Man in a light-colored shirt standing against a textured wall with a 'BORD' sign.

Everyday Flow

- A Conversation with Joel Aronsson

Early morning in Stockholm. Inside Bord, the wood oven burns quietly. Our favourite chef, Joel Aronsson, founder of Bord and former head chef at Fäviken, one of the world’s most acclaimed restaurants, moves through his everyday routine as we photograph Aarke’s new Coffee Press.

Aarke: Tell us a bit about yourself. Where did it all start?

Joel: I’m from Småland. When I was sixteen, I moved to Åre to attend culinary school, mostly because I wanted to snowboard. I spent more time on the slopes than in math class. In my final year, we had to do an internship, and I ended up at Fäviken Magasinet, of all places. That’s when everything changed. It was like a light switch turning on, I realised this was it. Cooking wasn’t just something I liked; it was what I was supposed to do.

Person in a kitchen preparing food with a tray of seafood and a lemon on a cutting board.

“It was obsessive, but also beautiful. That kind of precision stays with you.”

- Joel Aronsson

Aarke: Fäviken had quite a reputation.

Joel: Yeah, it was like playing in the Champions League of cooking. Everything had to be perfect, every leaf, every movement, every sound in the kitchen. I still remember running out into the mud, wearing rubber boots, picking one single chard leaf for each guest. It was obsessive, but also beautiful. That kind of precision stays with you.

Aarke: What did you take away from that time?

Joel: The idea is simple: if you can do something better, you should. That’s something I still live by, in the kitchen and outside of it. It’s a mindset that keeps you moving, even when everything feels routine.

Aarke: How did that lead to Bord?

Joel: I had always wanted to create my own restaurant, and after Fäviken, I felt it was time. Eventually, I wanted my own space, something small but serious. We opened Bord in January 2023. It still feels unreal sometimes. I’m most proud of the people, the team we built, that’s what makes everything work. They’ve been here since day one. It feels like a family, but one that’s obsessed with getting better.

Person pouring coffee from a steel Coffee Press into a ceramic cup on a kitchen counter.

Stainless steel coffee press on a kitchen counter with various items including a tray and bowls.

“It’s the same rhythm every day, but it never feels repetitive. That’s what I like, structure, but room to move inside it.”

- Joel Aronsson

Aarke: You talk about flow. How do you find that, day to day?

Joel: Every day is pretty much the same, but never exactly the same. I wake up, work out, and walk over here. I live just a few hundred metres away. I light the wood oven, make a coffee and a glass of sparkling water. It takes about half an hour for the oven to heat up, that’s a calm moment. I’m usually alone then, so I think a bit, maybe answer messages, and take care of the produce that arrives in the morning. When the oven’s ready, I start baking baguettes. By noon, the rest of the team comes in. We drink coffee, talk about the day, and get started. It’s the same rhythm every day, but it never feels repetitive. That’s what I like, structure, but room to move inside it.

Two chefs in a kitchen setting, one reading a menu and the other looking at a plate with food.

Aarke: You also have a strong connection to coffee.

Joel: Yeah, I love coffee. I’ve been drinking coffee from David Haugaard since around 2013. We work with him at the restaurant too. At home, I hand-brew my coffee every morning and use Aarke’s grinder; it’s become part of my ritual. Putting on some music, grinding, brewing, waiting. It’s not about getting caffeinated, but about starting the day.

Aarke: You’ve built something that feels alive, full of energy. How do you keep that balance?

Joel: The atmosphere matters as much as the food. Guests can tell if a restaurant is tired. If the team isn’t having a good time, the guest won’t either. We try to keep things serious, but also fun. We open a good bottle together after service. Sometimes we blind taste, argue, guess, laugh. That energy carries through.

Aarke: And what’s next?

Joel: I love running Bord, and I think having one small restaurant is perfect, it keeps me cooking as a restaurateur and lets me run down to the cellar to grab a bottle of wine. But I want to keep developing, making the food tastier and the wine cellar deeper every day. Maybe one day, I’ll take over a space nearby where guests can go for a glass before or after dinner at Bord.