REPORTAGE

To dare is to win

She moved to Skellefteå by chance. She bought a restaurant on a dare. For Diamanto Burström Billia, the courage to dare has become a signpost - and look how well it has turned out.

As a child, Diamanto Burström Billia stood by the sea off Athens and watched his father dive for squid. Spearfishing was his great hobby.

In large ice buckets, they would bring home squid to his mother, who would freeze them and make sure there was fresh food during the winter.

Growing up in Athens, with the sea around the corner and a childhood where there was never a shortage of seafood, has influenced her in more ways than one. Food has always been a family gathering point.

- My mother used to make a home-made dish with squid and macaroni. That's childhood for me," says Diamanto.

Today she runs the restaurant at Nordanågården in Skellefteå - where Swedish home cooking meets Greek flavors in one of the city's most historic houses.

Diamanto is moving quickly between the pots in the kitchen when we stop by before the lunch crowd starts to arrive. She forms a tight team with her younger colleagues, two women from Sorsele who have been involved since the start.

- "We have regulars, people who say they like the twist we put on our cooking. Of course, it's warming to see how people come back, it's the best receipt, she says.

A classic gets a new lease of life

Nordanågården was built as early as 1868 and has since then been a residential building, hostel and inn. When Diamanto took over at the beginning of 2022, she wanted to preserve the sense of tradition while putting her own stamp on it. This means homemade food, serving plates instead of buffets - and flavors that combine the Greek with the northern.

- We make everything from scratch. Since we're not in the center of town, we have to maintain high quality so people actually come here. Once you get here, you should get a really good lunch.

She talks about how classic dishes have been given new forms in the kitchen, flavors she brought with her from the Mediterranean. A vitello tonnato was made with elk instead of veal. The Greek stew stifado got the same treatment - also with moose meat.

- It's our own version, and we enjoy being creative. The guests notice it and we have fun in the kitchen.

A big dose of courage

As an adult, she worked as a chef in Athens, but never really got used to life in the big city. The long commutes to work, the long hours - all this took more and more of her energy. In the summer of 2015, she traveled to a small Greek holiday island and by chance met a couple where the man had followed his Swedish wife north. He told her about Sweden, about the peace and security. Something lit up inside Diamanto.

- I had already thought about leaving Athens for a smaller city. When I heard about Sweden, I felt I wanted to try it.

Through a cousin, she got in touch with a recruiter in Skellefteå who was looking for chefs. She sent her CV and was given a chance to come here.

But it took a lot of courage to take a chance.

- "It was the hardest thing I've ever done, leaving my son behind for two months to see if it worked. But I got a good feeling right away. When he finished school in June, he moved here too.

Since then, Skellefteå has become home. She says she now has two home countries.

- "My parents still live in Athens, but they visit us often. They really like Skellefteå and are happy for my life here.

New life in Nordanågården

For the first few years, she worked at other restaurants in Skellefteå. But when word got out that the owner of Nordanågården was going to retire, the idea of starting her own restaurant arose.

Again, a gamble.

- My husband said: "You have to open your own restaurant." He has really supported me all the way.

At first, she felt unsure about Swedish, especially the administrative aspects of starting a business, but she learned step by step. Today, she runs the restaurant with a different kind of confidence.

- "We are a small team that works closely together, and I think it's important to have a good atmosphere in the kitchen. Serving lunch is a bit like a match - we prep and train, and once lunch starts we play for two hours. It's a pulse, but a fun pulse," she says and laughs.

In the home kitchen, there are often experiments, all to find new "cross overs" between the northern, home cooking and Mediterranean food.

- My husband has tried a lot over the years. Now my son says: "Mom, can't we just have meatballs with cream sauce sometime?"

She laughs, but notes that the mix is what drives her forward.

- "I want to cook food that is simple but well made and with a little twist that means you don't get it at home.

Skellefteå has become a place for Diamanto where life is balanced. She got married here, and she appreciates the nature and tranquillity.

- "I don't need an hour in the car to get somewhere, like in Athens. Here I can go for a walk in the woods or meet friends directly. It suits me perfectly, Skellefteå is really home for me," she says.

Sometimes it's worth taking a chance in life.

Text: Daniel Bergeman

Photo: Tilda Olofsgård