Garde Hvalsøe, the Danish company known for its high-quality kitchens and cabinetry, has partnered with long-term collaborator, Nicolai Nørregaard, head chef at Kadeau Copenhagen and Bornholm, to unveil a bespoke test kitchen for Kadeau Copenhagen.

The longstanding relationship first began when Nicolai Nørregaard invited Garde Hvalsøe to craft Kadeau Copenhagen’s main kitchen in 2015. The open test kitchen is the centrepiece of the two-star Michelin restaurant, offering an exquisite experience, where diners can watch culinary excellence unfold. With a shared love of timeless design, natural materials and sensuous features, Nørregaard after welcomed a meticulously crafted Garde Hvalsøe Minimal model kitchen into his private Copenhagen home in 2020.

Nicolai Nørregaard, head chef at Kadeau, says “We’ve been working with Garde Hvalsøe for almost a decade — a collaboration built on mutual respect and a shared admiration for craftsmanship and innovation within our fields of work. So, when the opportunity came to create a test kitchen at Kadeau, there was no question—it had to be Garde Hvalsøe. Since the kitchen is also our private dining room, it needed to be more than just functional; it had to be beautiful, almost like a piece of art. And that’s exactly what we got—something timeless, stunning, and perfectly suited to our space.”

Having utilised the Solid and Dinesen models in the main kitchen for over ten years, Nørregaard had confidence and trust in Garde Hvalsøe’s materials, durability and quality. The test kitchen island is a bespoke Solid kitchen model made from HeartOak and light knotted oak. Set aside from the main kitchen area, it can accommodate up to six guests at a time. During the day, the test kitchen provides the culinary team with a refined and functional area to innovate and perfect their gastronomic enterprise and ever-changing seasonal menus. Meanwhile, in the evening, the test kitchen opens for dinner and, on occasion, private events.

The kitchen’s layout was designed according to the chefs’ specific requests, from the placement of specialised equipment to the arrangement of drawers and shelving for their collection of bowls and plates. The space has a zinc section, which is a special edition based on the Front model, customised to integrate unique kitchen machinery tailored to Kadeau’s needs.

The kitchen’s wet zone is made from cladding and zinc, allowing the chefs to work freely with liquids or staining ingredients like beetroot without risk. The specified area is intentionally carefree, designed to develop a patina over time. Zinc offers greater resilience than wood for wet experimentation and provides a texture that stainless steel lacks.  

This partnership highlights the crossover of fine craftsmanship and haute cuisine, setting a new standard for design-driven culinary spaces.

Søren Lundh Aagaard, partner and CEO of Garde Hvalsøe, comments on the relationship with Kadeau Copenhagen saying, “I’ve known Nicolai Nørregaard for years, and the foundation of our long-lasting collaboration is simple — we genuinely like each other. I’ve spent countless hours at Kadeau, and it’s clear that Nicolai is not only a skilled chef but also an exceptional leader, as many of his team members have stayed for years. To me, that speaks to an environment built on mutual respect, camaraderie, and a shared passion – values that guide all my relationships and are, in my view, the foundation of any meaningful collaboration.”