Faroese grocery store Búrhandilin celebrates 170 years

The Faroese grocery store Búrhandilin in Skopun marks its 170th anniversary today, with owner Kristoffer Poulsen crediting the community’s longstanding support for its longevity, reports Faroese broadcaster Kringvarp Føroya.

Poulsen, who has run the store with his wife for the past 36 years, described the work as more than a job—it’s a way of life. “It demands a lot of you. You really have to dedicate yourself to it,” he said. As one of the oldest operating grocery stores in the Faroe Islands, Búrhandilin has become a fixture in Skopun, where Poulsen noted that even on his days off, he often ends up at the store.

Reflecting on the milestone, Poulsen admitted feeling a sense of responsibility and wondered who might take over after him. “If I truly want a holiday, I have to leave the island or go abroad, because if I’m in Skopun, I always end up at the store—even when I’m supposed to be off,” he said.

Poulsen shared more about the store’s history and his life as a shopkeeper in Skopun during a morning broadcast on Kringvarp Føroya.