Smakbyn & Co
Smakbyn opened in autumn of 2012. It was the start of Michael and Jenny Björklund’s project, which they had dreamed of and planned for several years. “We thought the name Smakbyn suited us well because it connects everything we do and create in our big family. From the beginning, the idea was to create an oasis with good food, drink, artisanal produced food and drink and, above all, pleasant socialising. We want Smakbyn to grow into a small village full of flavoursome experiences. The goal is to constantly offer something new, tasty and inspiring.
Together in Smakbyn
Smakbyn is a happy bunch of chefs, waiters and other staff. We are a mix of different nationalities and ages, but we all have one thing in common – we care about our guests. Our number one goal every day is to make sure our guests have the best time possible.
Everyone in the kitchen contributes to the fantastic food, which is made from scratch with selected ingredients of the best quality. As our kitchen is open, we appreciate that our chefs enjoy meeting people and are happy to offer a smile to everyone who passes by.
We are always looking for more great people to join our team. The most important thing for us is that you are happy and friendly – the rest we can teach you! Get in touch if you want to be part of Smakbyn!
Tom
If you find someone who knows more than this man, we’ll treat you to ice cream! Tom is a star in construction and mechanics. With his positive mindset and joy for creating, he motivates the entire staff. His greatest strength is logical thinking. In his free time, he likes hunting and fishing. Without food, he goes crazy, lucky for him he works in a restaurant!
Rebecca
Rebecca, is responsible for communication within all our companies, together with Wille. No one is better at organization and planning than she is! She is the spider in the web, keeping track of 1000 things at once. Efficiency is her middle name. In her free time, she loves going to the cottage and drinking sparkling wine in wool socks.
Ted
Our head chef Ted is an old new favorite at Smakbyn. In recent years, he has developed a great interest in fishing. If you hear someone singing (rather than well) when you step into the restaurant, it’s pretty sure that Ted is at work. He digs dance band music and fancy ballads. Ted has a hot temper and likes it when things move quickly!
William
William, together with Rebecca, is responsible for communication within all our companies. He is a very skilled graphic designer and photographer. Informally, he is also Micke’s personal stylist and Finnish teacher; he both trims the beard and helps Micke with Finnish. In his free time, you’ll surely find him somewhere along the shoreline fishing. William usually works remotely from Vaasa, but he likes to visit us now and then when the longing for colleagues and the paradise island becomes too great.
Anni
Anni is like a whole rainbow palette both in style and spirit, at work but also in private life. She is the glittery work friend you turn to for discussing new ideas, but also if you want new perspectives on things. She is great at administrative tasks and planning and organizing things. She spends her free time in a sweaty workout, with friends on a schlager cruise, or on an outing with her family.
Gabriela
Gabriela is a true multi-talent; she can do anything! She is small and feisty, keeping track of both big and small things. Gabriela knows everything about social media, events, and recruitment, and she is the queen of Åland Distillery’s restaurant. She can drive a van full of Christmas food through a wintry Finland, climb ladders, organize Murder mystery events, and keep both our pastry chef and sometimes even Micke in check! Gabriela is currently on maternity leave.
Raimonds
Raimonds is the guy everyone wants to stay on good terms with. He is the one who distills and produces all the alcohol in our distillery, delivers it further, and serves as the janitor at Smakbyn. There is almost nothing he can’t fix. In his free time, he is the king of the volleyball court and a happy family man.
Michael Björklund
Michael Björklund is our chef, restaurateur, Robinson winner, 2-time Chef of the Year, and now also an influencer. Micke runs Smakbyn together with Jenny Björklund. He travels back and forth for work to kitchens in various restaurants, gives lectures, records TV shows, and trains future chefs. He has many irons in the fire, but if you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of him stirring the pots at Smakbyn. However, he is happiest at home in the sauna down by the beach, where he can bathe for hours on end.
Jenny Björklund
Jenny runs Smakbyn together with Micke.
She is the boss at the office and is the one holding all the strings together, as well as Micke…
Jenny is a businesswoman with a heart of gold! When Jenny is off-duty, she enjoys cozying up at home with her family and dachshunds, or traveling and enjoying bubbly moments with family and friends.
Social sustainability
An important part of our Green Key approach is our work on social sustainability. We actively work to ensure the well-being of those around us, both our staff and others. For us, both big and small things are important, which is evident, for example, when we raise money for charity, offer Christmas food to those in need or organise staff days where our employees can socialise and have a good time together.
Michael Björklund
Michael Björklund is a chef who needs no introduction in the Nordic region. Since his youth, he has been a familiar face on the major culinary scenes. He has focused on promoting Nordic food, ingredients and producers. Michael has been named Chef of the Year in both Sweden and Finland, won fifth place in the Bocuse d’Or chef competition, and is a Finnish Food Ambassador for New Nordic Food. For the general public, Michael is a familiar face from several popular TV programmes and cookbooks. Back home in Åland, locals and thousands of summer guests know Michael Björklund best as Micke, a hospitable chef and restaurateur.
Read more about Micke on his website. Where you can also download press photos:
Come work with us!
Come and join our happy gang!
In Smakbyn there are a whole bunch of happy people working. Our common denominator is probably our passion for food and that we all have a thick skin!
In Smakbyn, everyone takes their responsibility and contributes with what they can. That’s probably why we have so much fun together! We also like to sing for our guests, some more than others. If you are open and interested, good with people and to be social, then maybe it is you we are looking for as an addition to our gang.
