Directory

Peltola Farm has been in operation since 1847, with a creamery running since the 1940s. Based in Suonenjoki, they produce artisan dairy including traditional blue cheese and churned butter. Animal wellbeing is central to their approach, and their cows are fed fodder grown on the farm — including red clover, which the team believes adds depth and character to the flavour of their products.

Salohiili is a charcoal, biochar, and firewood producer based in Pielavesi, founded in 1990 and run by Aimo Lipponen. Their barbecue and forge charcoal is made from Finnish birch and packed without plastic. The charcoal is produced using machinery designed and built in-house, developed specifically for this purpose. Where the process once relied on a kiln, today the birch is dried in a boiler with very limited oxygen, resulting in a clean, consistent charcoal well suited for cooking over fire.

Saloniemen Juustola in Laitila, run by Riitta and Jouni Saloniemi since 1998, has grown from a small herd of goats into a full-scale organic creamery. Today they produce award-winning cheeses and yogurts, as well as some natural cosmetics. Over the years the farm has also introduced Finncattle and a few workhorses, and Riitta is even considering adding sheep. “As long as the heart beats and tells us to keep going, we will,” she says.

Sanna Reponen is a small-scale organic farmer in Sulkava, growing garlic across almost her entire 500 square meter plot. She also produces small amounts of oats and feed for a neighbouring organic dairy farm. Her garlic is highly sought after, often sold out before the next season even begins. Sanna keeps a low profile online and on social media, earning her the mysterious nickname “the invisible farmer.”

Temperance Brewing Co is an artisan brewery based in Hämeenlinna, founded by Marietta Kuivanen and Michael Alexander after years spent working with brewing and distilling in Helsinki. The brewery opened in autumn 2024, bringing small-scale beer production back to the city for the first time since the 1990s. Their beers, from Katuma Pilsner to Very Very Fond of Bergamot Double IPA, are naturally carbonated and made with a focus on sourcing ingredients as locally as possible. In their first year, Temperance has been warmly received by the local community and is now planning to open a brewery shop of their own.

Helsinki Distilling Company was founded in 2014 by friends and whiskey enthusiasts Kai Kilpinen and Mikko Mykkänen. It became the city’s first distillery in over a century, based in Teurastamo, Helsinki’s old abattoir district. Their range includes gin, local aquavit, applejack from Finnish apples, “lonkero,” and rye and single malt whiskey. The team works with circular-economy projects, turning spent mash into biogas, while their Tahko distillery focuses on organic production and local ingredients.

Vallinrinne is a small-scale organic farm in Nurmijärvi, run by Eerika Vallinrinne and Kalle Suontausta. The farm has been in Eerika’s family for generations, and today they grow a variety of brassicas, including cabbage, cauliflower, and kohlrabi in various varieties.

Viiniverla is an organic producer of non-alcoholic wines and drinks based in Verla. Their range includes sparkling wine, traditional lemonades, glögg, and juices such as apple-ginger glögg or red gooseberry fizz, all made from local ingredients, without artificial flavourings, sweeteners, or colouring. Their responsible approach extends beyond ingredients, covering cooking methods, energy use, and recycling across the production. Alongside their own production, Viiniverla offers a fruit juicing service: anyone can bring apples from their garden to be turned into juice, helping to capture the harvest and prevent surplus fruit from going to waste.