History of
SØBOGAARD
The start of Søbogaard
It all started at Kimmerslev Lake.
This is where Poul Hansen grew up on the farm “Søbogaard,” with a view of the water, the church, and the surrounding landscape. A protected area where nature reigns supreme, and where you can’t just build over things when they grow. In the spring of 1976, the farm buzzed with activity for the first time. 80,000 bees arrived at Søbogaard when beekeeper Åge Nielsen Karlstrup brought two bee colonies with him. They flew into the green forests of central Zealand and out over bright clover fields. It wasn’t long before they produced more honey than we could eat ourselves.
With jars of honey in hand, we made our way to Køge Torv. We started small there, but gradually the business grew. By the time we reached 250 bee colonies, the town square was no longer enough, and we had to go all the way to Copenhagen to find customers for our honey. “Kaffe, The og Vinkælderen” on Frederiksborggade—now Rosenborggade—became our very first customer in the capital. Since then, we’ve expanded our product line to include juice and jam, among other things, and new varieties are constantly finding their way onto the shelves.
Elderflower in the 1980s
As early as the 1980s, Søbogaard was running Denmark’s first organic elderberry plantation. The first time we presented our elderflower drink was at the Skanderborg Festival. Here, it wasn’t the drink that drew people in. It was the nail board. So before heading back home to Borup from Denmark’s Most Beautiful Festival, we had to pour Søbogaard’s very first batch of elderflower drink out into the woods.
That's what beginnings can look like, too.
But we didn't give up.
Later, we managed to make a breakthrough and became the first to turn elderflower into a commercial product in Denmark. Since then, we have introduced organic elderflower lemonade to cafés right under the noses of large foreign companies, and for several years we have even paid more taxes in Denmark than many of them.
Elderflower in the 2020s
Of course, we can’t pick all the elderflowers in Denmark ourselves, but sometimes we feel like giving it a try anyway.
So in 2025, we all headed to Funen for a few days to hunt for fragrant elderflowers. It’s been many years since we last did that, but you know… there’s something special about following the ingredient all the way from field to bottle.
And it doesn't hurt that it smells absolutely amazing while you're at it.
Søbogaard and Nepal
In 1999, the story took a new turn. Søbogaard became part of a Danida project in Nepal focused on elderberry cultivation, the development of organic standards, and new concepts for ice cream, jam, and beverages. The first elderberry bushes were planted, but shortly thereafter the civil war broke out. The very day after the war ended, our Nepalese partner called: The shooting had stopped. We could return.
In September 2007, we therefore returned to the country. The trees hadn’t fared well, so we started over. New plants were flown in, including strawberries, which were planted at different heights. Since there were no organic farming regulations in Nepal, we helped draft them. Since 2008, we have also been running a guest house on a small organic farm that we rent from seven brothers. The farm has been run organically since around 1983 by an American woman. In 2013, Søbogaard’s factory in Bhaktapur was completed, and at the top of the building we have set up both a café and a showroom.
Søbogaard today
In 2008, Ellen and Niels purchased “Store Voldsgaard” near Studsgård, where part of their production was relocated. Five years later, in 2013, Ellen became a co-owner of Søbogaard, and today the business operates from both farms.
Our office and production facilities are now based in Studsgård, while the barns on the farm in Kimmerslev serve as a warehouse for goods destined for our customers on Zealand.
Today, Søbogaard Studsgård is the leading producer of marmalade and juice.
Raw materials
We work closely with our Danish growers—both large and small. For us, it’s quite simple: the more Danish ingredients, the better. That’s why our ingredients come from both small hobby farms and large growers, and our network grows year after year. The quality of the ingredients speaks for itself. This became clear when the world-famous restaurant el Bulli chose to use Søbogaard’s products in their kitchen. For us, it is precisely the ingredients that make the difference. Because when taste is the most important thing, the foundation has to be right.
Our product is full of fun*. Its originality and flavor set it apart, and there’s plenty of room for both quality and smiles.
*We call our products "mood-enhancing" because we love telling good jokes and spreading good cheer all over the jam pot and the juice pot.
