Koks in the Faroe Islands has been awarded its first star by the Michelin Guide Nordic Countries 2017 – the first ever to be given to a Faroese restaurant.

Announced at a prestigious ceremony held in Stockholm, Koks’ chef Poul Andrias Ziska was presented with the award by Michelin Guides’ international director, Michael Ellis.

Ziska explains how proud he is to receive the honour on behalf of Koks.

He said: “On behalf of all the team at Koks, I would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Michelin Guide Nordic Countries for this wonderful award.

“At Koks our aim is to create the ultimate dining experience - an experience strongly influenced by our deep-rooted Faroese traditions and the remarkable local produce found on our doorstep.

“This is our strength, and often our job is simply to let the extraordinary produce speak for itself.”

The Faroe Islands, a collection of 18 islands in the North Atlantic, halfway between Iceland and Norway, are part of the Kingdom of Denmark, yet are proud of their distinct and unique culture and heritage; it is from this distinctive identity that KOKS emerged.

Situated in Kirkjubøur, on the island of Streymoy, Koks was founded by Leif Sørensen, one of the creators of the New Nordic Kitchen Manifesto, and is characterised by its unique Faroese identity and by its commitment to the use of sustainable local products.

Koks’ philosophy is simple and pure: making age-old food exciting to modern palates.

Ziska and his team of innovators use Faroese produce - both coarse and fine, ancient and modern – to produce dishes that ‘capture the Faroese landscape on a plate’, while always keeping an eye on sustainability.