Alex Nietosvuori and Ally Thompson-Nietosvuori, who launched Hjem within The Hadrian Hotel in the village of Wall back in 2019, confirmed in an Instagram post that the restaurant would close its doors on 31 December this year after ‘a remarkable six years cooking great food for wonderful guests’.
The pair subsequently plan to restore the walled garden of Close House, a Georgian mansion in the Tyne valley, and build a new restaurant alongside it, which will open as Freyja, named after the Norse goddess of love, fertility and battle.
Announcing the closure, the couple said: “Having announced plans to build and open a purpose-built restaurant-with-rooms, Freyja on the Close House Estate in nearby Wylam, we have decided that the rest of 2025 will serve as a glorious celebration of everything we have accomplished at Hjem as we look forward to the next adventure.
“Reservations are now open until the end of September. We’ll be announcing some exciting events along the way also. We can’t wait to celebrate with guests old and new in what is going to be a fantastic final year at Hjem!”
With Freyja, Alex and Ally say they intend to create a ‘highly creative yet relaxed dining experience that’s seasonally driven and reflects the unique Northumbrian countryside’.
The walled garden – to be run by the team behind Hexham Organics – will supply much of the restaurant’s fruit and vegetables while meat, game, fish and dairy produce will primarily come from within 30 miles.
Hjem is currently ranked at number 30 on the National Restaurant Awards Top 100 list.