Plåtbröd and smuggler stories
This concept from the Åland Islands offers you both plåtbröd and stories about the smuggler Algoth Niska.
Algoth Niska – king of smugglers
Algoth Niska lived and worked during 1888 -1954. The Prohibition Law from 1919 to 1932 caused a massive liquor smuggling in Finland. Algoth Niska was in the forefront and had customers even in Germany and Sweden. The smuggling of liquor took him on exciting adventures on stormy seas and many escapes from the coast guard. ”Agi”, as they called him, was a brave man who loved new adventures and taking on new challenges.
After the abolishment of the Prohibition Act, liquor smuggling was no longer profitable, however, Niska’s career as a smuggler did not end there. A meeting with a Jewish furtrader marked the beginning of Niska’s new career – as a people smuggler. In the following years, Niska helped as many as 150 Jews escape.
Plåtbröd
Pub Niska serves Plåtbröd, thin Åland-style pizzas, made with high-quality and, whenever possible, locally produced ingredients. The first Pub Niska restaurant was opened in Västra Hamnen in Mariehamn, Åland. That restaurant is nowadays located in Sjökvarteret, Östra Hamnen in Mariehamn. You can also find Pub Niska restaurants in Åbo/Turku, Helsingfors/Helsinki and Ekenäs/Tammisaari. The menu consists of genuine Åland-style plåtbröd and salads.The maritime interior in all Pub Niska restaurants has been designed and built by craftsman Sture Ahlström from Åland.
Master chef with a passion for pizzas
Michael Björklund, the founder of the Pub Niska concept, is also an ambassador for New Nordic Food, a project aiming to give new inspiration to Nordic cooking traditions. Björklund has also won the Chef of the Year-award in both Finland and Sweden. He is moreover known from the TV-series Strömsö, Mat så in i Norden and Strandhugg. His interest in locally produced ingredients inspired him to offer an alternative to ”regular” pizzas. This idea gave birth to the original plåtbröd that were made with ingredients from Åland and served in a tiny and charming restaurant.