My morning coffee: Aarstiderne

It was one of those mornings when I knew as I woke up that if we didn't get out of the house and get going early, we would soon be climbing the walls and ready to kill each other. One of those mornings when I had to ignore the little voices in my head that told me I needed caffeine in order to function and instead I had to figure out how to solve the logistical conundrum of getting my children into the fresh air, my husband to his well deserved Sunday morning pastry (he gets up early on Sundays as I have my lie-in) and ultimately me to my coffee. The night before we had spoken about going up to Humlebæk to Aarstiderne's farm at Krogerup for the 'Apple day'. This morning, it was grey and the forecast was heavy rain but I knew that up at the farm there would be a great coffee, hay bales to climb and freshly baked cinnamon rolls - it was a no-brainer. 

It was nothing short of a military operation to get everyone dressed and into their waterproofs and wellies (not least because as I was in my pre-caffeine state, I forgot to ask the children about going to the toilet until they were three layers deep in rain gear!). We don't have a car and so to get out to the countryside, we have to be pretty committed to the cause and it was the promise of good coffee that kept me going as we cycled up to Hellerup to catch the Helsingør train. When we arrived at the farm, I tried to make a bee-line for the cafeteria but the children caught sight of the 'apple pizzas' that were firing in the wood burning outdoor stove and the martyr in me rose again.

In hindsight it was a short detour for the children to roll dough, sprinkle cinnamon butter and sugar, slice apples and then stand and watch the pizzas bake in the oven. When my cappuccino and I were finally united, it was well worth the effort. As a family, we tucked into a baked feast of apple cup cakes and apple crumble. And of course, a cinnamon roll for my husband. Energised, we watched the apple presses, climbed the hay bales and took a long walk through the woods, splashing in all the puddles along the way.

Cost: a double shot cappuccino costs 40 DKK
Coffee hygge factor: 4 out of 5 (not least because of the beautiful farm setting)

Aarstiderne is an organic farm that delivers fruit and vegetables in boxes all over Denmark. Find out more about the farm and the many seasonal events at www.aarstiderne.com