Sandalen Gård

Randaberg's first dedicated fruit farm

Sandalen Gård is owned and operated by Anne Vistnes Tønnessen and Jo Arild Tønnessen. The farm is idyllically situated at Vistnes in Randaberg municipality, just 10 minutes from Stavanger. In 2011 the farm transitioned from livestock and grass production to modern high-density fruit plantings. The first juice was produced in 2012, and since 2014 our products have been available at unmanned farm shops and at the market in Stavanger.

The history of Vistnes stretches back many centuries.

Today we have over 5,500 apple trees across more than 20 different varieties, carefully selected for flavour and suitability for cider and juice. We also grow blackcurrants, redcurrants, gooseberries, wild blackberries and plums.

Sandalen Gård does not supply fruit to large distributors. Instead we cultivate a wide selection of apple varieties with the goal of producing the best possible raw material for cider and juice – freedom to prioritise flavour, structure and quality over yield.

Our approach makes us more comparable to a winery than a traditional Norwegian apple farm. You won't find one large tank of standard production here, but many small tanks with different yeast strains, fruit varieties and fermentation methods. Every batch is an exploration of flavour and craftsmanship.

In 2020 we received our production licence for alcoholic beverages, and in 2021 our sales licence. Our products have since received numerous national and international medals in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026.

"The day we produce purely for profit and become quantity-driven rather than innovation-driven is the day we stop making cider."
– Jo Arild & Anne

Farm history in pictures: 2011–2024

The farm operates according to integrated pest management (IPM) with regenerative elements. See: Sustainability report | IPM farm