its greenest government to date, which is committed to making it easier to establish small-scale farms.

»We hope the new government will support our plans to create more small, local organic farms,« Louise Køster concludes.