Michelin Green star chef Chantelle Nicholson launches Fjora

Chantelle Nicholson, founder of the Green Michelin-starred Apricity in Mayfair, has announced the opening of Fjora in Copenhagen, where she has taken on the role of Chef Partner.

Housed within 1 Hotel Copenhagen, this marks Chantelle’s first international culinary venture, and one that reflects her enduring commitment to produce-first, low-waste and regenerative practices.

From law to kitchens: the path that shaped her

Originally from New Zealand, Chantelle trained as a lawyer. Her pivot toward food was somewhat unexpected: she entered a cooking competition for fun, ended up meeting chef Josh Emett (then head chef at the Savoy Grill in London), and through that, was offered a job in London. 

What began as what she intended to be a short stay in London grew into a 19-year journey during which she built her reputation not just as a cook, but as a leader committed to ethical hospitality and environmental responsibility. 

At Apricity, launched in 2022, her aims have been ambitious: embed sustainability into every aspect of operation - from what is on the plate to staff wellbeing - and to champion low-waste and supplier relationships rooted in respect. The restaurant’s Green Michelin Star stands as recognition of these efforts.

Fjora: a natural next step

Fjora builds on all of that: Chantelle’s values, her philosophy, and her personal journey. In Copenhagen, she is translating her vision into a restaurant shaped by the Nordic wild, driven by seasonality, rooted in community, and engineered around a closed-loop kitchen model.

Against the backdrop of Denmark’s remarkable food culture, Fjora is as much about flavour and texture as it is about reconnecting with the land and respecting its rhythms.

The Fjora menu and regenerative ethos

Nature is Chantelle’s biggest inspiration.

She said: “Something so bountiful and beautiful that begins with just a tiny seed. Its rainbow hues, gentle hums, and rhythmic patterns inspire me to work with it and learn from it in all its forms.”

Fjora was born from a deep connection to this natural world - celebrating seasonality and the quiet brilliance of local ingredients, while creating a space where guests can slow down and reconnect.

At Fjora, this vision comes to life through a closed-loop kitchen model designed to minimise waste and maximise impact. The menu moves with the seasons, celebrating landscape and the community whilst championing local ingredients and techniques inspired by the Nordic wild.

Small plates include cured Nordic trout with fermented green strawberries and crème fraîche and roasted carrots with brown butter labneh, carrot top relish and rye and caraway granola. Larger dishes include Funga Farm mushrooms with ‘XO’ sauce, herb velouté and local grains and slow-cooked pork collar, bacon jam, braised cabbage and cultured cream.

Desserts continue the theme: baked milk chocolate mousse with koji Copenhagen miso custard and goat’s milk ice cream; or skyr yoghurt soft serve with olive oil and honeycomb. And a nod to Apricity’s signature creativity: the Chouxnut - a sweet, crispy take on a doughnut made with choux buns - is reimagined using Agrain (upcycled flour from spent beer grain), and coated in cardamom sugar.

Drinks, design, and philosophy

The regenerative mindset extends to the drinks menu, which features imaginative cocktails made with seasonal produce, Danish liquors, and surplus ingredients from the kitchen.

Standouts include a cherry and tonka Americano (with Frederiksdal cherry liquor), a Pastry Manhattan infused with leftover breakfast pastries, and a reworked classic martini using treacle made from vegetable skins and pickle juice.

The restaurant is housed in the glass-fronted atrium of 1 Hotel Copenhagen; seats 72 in an airy, plant-filled space using raw organic materials. Fjora also offers two private dining rooms (up to 40). The design contrasts and balances light and shadow, wild and refined, nature and nurture.

Reflection and looking forward

Chantelle’s journey - starting in a courtroom in New Zealand, passing through law, moving into kitchens, building Apricity and now opening Fjora - shows a consistent thread: purpose and flavour need not be in tension. 

Chantelle said: “It is such an honour to be opening in Copenhagen, a city known for its exceptional food and producers. It has given me and the team the opportunity to work with different, and sometimes unusual ingredients, experimenting with flavours and textures. We are looking forward to inviting locals and those visiting this beautiful city into Fjora.”