Hilda Kirkhoff interprets LINUM.

Hilda Kirkhoff had her dream job at a famous hotel in southern Sweden when the pandemic suddenly broke out. Only two days left before her probationary period was over, the contract was cancelled due to the outbreak of the disease, and Hilda was left jobless. At the time, there were ads on social media for the TV programme, Hela Sverige Bakar, which all Swedes love. After strong encouragement from family and friends, as well as getting contacted by the programme’s production team, Hilda finally chose to participate. When the final episode aired, Hilda was announced the winner, marking the start of a budding new career.

Today, Hilda Kirkhoff writes popular cook books, runs an inspiring Instagram account and makes regular TV appearances. Her hope is to “be her entire self” and to show who she is and who she’s always been by making sure that every she does is with authenticity.

“Working with LINUM has really given me the opportunity to get up close and personal. It was nice to do something different and to also show people how we celebrate Christmas in my own home. I have several LINUM products from before I started working with them, and I was so excited to work with the new collection. Linen is so naturally pretty.”

Hilda Kirkhoff has created a magical LINUM cake for Christmas, and she’s graciously shared the ingredients and recipe.

Hilda celebrates Christmas in the traditional way and describes how her family gathers in the small Swedish town of Båstad to spend time together. Their family home has a large stone oven that can bake up to 24 loaves simultaneously – a fantastic baking project. They also usually divide up tasks when they make gingerbread houses: Dad draws, Mum makes the dough and Hilda decorates. Hilda says that her kitchen nowadays is full of fun textiles and useful gadgets, but after a long pandemic, she admits that what she wishes for most this Christmas is an inspiring trip somewhere.

”I get so much inspiration from travelling, both in Sweden and abroad. I like experiencing cultures, baking and cooking where they originate.”

Hilda Kirkhoff’s five tips for designing a festive Christmas table setting:

1. Don’t work yourself up over it – even small things add a lot.
2. A nice ribbon and a small twig go a long way.
3. Be bold, trust your gut.
4. Once I baked fortune cookies, and they were a hit. They can be a great way to start the party or say a little something sweet about your guests.
5. My mother also taught me to focus on decorating the table instead of decorating everything. Things are a lot less messy when you stick to simply making a centrepiece.