Per Hallundbaek is a Danish chef best known for leading the kitchen at Falsled Kro, the historic gourmet inn on the south coast of Funen, from 2008 to 2017. Before that he built Hotel Engo Gard in Norway into one of that country’s most admired dining and accommodation destinations. He is recognised as one of the established figures of Danish and Nordic gastronomy.
His cooking is rooted in classical technique and high-quality Nordic produce, and his career has been built around destination restaurants in beautiful coastal settings, alongside his own beer and sparkling-wine production and a strong commitment to charitable work.
TL;DR
- Danish chef, an established figure on the Danish and Nordic food scene
- Head chef at Falsled Kro on Funen from 2008 to 2017
- Previously built Hotel Engo Gard in Norway into a leading dining destination
- Twice runner-up in the Danish Chef of the Year competition (1997 and 1999)
- Produces his own beer and sparkling wine, and works as an ambassador for several children’s charities
Per Hallundbaek key facts
| Nationality | Danish |
| Defining restaurant | Falsled Kro, Faldsled, Funen (head chef 2008-2017) |
| Earlier role | Hotel Engo Gard, Norway |
| Style | Classical technique with high-quality Nordic produce |
| Recognition | Runner-up, Danish Chef of the Year (1997 and 1999); Rioja scholarship 1997 |
| Other work | Own beer and sparkling wine; charity ambassador |
Career
Per Hallundbaek made his early name in Denmark, placing second in the Danish Chef of the Year competition in both 1997 and 1999 and winning the Rioja scholarship in 1997. He went on to run Hotel Engo Gard in Norway with his wife Randi Schmidt, turning it into one of the country’s most successful dining and accommodation establishments.
Falsled Kro
At the end of 2008 Hallundbaek and Schmidt were recruited from Engo Gard to Falsled Kro, the celebrated half-timbered inn at Faldsled on the south coast of Funen. He led the kitchen there from 2008 until 2017, maintaining the inn’s long-standing reputation as one of Denmark’s classic gourmet destinations, before Kasper Tind Hasse took over as head chef.
Signature style and other work
Hallundbaek’s cooking is grounded in classical technique and the best Nordic raw materials, in the destination-restaurant tradition of inns like Falsled Kro and Engo Gard. Beyond the kitchen he produces his own beer and sparkling wine, and has worked as a guest chef at festivals and courses across Norway, Germany, Austria, Thailand, the USA, Denmark and Switzerland. He is also an ambassador for charities supporting families with children affected by cancer, Children of the Street and Terre des Hommes.
Awards and recognition
- Runner-up, Danish Chef of the Year, 1997 and 1999
- Rioja scholarship, 1997
- Danish “potato prize”, 1998
- Nordic beer of the year award for his own brewing
Per Hallundbaek in context
Hallundbaek belongs to the generation of Danish chefs who built the country’s reputation for destination dining, in the same broad scene as Jesper Koch in Sonderjylland and the Copenhagen fine-dining chefs Soren Selin of AOC and Rasmus Kofoed of Geranium.
Follow Per Hallundbaek
Hallundbaek Food – official site
Per Hallundbaek FAQ
Where did Per Hallundbaek cook?
He was head chef at Falsled Kro on the south coast of Funen from 2008 to 2017, and earlier ran Hotel Engo Gard in Norway.
What is Falsled Kro?
A historic half-timbered gourmet inn at Faldsled near Millinge on Funen, long regarded as one of Denmark’s classic destination restaurants.
What is Per Hallundbaek known for?
Classical, produce-led Nordic cooking at destination inns, plus his own beer and sparkling-wine production and his charity work.
Has he won awards?
He was runner-up in the Danish Chef of the Year competition in 1997 and 1999, won the Rioja scholarship in 1997, and has been recognised for his brewing.
What is he doing now?
He left Falsled Kro in 2017 and continues his own food, beer and event work under the Hallundbaek name.
