Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephen Swanstrom.
Hi Stephen, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Growing up I loved to watch my mom, grandma, and my great aunt make all these amazing desserts. At a young age, I thought they were so talented at what they did. Watching their technique of kneading bread, multi-tasking in the kitchen, to adding the final touches to their amazing desserts. All the stuff they did in the kitchen inspired me and they didn’t know it then but they were planting that seed.
That seed started to grow when I was out of high school. I started baking little things here and there. From there I kept growing. My mom, grandma, and great-aunt were always there to answer my questions and helped me grow into the baker I am today. I started The Norse Bakehouse early in 2021 with the help of my amazing wife. I started out making the typical cupcakes and cakes but now specialize in Scandinavian baked goods.
I put my heart and soul into what I make. It is truly a passion of mine. I love seeing people’s reactions to these delicate and rich desserts. Memories come flooding back from their childhood about their grandparents and it brings me pure joy to hear those memories. I’m looking forward to hearing more of those memories.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of the biggest struggles was deciding to go full-time into the bakery. It was a very difficult decision for my wife and me to make. Another struggle was starting our first few vendor fairs. We tried to have a bakery case where customers can pick what they want and we will package them up.
We found out that this was more difficult to do and time-consuming. It was about a few vendor fairs into the season that we decided to pre-package everything. Doing so made everything much easier. Looking back and thinking of all the licenses we need was a struggle. There are quite a few different licenses that we need for certain events, but the main one we needed was the Minnesota Cottage Food Handler License.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I started a side bakery business in 2020 called Swan’s Sweets. It wasn’t much but it was the start of my journey. It wasn’t until August 2022 that I started working full-time in my bakery. I decided to change the name to The Norse Bakehouse.
I specialize in Scandinavian baked goods. Half of my family is from Norway and the other half is from Sweden. My family has a lot of rich recipes that have been passed down through generations. Recipes like lefse, Krumkake, fattigmon, julekaka, rommogrot, rosettes, sandbakkels, Swedish Tea Rings, and Icelandic Coffee Wreath. I want to provide these old traditional baked goods for customers who for one, haven’t had them in a long time, two, remember making them with their grandparents and want them again, and three just want to try them.
Another thing I like to do is make new Scandinavian baked goods that you would see in Scandinavia nowadays. Recipes like Skolbrod, Swedish Princess Torte Cake, Kannelbullar, Swedish Semlors, and Danish Raspberry Squares. I did a lot of research and experiment with all the new baked goods in Scandinavia. I wanted to bring the old and combine it with the new.
I know for a fact that being a Scandinavian bakery already sets me apart from other bakeries in Duluth. There just isn’t anything like that in Duluth. I want people to try the beauty of Scandinavian baked goods. One of my favorite things to make is Rommogrot (Norwegian Pudding). I make it every winter and it’s served warm with melted butter and cinnamon/sugar on top. Just perfect for a cold winter day.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Reach out on social media and share all the events that we have coming up.
Leave comments or reviews if you purchase any baked goods. Let us know how we did. Comments and reviews help us grow. Come to the vendor fairs and stop by to say “Hello.” Just that little act of support is amazing to us.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thenorsebakehouse.com
- Instagram: @thenorsebakehouse
- Facebook: @thenorsebakehouse
