Directory

Paihalas is a brewery and blender, located in Sodankylä, is the passion project of Samuli Koivistoinen. Having relocated from Helsinki to Lapland, Samuli took the plunge in starting his own small-batch brewery of arctic wild ale. Paihalas oak-aged beers use indigenous yeasts and bacteria, incorporating local groundwater, and wild herbs and berries for flavouring. Paihalas (Páihálâš) means "local" in Inari Sámi, and Samuli strives to keep production and sourcing as local as possible. The brewery is a tribute to the ancient Kemi Sámi culture and Kemi Sámi, which was the main spoken language in Sodankylä until the 1700s.

Santa Dorotea farm in Box, Sipoo, produces over 200 different vegetables, herbs, berries, fruits and flowers on a market garden scale site, including 50 different varieties of tomatoes, grown outdoors. Owner Sara Celvin is committed to ecological practices and soil-conservation techniques, such as the use of cover crops and minimal tilling, whilst making use of their own worm compost and chicken manure. Sara also offers gardening and horticulture services for locals interested in regenerative, environmentally responsible food production, through courses and food events.

Svarfvars is an organic farm located in Raseborg. They produce organically and biodynamically grown goods for schools, kindergartens and restaurants in the capital area and in western Uusimaa – selling both their own grown vegetables, but also sell and import other organic products. Currently their focus is on growing vegetables and herbs both in open fields and in greenhouses heated with wood chips.

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.

Vihreän Oksan Verstas is a horticulture and farming education programme for young people aged 16–29, based at the Kumpula Education Garden. Working in partnership with the City of Helsinki, they offer rehabilitative work opportunities for those interested in gardening or looking for a next step. Alongside the programme, they grow and sell vegetables, herbs, and flowers, as well as plants, jams, and other house-made products.

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.