Powered by the whole family
Food has always been a unifying factor in the Gustafsson family, who run a hotel and café in Mathildedal.
Ada Tammi was five years old when her grandparents, Harri and Tuula Gustafsson, bought the Mathildedal Ironworks in 2003 and began restoring the buildings.
She remembers wandering around the run-down industrial area with her older sister Olga, playing and exploring.
“Grandad put us children – me, my older sister and our cousins – to work as well. We carried firewood and did cleaning. The first real job I was paid for was painting the outdoor toilet building,” Ada recalls.
Especially on weekends, Ada spent time in the ironworks area with her family. They often ate fish soup made by Sami, Ada’s father, known as Ukki – Finnish for “grandpa”.
“At the time, the renovation of the area was still ongoing and the heating didn’t work. It felt like it was always cold. Even so, I have fond memories of us eating soup together with my parents and grandparents from disposable plates. Food has always been a unifying factor in our family,” Ada says.
Advertisement
The development of Mathildedal Ironworks continues to this day.
Today, fish soup prepared using the same recipe is served at the café-restaurant Hotel & Cafe Mathildedal, run by Ada’s family, which also includes a hotel as well as facilities for celebrations and meetings.
Ada has worked in the family business since the age of 14. Her two sisters, as well as her mother and father, also work there.
“I grew up here. I have only been away for one summer,” says Ada, who has a degree in hospitality management.
The development of Mathildedal Ironworks continues to this day. The latest addition is a set of Rooftop rooms built on the roof of the old assembly hall, along with a sauna and a champagne bar, which opened this year.
“The champagne bar has been named Harri’s Rooftop Lounge in memory of my late father, Harri Gustafsson,” says Ada’s mother, Krista Gustafsson.
Musical events are organised on the rooftop terrace, and the entire terrace can also be reserved for private use.
Ukki’s Fish Soup
1 kg firm potatoes
1 large onion
20 g butter
150 g cold-smoked salmon
1.5 litres water
2 vegetable stock cubes
1 bay leaf
300 ml cream
600 g salmon
Dill and salt to taste
- Wash the potatoes without peeling them and cut them into fairly large cubes, about the size of a thumb tip. Finely chop the onion.
- Cut the cold-smoked salmon into small pieces. Remove the skin from the salmon and cut it into fairly large cubes.
- Melt the butter in a large pot and add the potatoes and onion. Sauté over low heat for about 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add the cold-smoked salmon towards the end and stir.
- Add the water, stock cubes, bay leaf and cream. Simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are almost cooked.
- Add the salmon pieces and remove the pot from the heat. Season with dill and salt to taste.
Advertisement
