13/05/2026
As summer approaches, our team is growing, and we're thrilled to have Emma back at Back Pocket for her second season: Welcome back, Emma! 👋🏼
Last year, Emma brought to life a project we had longed for at Back Pocket: a garden that provides fresh, zero-kilometer produce and flowers for our menu. The garden was a huge success in its first year, and this year, we have expanded with a few more growing boxes and a greenhouse 🥬
On August 19, 2025, we published an interview we did with her about her studies, background, and project with Back Pocket’s garden. We plan to do another interview with her later this summer. For now, you can find an excerpt of our last interview below. If you are interested in reading the full interview, check out the original post. It's filled with interesting and important insights!
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Introducing Emma Wistrand.
When we asked Emma for this interview, she made sure that we would mention her AgriCulinary education at Perho, a programme that she speaks highly of. The AgriCulinary's stated objective is to "strengthen sustainable cooperation between gardening and the restaurant industries". Notably, Emma's favourite subject during her studies was "sustainable gastronomy", a course taught by Jarmo Heimaala.
As soon as she arrived in Korpo, she quickly set up a garden in the hotel's backyard, which was something that William had long desired. Let's get to know her better.
Q: Emma, how have your AgriCulinary studies influenced your view of the connection between restaurants and farms?
My studies made me truly appreciate local products and their stories. I love it when we can tell customers that an ingredient on their plate came from our own backyard, the forest, or a nearby producer. These ingredients and their producers deserve to be recognised.
Q: How did the idea for establishing a garden as soon as you arrived here come about?
During my very first interview with William, I asked if it might be possible to have a couple of square meters in the backyard for growing edible flowers and some herbs. He went all in and said, “Yes — we’ll give you 300 square meters!”
[You can find the entire interview in the August 19, 2025 post]